Movie script format is not hard at all. When beginning writing, one
must simply start off with the very basics. Three simple rules of
formatting will help you start on your way to writing a great movie
script!
Movie script format is very important if you are a new screenwriter.
As it usually goes, you are likely excited to see some of the ideas that
have been spinning around in your head be put down on paper. However,
while you feel the creative juices flowing with characters and plots,
you also may be unsure of how to put it all down in an understandable
way. There is a correct format for movie scripts and if you don't know
it, your scripts will be passed over by directors for that reason alone.
They can't make a movie if they can't understand what the author
intended.
It's All in the Details
In order for your movie script to be understood by both the actors
and directors, every aspect of the script needs to be separated and
formatted. This includes everything from scene numbers and directions,
to characters and dialogue, all the way to the action portions of the
story. If this isn't done properly, it will affect your marketability,
no matter how good your plot line. Even as an amateur or beginner, you
should always begin the process correctly, especially if you plan to
move up in this career. While you can start with software that does much
of this for you, it's also important to understand and recognize errors
which may harm your movie script format efforts.
Margins Are Important
One of the main techniques that makes movie scripts readable is the
difference in the margins. For example, action and stage directions are
usually placed towards the left hand margin, while characters and their
dialogue and action sit towards the center of the page.
Capitalize and Punctuate Correctly
Certain things in your movie script should always be placed in
capital letters. These most certainly include the names of all of the
characters involved in your script. However, you should also capitalize
action words. For example, if you want the scene to include a sentence
indicating that a mirror will break, you would capitalize the action
word. In this case, that would be "BREAK". This lets the actors and
directors easily pick out what is actually supposed to be happening in a
scene. Also, dialogue does not need to be placed in quotation marks in a
movie script. It is already distinguishable with proper movie script
formatting. You should, however, punctuate the dialogue sentences
correctly.
Page Breaks
Whenever you're writing a movie script, you are limited to the space
on each page. Throughout the script, it's inevitable that you will end
up moving to another page in the middle of dialogue or action. If this
happens, you should let the reader know that the event isn't finished.
When flow is interrupted by a page break, this should be indicated by
(more). On the beginning of the following page, include (cont'd).
Obviously, there is much more to think about to be sure that you are
getting it all right. However, the more you practice and study scripts,
the more familiar you will be with the process. If you have any
questions or are uncertain of what the most correct format is, you
should always err on the side of caution and look up examples of the
proper movie script format.
