|
|
Copyright 1994-7
by Charles Deemer
Fortunately, the format is less particular than it used to be, when camera angles were included, requiring the novice to be part director as well as writer. Today "the master scene" approach is accepted, and camera directions are properly left to the director.
In the sample format below, n# links provide explanation to each part of the screenplay. The margin settings are:
Jurgens and Cox suggest the following:
17 Left Margin
28 Dialogue
35 Parenthetical directions
43 Character name
66 Transitional instructions (CUT TO:, etc.)
72 Page number
75 Right Margin
_________
4. n0
INT. DEEMER HOME - OFFICE - NIGHT n1
DEEMER sits at his desk. He's a burly man with a beard.
Across the room sits JOHN, a neighbor in his teens. n2
DEEMER n3
You're crazy. Take up professional
golf, you'll have a better shot at
success. n4
JOHN
I'm a born writer. I know I am.
Deemer gets up and goes to the bookcase. He takes out a
book and hands it to John.
THE BOOK COVER n5 reads "Adventures in the Screen
Trade" by William Goldman.
[INT. THE OFFICE n6]
Deemer sits back down. John gets up, holding the book like
a Bible.
JOHN
I really appreciate this.
DEEMER
Read it carefully. It may change
your mind about being a screenwriter.
JOHN
No, nothing could do that!
[(CONTINUED) n7]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (page break)
5.
[CONTINUED: n8]
John heads for the door.
DEEMER
Get back to me.
JOHN
You can count on it.
EXT. DEEMER HOUSE - FRONT PORCH - NIGHT n9
John comes out, clutching the book. Suddenly he bolts from
the porch, running to his house next door.
__________
That's it in a nutshell. There are variances available at
moments in the script but the beginning writer should
probably stick to the master scene approach. Your job is
to tell the story as directly as possible, NOT to direct the
movie.
Page numbers go in the upper right corner, followed by
a period.
A slug line tells the reader where we are, what we are
looking at. The protocol is INT. for interior scenes, EXT. for exterior
scenes; usually a general location, a more particular location, and time
of day are given (the general location is often dropped after the first
citation). Slug lines are in caps, followed by a double space to the
next unit, which usually is an action line.
Slug lines are preceded by THREE spaces.
An action line describes who is in the scene and
what is happening. Beginning writers overwrite action lines. The
screenplay is a very economic and concise form; the best way to learn the
form is to read the screenplays of good and/or successful movies, paying
particular attention to the elements in this format guide.
Often, in the action line, a character name is in caps the first time it
is mentioned, not in caps thereafter. Some writers use caps or noncaps
throughout.
Here is an example of a good action
sequence, from a work in progress by Mike Snyder.
Character names are in caps, in the center of the
page. Only a single space separates character names from dialogue.
Dialogue is indented, both left and right. A
double space follows dialogue and the next unit, whether it is a
character name or an action line.
The slug line is not always INT. or EXT. but it
ALWAYS tells us what we are looking at. Here the term "INSERT" formerly
was used
to communicate that the book cover is "inserted" in the scene, so we can
see it. Now INSERT is out of favor, as are all references to the camera.
Note that there are 3 lines
between an action segment or dialogue segment and the next slug line.
In the old style, when INSERT was used, a shorter slug
line is repeated (since we already set up
the scene more fully earlier) to return to the scene. Since INSERT is
going out of fashion, this repetition is no longer needed.
Transitions
Transitions from one page to another are the real
hassle in screenplay formatting, especially for those without
screenplay software. However, these transitions
are dropping out of fashion.
In earlier format, still used by some writers, when a scene is continued
from one page to the next, (CONTINUED) is at the bottom of the first page,
in the bottom right corner.
On the second page, in the upper left corner, is CONTINUED: (and if we
go to another page, CONTINUED 2:) These are no longer in fashion though some older screenwriters still use them.
Software such as Movie Master does all this formatting for the writer,
which is why it's a must for serious screenwriters.
However, let me repeat that CONTINUEDS are dropped entirely in the contemporary format
preferred by an increasing number of agents, producers, etc.
Another location now, EXT. Formerly these INT. and
EXT. scenes would have been separated by a CUT TO: in the transition area
but this device is presently out of fashion.
Many little variations like this come in and out of fashion, leading the
screenwriter out of L.A. to wonder if these are not clan habits designed
to keep the in-crowd easily identifiable.
Copyright © 1994-96 Charles Deemer. All Rights Reserved.