How to format your script if you want to break into the canonical market.
If you’re confused about how to format your script, you’ve come to the right place. The following article contains an excerpt from our book, “Master Script Format: A Clear Guide to How to Format Your Screenplay for the Spec Market.”
The overall message of this book is to be as clear and consistent as possible when it comes to screenplay formatting in order to Immerse readers in the world of the story.
This book does not focus on how to format scripts using dogmatic rules, but rather focuses on “best practices” and script formatting choices.
The following are just two of the many anomalies included in this book, along with our suggestions for better options on how to format your scripts.
How to Format Script Example #1: Abuse of EXT./INT.
(This script format example is taken from Section 2 of Sluglines)
The format EXT./INT. should be used when quickly cutting between internal and external positions. If you’re wondering how to format your script, we don’t recommend using EXT./INT. As it is used in the following scenarios:
If we see Charlotte chatting on her cell phone before entering the gym, this needs an outside ad. Then when she enters the gym we need an indoor one like this:
Likewise, using EXT./INT. when it comes to script formats is technically incorrect:
This screenwriting format “mistake” sometimes happens when a writer feels that a location is both inside and outside at the same time. However, using our previous rule of thumb, Can these characters look up and see the sky? Yes. So, like most football stadiums, tennis courts, concert venues, etc., we are still technically outside.
So this scene should be marked as a looklike this:
Normally, only use EXT./INT. When action repeatedly switches from the inside to the outside of a location or we see it Launched in both places at the same time. High-octane car chases and fight scenes are great places to use this technique. Here’s an example of how to format a script this way:
How to format a script Example #2: Overuse of capital letters in sounds.
(This script format example is taken from Section 3 “Instructions”)
It’s easy to get carried away describing it too much sound in the script. This often leads to putting too many sounds in the capitals, leading to an overall misuse of the technique.
Here are examples of all three errors:
Placing sounds in capital letters is a personal preference. But from a purist’s perspective, there are many “irregularities” in this scene.
Should you capitalize all sounds? Is there any difference between the sound effects and natural sounds? What about animal sounds? Or on-screen and off-screen sounds?
If you want to format the sounds according to the book, this can get very confusing… However, a good way to reduce the confusion is to divide the sounds in the script into Two categories:
❖ Actor-produced sounds (natural sounds)
Those ones no Actor Production (Sound Effects)
How to format scripts and natural sounds.
These include all sounds made by the actor himself. Such as laughing, singing, screaming, clapping, tapping, tapping, playing instruments, etc.
If they are on screen, i.e. present in the scene and visible to the camera, these sounds will not be capitalized. If they’re off-screen, behind a door, under the floor, or out of sight, then they’ll be hooded.
sound effects.
These include all sounds It’s not something the actors themselves did.. For example, glass breaking, gunshots, cell phone ringtones, speakers playing music, cats meowing, babies crying, etc. wear capital letters.
Perhaps the easiest way to remember all this is: all sounds in caps, Apart from The natural sounds produced by actors on screen.
Let’s take another look at the scene. This time it’s formatted using all “technically correct” usage of capitalization for natural sounds and sound effects:
The following outlines why the second version is technically correct:
It’s best to avoid capping the natural sounds that come from your screen.
In the second version of the scene above, people chatting, finger typing, Ned slumping on the couch and sighing, etc. are all natural sounds made by the actors themselves, so Do not enter capital letters.
But please note that the author overuses the amount of sounds throughout the scene. There are unnecessary descriptions of things like the clicking of the keyboard and the sound the couch made when Ned collapsed on it.
All other sounds use capital letters.
Music playing, a baby crying, and a pistol firing are all on-screen sound effects, so they’re all capitalized.
Note that babies are not actors themselves, so they are treated in the same way as dogs barking and cats meowing. The plates break off-screen, so they are also framed in capital letters. It’s like a man screaming, even though it’s made by actors.
Try to avoid writing “we hear” and “sounds.”
It’s not a good idea to include lines in your script like: “There was a sound of plates breaking in the kitchen.” or “We heard a baby nearby suddenly cry.” In both cases, it’s clear what the actual sound was. is and therefore should be replaced with uppercase letters.
Best practice is to use “we hear” or “sound” only when it’s unclear what the sound actually is. For example: “Tommy froze. He had just heard a muffled sound coming from the basement.
Use capital letters for both the sound and the object that makes the sound.
In the scene above, the sound system, the dishes, the people in the kitchen, the baby, and the pistol are all hooded because they are the things that make the sound. Note that if you do use “we hear” it will not be capitalized, whereas “sound” will need to be capitalized.
While the above rules may be the “right way” to format your sounds, it’s perfectly okay to avoid many or all of them. Reserve capital letters only for the sounds you really want to draw the reader’s attention—like a bomb going off.
How to format a script for speculative markets: Conclusion.
When it comes to screenplay format, your goal as a screenwriter should be to ensure that the dialogue and Action lines come to life.
They should paint a picture in as few words as possible. and forces the eye to scan down the page quickly, making the overall story and pacing feel even cleaner and hurry up.
The best canonical script format is one that helps readers see and feel what’s happening on the page in the best possible way. That’s what we show you in our book Master Script Format: A Clear Guide to How to Format Your Screenplay for the Spec Market.
And don’t forget to make your life easier with one of these 5 best screenwriting software or one of these 10 best free screenwriting software options.
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If you have any questions about how to format your script, please leave them in the comments section below. If you would like us to check your script for formatting and grammatical errors, check out our proofreading/formatting services.
Like this article? Read more about how to format scripts for spec markets…
The Myth of Movie Script Format and Industry Rules
50 Most Readable Screenplays in Various Genres
How to write a unique script in 6 steps
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