SCRIPTWRITING - FORMATTING A SCRIPT

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INTRODUCTION

Formatting is how your script appears on the page from scene headings, dialogue, character names, action, and other features such as margins and font. It produces a visually clear and uncluttered document, in which all involved can quickly get immersed in the actual story. In general, scriptwriting follows the Master Scene Format which has been the golden standard for many years.

WHAT IS FORMATTING

The writing world is all about words and the intricate ways in which we use them to convey a certain message. What writers tend to forget is that how their words look on the page impacts the way the readers read and consume their work. Often it is the determining factor if the readers will engage with the script or not read. (2)

That is when formatting comes in. To put it simply, formatting is how your script appears on the page from scene headings, dialogue, character names, action, and other features such as margins and font. It immediately distinguishes a screenplay from a stage play or a novel, for example. (3)

WHY IS FORMATTING IMPORTANT

Formatting is a standard that allows the writer to communicate exactly what will be seen and heard onscreen, on stage. It can be easily understood by directors, producers, and other professionals, which is essential in an industry such as show business.

Having a standard way of communicating allows readers to be undistracted by trying to decipher a new form each time they read a script. Instead, they can immerse themselves in your story, your characters, and the world you have created. It produces a visually clear and uncluttered document. (3)

FORMATTING SCRIPT STANDARDS

As already mentioned there are standards to follow when it comes to formatting a script. These standards have been around for ages. As they say, “Don’t fix what works”. These standards make it easier for directors, actors, broadcasters, and other personnel to quickly immerse themselves in your story, and characters without having to wonder about the form.

We'll take a look into these standards and some tips that will help on your journey toward success.

FONT AND PAPER

Scripts should be written using the standard text font Courier New 12 point and printed black one-sided on standard 8.5’x11’ paper.

TITLE PAGE

The first page of the script is of course the title page. The title page should include the title, a description line, the name of the playwright, and your information.

The title should be in ALL CAPS and written 4 inches from the left edge of the paper. Beneath the title, there should be a horizontal underscore line that runs the length of the title.

The margins of the title should be:

top margin 3,5 inches,
left margin 4 inches,
right margin 1 inch,
bottom margin 1 inch.

The title page should not be numbered and your basic information should be in the bottom right-hand corner.

CHARACTER ROSTER

The title page is followed by your character roster, also known as ‘dramatis personae’. As is with the title page, this page should also not be numbered.

On this page list the names of your characters, ambiguous names for unknown characters such as ‘man’ or ‘girl,’ and include a short descriptor of the character. Include the most important details.

The margins of the dramatis personae are as follows:

top margin 1 inch,
left margin 1.5 inches,
right margin 1 inch,
bottom margin 1 inch.

STORY - THE MASTER SCENE FORMAT

After the character roster follow the pages with the story. For you to be taken seriously you will need to write in the Master Scene Format. The Master scene format consists of:

scene heading
action lines or scene descriptions
character name
dialogue
parentheticals
and transitions.

NUMBERING

All numbers start on the first page of the actual story. The beginning of each scene should start with a Roman numeral (I, II, III, IV …), which indicates the ‘Act’ or the part of your play, and the second number, which indicates the scene within the act. Both items should be four inches from the left or centered and underlined. The final number is the page number of the overall script.

SCENE HEADING

Every scene requires a scene heading, which provides the readers with the location of the scene, whether it is interior or exterior, and the time of day (DAY, NIGHT). It is written in ALL CAPS. The marks INT., and EXT. Indicated whether the location is interior or exterior. The location must be a single location. All scene headings are located on the left margin of the page. With every new scene, a new scene heading must be created to establish the location. (4)

SCENE DESCRIPTIONS

Scene descriptions are the words you use to describe what the reader should be visualizing. You'll use this section to describe:

Character Actions
Location Settings
Anything vital to the story that is seen or heard

The scene descriptions should appear just underneath the designations. They should be written in ALL CAPS, and the information should be four inches from the left. SETTING is how the stage appears overall. AT RISE is what appears when the lights come up, the curtain rises, or the actors come on stage.

CHARACTERS

Your character names should appear in ALL CAPS, indented four inches from the left edge of the page. They can not exist without some sort of action, so follow them either by a line of dialogue or stage directions.

DIALOGUE

Below the character's name comes the dialogue. It includes words that your characters speak to each other. (4)

Dialogue is the only element of playscript that will run the whole length of the page from the left margin to the right margin. It should be kept clear and concise. (4)

Parentheticals can be utilized now and then to feature further context, but should be used sparingly. (4)

STAGE DIRECTIONS

Stage directions are prompts that describe the actors' actions when on stage portraying characters. They are to be indented 2.5 inches from the left margin of the script. They should also indicate whether or not they happen during or after the delivery of the lines of dialogue. Double-space a line of stage directions that happen after a line of dialogue.

TRANSITIONS

Transitions are used to portray specific visual cuts from one scene to another. They are found in the right margin. Here are two examples:

DISSOLVE TO (a dramatic dissolve from one image to another)
SMASH CUT TO (a jolting cut from one image to another) (4)

MARGINS

General script margin settings for the actual document are:

1.5-inch Left Margin
1-inch Top and Bottom Margin

In the table below you can see the standard margins for each element of the Master Scene Format. (5)

CONCLUSION

Formatting is the way your script appears on the page, including scene headings, dialogue, character names, action, and other features such as margins and font. It immediately distinguishes a screenplay from, say, a stage play or a novel.

It allows the writer to communicate exactly what will be seen and heard onscreen, on stage. It can be easily understood by directors, producers, and other professionals, which is essential in an industry such as show business. In scriptwriting, especially filmmaking, following the Master Scene Format is the golden standard.

SOURCES

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Nocolas Cole. Flawless Formatting: A Step-By-Step Guide To Make Anything You Write Easy To Read (And Skimmable). Ship 30 for 30. Available at https://www.ship30for30.com/post/flawless-formatting-a-step-by-step-guide-to-make-anything-you-write-easy-to-read-and-skimmable
Jessica Sinyard. Screenplay Formatting: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Get It Right. New Writing North. 14 December 2016. Available at https://newwritingnorth.com/journal/screenplay-formatting-matters-get-right/
Ken Miyamoto. How to Format a Script. May 9, 2023. Available at https://screencraft.org/blog/how-to-format-a-script/
Michael Muszynski. Scriptwriting Format. San José State University Writing Center. Available as a free PDF at https://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/docs/handouts/Scriptwriting%20Format.pdf