What do we mean when we say screenplay format? The majority of creative film and media content you see begins as a Screenplay. A screenplay, or script, is a document that a Screenwriter creates to visually describe story information for film, television, commercials, or video games. The script also provides specific information to the story world, characters and locations. Furthermore, dialogue, visual descriptions and actions as they occur make the script feel like it unfolds in your mind’s eye.
For every person involved in production, the screenplay is a critical document. The needs of the script serve as the basis for planning used in all the Stages of Film Production. Therefore, each person involved in the production depends upon their understanding of the script’s intentions to further their collaborative contributions.
Even if you never plan to write a screenplay, you need to understand the Screenplay Format. Knowing industry professional conventions will help you make sense of what you’re reading. Additionally, you will better be able to identify how to achieve the needs of the story going into production.
Scene Headings in a Screenplay Format
Before the contents of the story unfolds, you have to orient the viewer to where the proceeding events occur. A Scene Heading, sometimes referred to as Sluglines, seeks to clarify both the where and when of a scene. Failing to orient your reader can result in confusion. For example, imagine a screenplay had no scene heading and proceeds to describe a character with a hard hat and headlamp. Why that character needs a hard hat and a headlamp could be confusing. However, this time the screenplay gives a clear scene heading stating it’s an interior of a cave. Now we can quickly connect that those tools are for a cave exploration.
Additionally, the scene heading will help with the pre-production planning. This will guide the production as to what sort of locations they need to to acquire or create. Furthermore, it assists in the scheduling. It can help dictate when you can shoot or if you need to do any creative production design or lighting suggest the required time of day.
Writing your scene headings in CAPS is the first formatting requirement. You can also find three specific areas of information including:
- Camera Location – Interior (INT) or Exterior (EXT)
- Scene Location – A brief scene description to orient the reader.
- Time of Day – Day or Night
Numbering
Scene numbers are important to include in your script. It serves a practical purpose for production to track and identify all the scenes consistently throughout all The Phases of Film Production. During Pre-Production, an identification is given to all planned shots that correspond to the scene number in the script. Shot lists, schedules, and any other documents need to follow the same system.
In addition, during Post-Production, the Assistant Editor will be responsible for organizing media. When they do this, they need to making sure the media from sets follows the same numbering system used in production.
What are Special Headings in a Screenplay Format
There are a few other alternative Special Headings to keep an eye out for. For example, you may have scenes that need to indicate a montage, series, flashback, or dream sequence. These specialty scenes require extra effort for planning. Complex sequences may require more locations, production design preparation, and scheduling. Furthermore, these tend to be highly editorial segments to anticipate in the edit.
Action Lines
As you continue through a script, Action Lines will usually proceeds the Scene Heading. These provide visual descriptions written in the present tense. They serve to provide essential information to what the audience sees or hears. Within action lines you will find:
- Action – subject or object movement staging within the scene
- Location and Character Descriptions – essential, visual information regarding the scene and/or a character’s appearance
- Sounds – auditory information critical to the story
Dialogue
Sandwiched between your action lines, you’ll find one of the most essential narrative components, Dialogue. Within these sections you will find:
- Character Name or Cue – written always in CAPS
- Actor’s Direction or Parenthetical – performance suggestions that are in parentheses under the character’s name to clarify intended subtext
- Speech – what the actor says
Off Screen and Voice Over Lines
Look out for Parenthetical Notations to the right of a character’s name such as O.S. (Off Screen) or V.O. (Voice Over). This indicates dialogue or voice over from a source not visible on screen.
Identifying this is useful for planning purposes. For example, what if a character is never seen but we only hear them in a scene? Perhaps you can record that line later in Post-Production. On the other hand, what if you have the talent on set for that day for other shots? Maybe it might make sense to record them that day as a Wild Line. A wild line is where you pull talent aside to record the line asynchronously from picture on set. The wild line will then be edited into the scene during editing.
The Screenplay in Post-Production
In Post-Production, the screenplay continues to be useful. The Post-Production department will receive it repurposed into a document called the Lined Script. A Script Supervisor prepares this document on set with shooting notes. The shooting notes contain information on how the scene was covered and any continuity concerns. Furthermore, examining the coverage notes will also indicate who or what is visually seen in a shot. This allows for better understanding of what the editor has to work with.
Getting Better at Writing a Screenplay and Understanding Format
One way to get better at how to write a screenplay and understanding screenplay format is to practice reading scripts! A useful resource for reading full-length Hollywood screenplays is the The Internet Movie Script Database.
Watching and analyzing short films can also be a great way to practice understanding the screenplay mechanics. Furthermore, it can help you become a better storyteller! In EditMentor’s Advanced Film Editing Workshop with Stephen Mark, users begin their journey of learning storytelling and editing technique by analyzing the screenplay to the short film Authentic (renamed The Dishwasher Written and Directed by Nick Hartanto and Sam Roden). To further practice your understanding of Screenplay format, feel free to read this screenplay example to Authentic.
