Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Screenwriting
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
== Format == {{anchor|Master-scene format|Master-scene script}}Fundamentally, the screenplay is a unique literary form. It is like a musical score, in that it is intended to be interpreted on the basis of other artists' performance, rather than serving as a finished product for the enjoyment of its audience. For this reason, a screenplay is written using technical jargon and tight, spare prose when describing stage directions. Unlike a [[novel]] or [[short story]], a screenplay focuses on describing the literal, visual aspects of the story, rather than on the internal thoughts of its characters. In screenwriting, the aim is to evoke those thoughts and emotions through subtext, action, and [[Symbolism (arts)|symbolism]].<ref>Trottier, David: "The Screenwriter's Bible", pg4. Silman James, 1998.</ref> Most modern screenplays, at least in Hollywood and related screen cultures, are written in a style known as the '''master-scene format'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screencraft.org/2015/05/07/elements-of-screenplay-formatting/|title=Elements of Screenplay Formatting|date=2015-05-07|website=ScreenCraft|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-25|archive-date=2020-07-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711021625/https://screencraft.org/2015/05/07/elements-of-screenplay-formatting/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://johnaugust.com/2014/scriptnotes-ep-138-the-deal-with-the-deal-transcript|title=Transcript of Scriptnotes, Ep. 138|date=2014-04-12|website=johnaugust.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-25|archive-date=2020-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807091449/https://johnaugust.com/2014/scriptnotes-ep-138-the-deal-with-the-deal-transcript|url-status=live}}</ref> or '''master-scene script'''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodlexicon.com/masterscene.html|title=master scene script - Hollywood Lexicon: lingo & its history|website=www.hollywoodlexicon.com|access-date=2019-11-25|archive-date=2019-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203134005/http://www.hollywoodlexicon.com/masterscene.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The format is characterized by six elements, presented in the order in which they are most likely to be used in a script: # Scene Heading, or Slug # Action Lines, or Big Print # Character Name # Parentheticals # Dialogue # Transitions Scripts written in master-scene format are divided into scenes: "a unit of story that takes place at a specific location and time".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenwriting.io/what-constitutes-a-scene/|title=What constitutes a scene?|date=10 November 2011|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-25|archive-date=2020-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421140827/https://screenwriting.io/what-constitutes-a-scene/|url-status=live}}</ref> Scene headings (or slugs) indicate the location the following scene is to take place in, whether it is interior or exterior, and the time-of-day it appears to be. Conventionally, they are capitalized, and may be underlined or bolded. In production drafts, scene headings are numbered. Next are action lines, which describe stage direction and are generally written in the present tense with a focus only on what can be seen or heard by the audience. Character names are in all caps, centered in the middle of the page, and indicate that a character is speaking the following dialogue. Characters who are speaking off-screen or in voice-over are indicated by the suffix (O.S.) and (V.O) respectively. Parentheticals provide stage direction for the dialogue that follows. Most often this is to indicate how dialogue should be performed (for example, angry) but can also include small stage directions (for example, picking up vase). Overuse of parentheticals is discouraged.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenwriting.io/what-is-the-proper-way-to-use-parentheticals/|title=What is the proper way to use parentheticals?|date=13 October 2011|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-25|archive-date=2019-12-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215160832/https://screenwriting.io/what-is-the-proper-way-to-use-parentheticals/|url-status=live}}</ref> Dialogue blocks are offset from the page's margin by 3.7" and are left-justified. Dialogue spoken by two characters at the same time is written side by side and is conventionally known as dual-dialogue.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenwriting.io/how-do-you-format-two-characters-talking-at-once/|title=How do you format two characters talking at once?|date=2 November 2011|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-25|archive-date=2019-12-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226135255/https://screenwriting.io/how-do-you-format-two-characters-talking-at-once/|url-status=live}}</ref> The final element is the scene transition and is used to indicate how the current scene should transition into the next. It is generally assumed that the transition will be a cut, and using "CUT TO:" will be redundant.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenwriting.io/can-i-use-cut-to-when-moving-between-scenes-do-i-have-to/|title=Can I use "CUT TO:" when moving between scenes? Do I have to?|date=5 December 2013|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-25|archive-date=2020-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421141005/https://screenwriting.io/can-i-use-cut-to-when-moving-between-scenes-do-i-have-to/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://johnaugust.com/2003/using-cut-to|website=johnaugust.com|access-date=2019-11-25|title=Using CUT TO|date=10 September 2003|archive-date=2020-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807013719/https://johnaugust.com/2003/using-cut-to|url-status=live}}</ref> Thus the element should be used sparingly to indicate a different kind of transition such as "DISSOLVE TO:". Screenwriting applications such as Arc Studio Pro, [[Final Draft (software)]], [[Celtx]], [[Fade In (software)]], Slugline, [[Scrivener (software)]], and Highland, allow writers to easily format their script to adhere to the requirements of the master screen format.
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)