Screenplay Formatting Skill
Purpose
Format screenplays to industry standard specifications. Proper formatting demonstrates professionalism and ensures your script is taken seriously. One page equals approximately one minute of screen time.
Fountain Format
Fountain is a plain text markup syntax for screenplays that exports to industry-standard PDF.
Basic Elements
fountain
Title:
THE EXAMPLE SCREENPLAY
Credit: Written by
Author: Your Name
Draft date: January 2026
Contact:
your@email.com
123-456-7890
====
FADE IN:
INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY
Description of the scene and setting goes here.
CHARACTER NAME
Dialogue goes here.
FADE OUT.
THE END
Element Formatting
Scene Headings (Sluglines)
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INT. LOCATION - TIME EXT. LOCATION - TIME INT./EXT. LOCATION - TIME
Components:
- •
INT.(interior) orEXT.(exterior) - •Location name in CAPS
- •Time: DAY, NIGHT, CONTINUOUS, LATER, SAME, DAWN, DUSK
Examples:
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INT. JOHN'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT EXT. CENTRAL PARK - CONTINUOUS INT./EXT. MOVING CAR - DAY
Action/Description
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Present tense. Active voice. Only what we see and hear. Keep paragraphs short. Three to four lines maximum. White space creates pace and readability.
Rules:
- •Present tense always
- •First appearance: CHARACTER NAME in CAPS
- •Sounds in CAPS: BANG, CRASH
- •No camera directions (usually)
- •No internal thoughts
- •55-60 characters per line
Character Names
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CHARACTER NAME Dialogue here. CHARACTER NAME (V.O.) Voice over dialogue. CHARACTER NAME (O.S.) Off-screen dialogue. CHARACTER NAME (CONT'D) Continued from previous block.
Dialogue
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CHARACTER Regular dialogue goes here. CHARACTER (parenthetical) Dialogue with direction. CHARACTER (beat) Indicates a pause.
Parentheticals:
- •Use sparingly
- •For tone:
(sarcastically) - •For direction:
(to John) - •For action:
(standing) - •NOT for every line
- •NOT for obvious emotions
Transitions
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CUT TO: SMASH CUT TO: DISSOLVE TO: FADE TO BLACK. FADE IN: FADE OUT.
Note: Most scene changes are implied cuts. Use transitions sparingly.
Special Elements
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> INTERCUT - LOCATION A/LOCATION B FLASHBACK: END FLASHBACK. MONTAGE: A) First image B) Second image C) Third image END MONTAGE. SUPER: "Three years later" SERIES OF SHOTS: A) Description B) Description END SERIES OF SHOTS.
Page Layout Specifications
Margins (Industry Standard)
code
Top margin: 1 inch Bottom margin: 0.5-1 inch Left margin: 1.5 inches Right margin: 1 inch Action: Left margin at 1.5" Character: 3.5" from left Parenthetical: 3" from left Dialogue: 2.5" from left, 2" wide Transitions: Right aligned
Font and Spacing
code
Font: Courier 12pt Line spacing: Single Between elements: Single blank line
Page Numbers
code
Page numbers top right First page has no number "1." or just "1" formats acceptable
Format by Project Type
Feature Film
- •90-120 pages typical
- •Three-act structure
- •No act breaks marked
- •Scene numbers only for shooting scripts
TV Pilot (One-Hour Drama)
- •55-65 pages
- •Act breaks marked:
END OF ACT ONE - •Teaser optional
- •Cold open common
TV Pilot (Half-Hour Comedy)
- •25-35 pages (single-cam)
- •40-50 pages (multi-cam, double-spaced dialogue)
- •Act breaks marked
- •Tags common
Short Film
- •1-40 pages
- •Same formatting rules
- •Tighter, more economical
Shooting Script Additions
- •Scene numbers (both margins)
- •Revision marks (
*in margin) - •Colored pages for revisions
- •Day breaks
- •Page locks
Common Formatting Mistakes
Don't:
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❌ We see John walk in (don't say "we see") ❌ JOHN walks in angrily (use action, not adverb) ❌ CAMERA PANS to reveal... (no camera directions) ❌ John thinks about his childhood (can't film thoughts) ❌ John (35, handsome, like Brad Pitt) (too specific casting)
Do:
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✓ John enters, shoulders slumped. ✓ JOHN, 30s, weary eyes that have seen too much. ✓ A photograph on the desk catches his attention. ✓ He picks it up. His jaw tightens.
Fountain Quick Reference
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# Scene Heading forces a scene heading .FORCED ACTION LINE (note the period) @Character Name (forces character) ~Lyrics in dialogue /* Block comment */ [[ Note to self or reader ]] = Section heading (for organization) == Second level heading
Title Page Template
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Title: YOUR TITLE HERE
Credit: Written by
Author: Your Name
Source: Based on the novel by Author Name
Draft date: January 27, 2026
Contact:
Your Name
your@email.com
(555) 123-4567
Agent Name, Agency
Copyright: (c) 2026 Your Name
====
Quality Checklist
- • Title page complete
- • Scene headings consistent
- • Character names capitalized on intro
- • Parentheticals used sparingly
- • Action in present tense
- • Page count appropriate for format
- • Proper Courier 12pt font
- • Margins correct
- • No camera directions (unless shooting script)
- • No typos or grammatical errors
- • Page breaks don't split dialogue
- • Transitions used sparingly