Thursday, July 29, 2010

Film Script Basics

Setting Up Your Script

Should be a maximum of 60 lines, including page number and CONTINUEDs (but not including the 3 line margins at the top and bottom of the page)

The standard font to use is 12-point Courier (not Courier New) it is a fixed width font that provides non proportinal spacing

Words should never be broken by a hyphen at the end of a line of dialogue unless it's a naturally hyphenated word, such as twenty-two, point-blank, etc.
3" margin on the left | 2.5" margin on the right

Scene transitions such as CUT TO: and DISSOLVE TO: are entirely optional, but when used should be preceded by one blank line and followed by two blank lines.
6.0" margin on the left | Right margin is not specified

"Parenthetical character direction" is specific business relating only to the speaking character.
Parenthetical character direction is placed in parens, on a separate line from dialogue.
If the direction goes more than four lines, place it at the left margin as regular direction, using a colon (:) to indicate it goes with the character's next speech.
If CAMERA MOVEMENTS or SOUNDS (which should be capped) appear in parenthetical character direction, they should be "pulled out" and treated as regular direction:
Do not put another character's direction in the speaking character's dialogue. It MUST go at the left margin.
3.7" margin on the left and a length of about 1.5" before wrapping

Use of "CONTINUED"
When a shot or scene continues from one page to the next, (CONTINUED) must be added at the bottom of the page where the break occurs, preceded by a single blank line. CONTINUED: is then added at the top of the next page, followed by a single blank line.
Breaking Stage Direction
When stage direction (also known as action) is broken at the bottom of a page, break it only at the end of a complete sentence. CONTINUEDs must be added as explained above.
Breaking Dialog
When a character's speech is broken at the bottom of a page, break it only at the end of a complete sentence. Add (MORE) 4" from the left page edge at the bottom of the page where the break occurs, directly beneath the dialog (in other words, no blank line separates the (MORE) from the dialog) On the following page put (CONT'D) after the character name and on the same line as the name.
Also, when breaking speeches, do not place parenthetical character direction before the (MORE). Place the parenthetical direction with the remainder of the speech on the next page.
Breaking Scene Transitions
When breaking pages, the scene transition must remain with the shot just completed. In other words, it is never permissible to start a new page with a CUT TO: or a DISSOLVE TO:. It must be placed at the bottom of the previous page.

For an example of a script using these rules - click HERE

- Jamie -

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