The 10 commandments of screenplay format

Screenplay format - what it is and why it's important

Whatascript:
Formatman, let's first talk about what screenplay formatting is.

Formatman: 
Telling a story for the movie industry needs to comply with some generally agreed upon standards and forms.

This is like a written language that screenwriters use to let others know (reader, producer, director, actor) what their story is about. 

Whatascript: 
Why is it so important to comply with these standards?

Formatman:
Because they are the rules of the game.
Using your "own" standards will just not fly - it's like using your baseball bat in a basketball game. It does not belong there.

Applying the standards of screenplay format allows you to fully communicate with the people you want to reach (the reader to start with) with nothing in the way - and nothing of your story getting lost "in translation".

Besides not following these standards is usually a sign of an amateur screenwriter, a big reason for a reader to stop reading your screenplay after a few pages.

So if you want your story to be read, just follow the standards. They have proven to work.

In other words, use your creativity in your story, not in the script format.

Whatascript: 
When reading produced screenplays I noticed some small variations in screenplay formatting. 
How do you explain them?

Formatman:
2 reasons:

• In one case that's because the standards of script format evolve with the time. Things which were in use then, are no more used now (e.g. "cut to" which was used at the end of each scene to go to the next scene. Now it is just implied).


• In the other case, that's because some successful screenwriters kind of earned a "licence" to make some slight changes. But that's them. Until you have reached the same status, just follow the standards.

Whatascript: 
I heard people talking about spec and shooting screenplays. What are they? and is there a difference in how their format look like?

Formatman:
"Spec screenplay" stands for speculative screenplay. What it means is that a screenwriter writes a screenplay on his own initiative in the hope that someone will option it and eventually purchase it.

Once the screenplay has been purchased, possibly revised and is ready for production, a new version is issued with scene numbers next to the scene headings (called master scene headings). This version is called shooting script.

These scene numbers together with revision pages, are the main differences between the two forms of screenplays in terms of formatting.

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The 10 commandments

What a script!: 
The whole town talks about the 10 commandments of screenplay format.
What do they cover?

Formatman: 
The basics to ensure a reader does not toss your screenplay because of poor formatting. Think of:

• how to create a first positive impression,
• how to write scene headings, action, dialogue, extension etc,
• how to go about specific situations (e.g. phone conversations, montage, foreign languages)
• how to enhance the reader's and potentially actor's experience

What a script!: 
What are these commandments?

Formatman: 

The 10 commandments of screenplay format

1  Thou shalt honor the reader and not cheat 2  Thou shalt not let the reader get lost 3  Thou shalt not slow down the reader 4  Thou shalt create dialogues that are music to the ears of the reader 5  Thou shalt direct without using camera directions 6  Thou shalt cut to the chase 7  Thou shalt leave room for the actor 8  Thou shalt use montage, flashback and other special effects with moderation 9  Thou shalt not lose the reader in translation 10  Thou shalt phone home.