Screenplay Format.pdf

7/25/2019 Screenplay Format.pdf

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- Screenplays use the 12-point COURIER

font as an industry standard, whichtranslates to approximately a minute

onscreen.

Right- 2.5 inches

Left- 1.5 inch

Top- 1 inch

Bottom- 1 inch

The page number is located 0.5" from the

top, flush right


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-a one line description of the location and time of day of a

scene

flush-left and capitalized, listing the following:

INT. (Interior) or EXT. (Exterior)Location: Day or Night / Dawn or Dusk

1. INT. RESTAURANT - DAY(reveals that the action takes place inside the restaurant

during the daytime


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1. Indoor shooting:INT. FEU HALLWAY - DAY

INT. CHURCH ENTRANCE - NIGHTINT. DORMATORY - DAWN

2. Outdoor shooting:EXT. SCHOOL GROUNDS - DUSKEXT. ROAD - MORNINGEXT. RIVER - EVENING


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-lines of speech of each character

-Dialogue section is used anytime a character is heardspeaking, even for off-screen and voice-overs

-the Dialogue section may also include actor directioninside brackets or parentheticalsand located under thespeaker's name and before the body of the dialogue


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-action or attitude direction for a character (upset, crying,

laughing, irritated, angry,etc)

-must be used sparingly and only when absolutelynecessary

-it is necessary to indicate in a scene with a number ofcharacters who the speaker is addressing


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-film editing transitions

-the screenwriter would only note down a desiredTransition (other than cut) when it is crucial to theappreciation of the story

-as a spec script writer, you should avoid using a transitionunless there is no other way to indicate a story element.


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-a shot tells the reader the focal point within a scene has

changed. Like a transition, there's rarely a time when aspec screenwriter should insert shot directions. Onceagain, that's the director's job.

-a shot must not be confused with a slug line even though


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(CONTD) will also be used if a large dialogue block

runs over a page break. In that case, theparenthetical (MORE) should come at the bottomof the first block, centered under the dialogue. The

dialogue will then pickup atop the next page, with(CONTD) in line with the speakers name:


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-instructions for a series of quick cuts between two

scene locations

- Two uses: telephone conversation and between

scenes


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Occasionally in a script, you might want to cut backand forth between two or more scenes. Thesescenes are occurring at the same time. Instead of

repeating the Scene Heading for each scene overand over, an INTERCUTis used.


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If the montage arises from a scene already in

progress, slug MONTAGE, then list the elements ofthe montage either as separate action lines, oras a bulleted list. When the montage is complete,

slug either BACK TO SCENE, or END OFMONTAGE:


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To determine where a flashback is needed in the script, the

screenwriter should decide when the audience needs toknow something from the character's past. Getting intothe flashback scenetransitioningis just as important asthe flashback scene itself. Transitions must be executed

smoothly and seamlessly so that the audience is not joltedfrom the present to the past, and back again to thepresent.


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Documents

Screenplay Format.pdf