There are some pretty important elements to a script... we have to let people know where it is set... Is it indoors or outdoors? Sounds like a basic question, but if we don’t write it down we won’t know, especially if there are multiple locations.

If it is set out of doors, then write it like this:
EXTERIOR or EXT.
If your scene is set indoors then write it like this:
INTERIOR or INT.
Good... now we need to set it somewhere specific... a car park, a nightclub, a bowling alley for example… or... a deserted highway...

So lets look at a typical script ‘slug’, as they call it…

EXTERIOR. DESERTED HIGHWAY.

Ok, but that’s just a start... we need to know what time of day it is. Why? Because it is relevant to your story/ the mood you are creating... (Who wants to watch a horror movie set in bright sunlight? Exactly! Remember Genre conventions! ) So lets start again, with a basic script format including Location, time of day, Direction and Dialogue. Remember, Script formats tend to change depending on where you come from. The US has a slightly different format to UK, for example, and they do change, but this is the basic set up. So, where were we…ah yes…

EXTERIOR. DESERTED HIGHWAY. DUSK

There is a gentle breeze that blows the trees... Although the sun has almost set it’s light is hidden by ominous, dark thunder clouds… A car appears over the crest of a hill... In the distance, coming towards us…Travelling at speed... It gets closer and closer, and we can see two figures inside, one in the drivers seat… another in the passenger seat… The car swerves across the road, it is being driven erratically…

INTERIOR. CAR. DESERTED HIGHWAY.DUSK

We can now see the driver…His name is BRAD TAYLOR, 27, unshaven, wearing a leather jacket… sweat is pouring from his brow… he looks scared, real scared, and keeps looking behind, at the prone, bloody body on the back seat… In the passenger seat there is NICKS, he is about 20, with lank, greasy black hair…he is in a state of extreme agitation, a gun resting on his lap…

NICKS
Shit Taylor, wadda we gonner do? Shit!
TAYLOR
Shut up… I’m thinkin’

Taylor grips the steering wheel tightly, with one hand and with the other he wipes the sweat off his forehead… You can see the anxiety on his face… he is straining to remain focussed, to remain in control…

You get the picture…

So to recap-

SLUG LINES… These tell us important things like WHERE and WHEN the scene or action is set… We also need LOCATION, and specifically TIME OF DAY… every time your characters move to another location you must have another slug line.

DIALOGUE… This needs to be naturalistic… and remember, it’s really easy to tell your audience what is going on rather than show them…This isn’t an Agatha Christie novel or an episode of Scooby doo… “So, it was Mr Peterson all along” “Darn those pesky kids! I woulda gotten away with it too”!

Remember the golden rule of script writing… Show not tell.

DIRECTION… Direction is all about explaining what is happening and is distinct from dialogue… Dialogue is what people SAY, Direction is what they DO! Also, when you first introduce a character put his/her name in upper case, and give the reader a visual description.

You may have noticed that I didn’t include any camera directions. That’s because you don’t include them on this kind of script… But you do on a shooting script, but that’s later on down the line. It is really easy for a beginner to write something like this…

Shot 337. CLOSE UP. INTERIOR. CAR. DESERTED HIGHWAY.DUSK

We cut to… A close up, dolly in zoom out of the driver… We can now see the driver…His name is BRAD TAYLOR, 27, unshaven, wearing a leather jacket… sweat is pouring from his brow… he looks scared, real scared, and keeps looking behind, at the prone, bloody body on the back seat…

Shot 338. CLOSE UP REVERSE ANGLE ON PASSENGER. INTERIOR. CAR. DESERTED HIGHWAY.DUSK

In the passenger seat there is NICKS, he is about 20, with lank, greasy black hair…he is in a state of extreme agitation, a gun resting on his lap…

NICKS
Shit Taylor, wadda we gonner do? Shit!

You get the picture… remember Directors don’t generally like to be told what shots to use. After all, that’s their job, not yours.

You'll find and probably relieved to here there is no correct format or layout, but there are however a series of acceptable formats that will stand you in good stead. You will find some individuals will demand correct measured layouts but few will care about accurate distances from margins and general spacings. Why bother formatting your script? well Formalising your script helps to assess the total film length, one script page is roughly equivalent to a minute of screen time. It is advised to take the standards into account as you will find people can be picky on the subject. The type of font you use also needs to be addressed, you need to use a font type that makes it easy to read in other words a Serif based font, the industry standard is 'New Courier, size:12'.

Something you need to keep in mind is the length of your script. You need to abide to no less than 90 pages to a maximum of 120 pages. If you observed and stuck to the format of one minute of screen time per page you'll see the script amounts to 1½ to 2 hours in length. This doesn't mean a script will be automatically dismissed if its gone over 120 pages but going beyond this length can greatly reduce your chances of being read.

Remember… if writing screenplays was all about formula then we would all be millionaires. Sure, there are structures that will help (Look at Vladimir Propp and the Quest Narrative… George Lucas certainly did when he wrote Star Wars) but at the end of the day you must create characters that are strong, that the audience can empathise with, and stories that keep the audience hooked from the first to the last line. And if you can see the movie that you are writing, you are almost there. Another trick you may wish to consider if you want to find out how to write a screenplay is to read a screenplay. Pick a script relevant to the genre you are trying to write for, and if possible the film that you have the script too then you can compare the screenplay to the finished film.

Taking this all on-board its evident to see writing a script isn't an easy process as first to believe but with persistence and hopefully a compelling desire, you will produce a professional script and a cracking story............ now its up to you to sell it, I wish you the very best of fortune and luck.

You can get scriptwriting templates for Word as a download called BBC Script Smart Gold or alternatively use CeltX, both are free. Use the links provided below to download.


Download BBC Script Smart Gold
Download Celtx