So you've got an idea; a concept; a story. Maybe you even have a killer log line. Now what is the next step to transform it into something that can be made into a film? You'll need to turn your story into a screenplay.

Screenplays contain the raw content on which to build a film or TV show. They give specifics on Scene Locations, Action, and Dialog. Screenplays are more convention driven than many other aspects of film making. The people reading script (And later directing films based on them) need to have consistent and predictable formatting so that there is no confusion. It's important to realize that the screenplay is not a product in itself, but a tool for other creative people to build on. In that sense, you would not want many frills or surprises in the foundation of a house. It's not for show. It's for building on top of.

So... We are going to talk about the rules and expectation for a screenplay in this lesson. BUT. There are many software tools we can use to do all this formatting for you! (So do not try and write a script in MS Word; you will regret it)

So here are the formatting requirements for a screenplay:

• 12-point Courier font size

• 1.5 inch margin on the left of the page

• 1 inch margin on the right of the page

• 1 inch on the of the top and bottom of the page

• Each page should have approximately 55 lines

• The dialogue block starts 2.5 inches from the left side of the page

• Character names must have uppercase letters and be positioned starting 3.7 inches from the left side of the page

• Page numbers are positioned in the top right corner with a 0.5 inch margin from the top of the page. The first page shall not be numbered, and each number is followed by a period.

See... Crazy

Luckily there are a lot of ways to have the formatting done automatically. So first we will examine the elements of a screenplay (And any sub elements), then we will take a look at how to pull them all together.

Title Page

The Title page contains just that, the Title it can also contain a writing credit and contact info for the writer or their representative.

Scene Heading

A Scene Heading tells us where and when we are at. It always starts with INT. (For Interior) or EXT. (For Exterior). Then there is a description of location. (A Secluded Beach, A Hockey Rink, Rocky's Kitchen) After that there is a indication of the time of day this occurs. (Early Morning, Sunrise, Late Afternoon) Any time the Scene Changes, there should be a new Scene Heading to let the reader know we are in a different place and or time. Scene Headings should be in all caps.

Action

Action is where the action happens. Any thing that is happening goes in the action. Sometimes there are elements in a scene that are relevant to the action or the dialog. These should be put in the action section as well. Any Character names that appear in the action section should be in all caps.

Character

The Character line should be all uppercase. They should be alone above a line of dialog. (Except in the case of an extension or parenthetical). This element lets the reader know which character speaks next.

Extensions and Parentheticals

Extensions are directions about how the dialog is presented to the Audience. The Two most common extensions which are placed after the Character Name are V.O.(Voice Over) and O.S.(Off Screen). The other common Extension is (CONT'D) this is used when a character's dialog is interrupted in the script by an action element. These extensions appear After the Characters name.

A Parenthetical is generally an acting direction for how the line is delivered. The parenthetical is placed inside parentheses underneath the character element and before the dialog element.

Dialog

The Dialog element appears below a character element and contains the dialog the character says.

Transitions

Transitions appear to the far right of the page and contain direction for the types of transitions to be used between scenes. These are generally not used any more except for FADE IN at the beginning of the Script and FADE OUT at the end.

USING FOUNTAIN

For our class we are going to be creating our screenplays in the fountain file format. Fountain is a simple markup syntax for writing, editing and sharing screenplays in plain, human-readable text. Fountain allows you to work on your screenplay anywhere, on any computer or tablet, using any software that edits text files.

Fountain is designed to allow you to write a screenplay without worrying about formatting too much. There are a few items you can use to setup your title page:

Title: ***Five and Two***

Credit: Written By

Author: Joshua Greenplate

Contact:

Josh Greenplate Scripts

www.example.com

JG@example.com

To Have the elements format properly the basics are:

• Scene Headings start with INT, EXT, and the like.

• Character names are in UPPERCASE.

• Dialogue comes right after Character.

• Parentheticals are wrapped in (parentheses).

• Transitions end in TO:

You may want to emphasize some text:

• Underline by bracketing with _underscrores_.

• Italicize by bracketing with *asterisks*.

• Bold text is surrounded by **double asterisks**.

• You can combine emphasis. For example, ***bold italics,*** or _an *italicized* word within an underlined phrase_.

You can find a sample script in the fountain format here: https://fountain.io/_downloads/Big-Fish.fountain

In class we will use Visual Studio Code with the Better Fountain Extension.

EXAMPLE

Below is a PDF of the Script for The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring. Take a look through and observe the different elements. (Note that this script has many transitions and Camera Direction. The reason for this is probably that the director was involved in writing the script.)

Class Work

Watch One of the Movie clips below and turn it into a screenplay. If you can pick one you are familiar with, that is probably best. If you do not know the characters names you can use generic names such as SOLDIER 1 or STUDENT 2. I have tried to choose some clips that will have a good mix of action elements and dialog elements.

OR

Choose one of these stories from the Bible and adapt it into a screenplay:

Let me know if you have another idea, or if you have something original you would like to work on.