A screenplay is a story told in scenes. The easiest way to think of what
makes one scene different from another is; the camera changes location, you are
in a new scene. For example, a young couple named DEAN and MOLLY are in a
kitchen making breakfast. This is one scene. The camera shot changes many times
as they talk and move around the kitchen. This is still all one scene. The
camera follows Dean outside; this is a new scene. The camera cuts to five
minutes later and Dean is still outside, but now he’s cutting the lawn; again,
a new scene.
When writing a script there are two basic ‘elements’ you have to keep in
mind, action and dialog. On screen, characters are either acting or doing
things. To use these elements to tell a story, keeping in mind that you writing
in chunks of story called scenes, you would use the following formatting:
Slug Lines: The text in all CAPS at the beginning of a scene gives
location (both generic and specific) and the time of day. For the generic
location, INT. is used to signify ‘Interior Shot’ (the scene is taking place
indoors) and EXT. is ‘Exterior Shot’ (outdoors). After this abbreviation there
is a space and then the specific location, followed by a dash and then simply
NIGHT or DAY or some other indication of the time.
For example: INT. MOLLY’S KITCHEN - DAY
Action: This text describes what is happening in the scene and
typically follows the Slug Line. This will give indication to where the
characters are, what they are doing, and anything else happening and any sounds
that are noteworthy. Note that very seldom are character motivation or thoughts
disclosed in a screenplay, as the audience can’t read the minds of the
character; they have to either be told or shown everything.
For example: The day glow yellow wallpaper in the kitchen is peeling and
flaking, as is Molly’s makeup. The CLICKING of a whisk against glass punctuates
each sharp stroke as she beats the breakfast eggs. Dean scratches his head and
opens his mouth. After a pause, he closes it and watches her beat eggs.
Character: You will notice that earlier in this article, the names
Molly and Dean were in capitals, and then later they were not. This is because
the first time a Character is introduced (in the Action text) in a script, the
name is in all CAPS, but afterward can be written normally. When a Character is
speaking, however, the name is always in CAPS.
With what you have learned so far, you could already write a script in a
recognizable format. There are just a few more things to learn to understand
the basics.
Scene Transitions: when the camera suddenly switches from one scene
to another, use CUT TO:
FADE IN: Typically a script begins with this transition, and
indicates that is what happens on screen: from a black screen, the opening
scene fades into view.
FADE OUT: Typically a script ends with this transition, which is the
opposite of FADE IN.
Sound effects: Always in CAPS so they stand out. Do not overdo the
sound effects, just the major ones that punctuate the scene.
POV: Simply the Point of View of the scene or camera angle. This line
stands alone before describing the scene. For example:
MOLLY’S POV
Dean opens his mouth to speak, then shuts it tight. His eyes dart toward the
crumpled letter on the table next to the egg carton, then back to Molly.
There are two ways to make sure that your finished script looks like it should;
manually set your word processing program to the formatting below, or use a
style sheet or software program designed to do it for you.