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How to Nail Your Screenplay Format

01/17/2018 by Debbi

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One of the most essential skills for a screenwriter is to learn proper screenplay format. Unlike novel writing, screenplays have a strict format that developed from the early days of cinema.

Film has always been primarily a visual medium. It started with simple one-scene scenarios and developed into longer pieces made up of scenes. Because the first films were silent, early screenplays were essentially shot lists for the director’s use.

This is why each scene starts with a heading that tells us place and time, as follows:

INT. or EXT. HOUSE – DAY or NIGHT

(INT. for “Interior” and EXT. for “Exterior”)

The Hollywood movie business developed into a factory-line-type industry, and a consistent story format made it easier to crank out movies. When the talkies came in, dialogue format (and its attendant features, such O.S. (off-screen) and V.O. (voice-over)) developed.

Here’s an example:

Understanding and using correct screenplay format continues be essential for anyone who wants to write for film or television.

Having the right resources at one’s disposal makes all the difference. Here’s one book I highly recommend.

If you’d like to learn more about plotting, I teach a course on Udemy on that topic. Sign up here for more information about my online courses and a free copy of my New York Times bestselling mystery!

 

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Screenwriting Tagged With: Amwriting, Formatting, How-To, Plotting, Screenplays, Video, Writing

Meet Debbi

Welcome to my writers' corner of the Internet. I'm a novelist, who also writes short stories and screenplays. I hope to share the benefit of my experiences as an indie author with dystonia since 2009. I also post a lot of book reviews, because I love to read and learn new things. I hope to share that knowledge with you.

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