Screenplay Format Guide: Industry-Standard Rules

The complete reference for formatting a professional screenplay.

Last updated: April 1, 2026 · 12 min read

1. Why Formatting Matters

Screenplay formatting is not about aesthetics. It is a functional system designed for two critical purposes.

First, timing. A properly formatted screenplay page equals approximately one minute of screen time. This is only true when you use the correct font (Courier 12pt) and the correct margins. A 110-page script translates to roughly a 110-minute film. Producers, studios, and festivals rely on this ratio to gauge a project's length before it is shot.

Second, readability. Scripts are working documents read by dozens of people: producers, directors, actors, department heads, script supervisors. Each person needs to find their information quickly. Actors scan for their character name and dialogue. The AD looks for scene headings and locations. The DP reads action for visual cues. Consistent formatting lets everyone parse the same document efficiently.

Incorrect formatting signals an amateur writer. Readers at agencies and studios often discard scripts with formatting errors before finishing the first page. Getting the format right is the minimum bar for being taken seriously.

2. Page Setup: Font, Margins, and Layout

Why Courier?

Courier is a monospaced (fixed-width) font, meaning every character occupies the same horizontal space. The letter "i" takes up the same width as the letter "W." This fixed width is what makes the one-page-per-minute timing work. Proportional fonts like Times New Roman or Arial squeeze more text onto a page, breaking the timing ratio.

Courier Prime is a modern redesign of Courier created by screenwriter John August. It has cleaner letterforms and better readability while maintaining the exact same character width. It is free, open-source, and widely accepted in the industry. MyWriters.life uses Courier Prime for all PDF exports.

Page Numbers

Page numbers appear in the top right corner, 0.5 inches from the top, followed by a period. The first page (title page) has no page number. Numbering begins on page 2 of the script (the first page of actual content after the title page).

3. Scene Headings (Slug Lines)

A slug line opens every new scene. It tells the reader three things: whether the scene is indoors or outdoors, the specific location, and the time of day. The entire slug line is in ALL CAPS.

INT. vs. EXT.

INT. (Interior) means the scene takes place indoors. EXT. (Exterior) means outdoors. For scenes that straddle both (like a conversation through a window or a character walking through a doorway), use INT./EXT.

Location Specificity

Be specific enough that the production team knows where to shoot, but not so specific that you are writing set decoration. "INT. SARAH'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN" is better than "INT. SMALL KITCHEN WITH YELLOW WALLS AND A CAT CALENDAR." The action lines handle visual detail.

Time of Day

The standard options are:

• DAY — the default for daytime scenes
• NIGHT — nighttime scenes
• DAWN or DUSK — when the lighting specifically matters to the story
• CONTINUOUS — the scene follows directly from the previous one with no time gap (often used when characters move from one room to another)
• LATER — same location, time has passed
• MOMENTS LATER — same location, a brief time skip

Secondary Slug Lines (Mini-Slugs)

When cutting between areas within the same location (like different rooms in a house during a party), you can use a mini-slug instead of a full slug line. Mini-slugs contain just the sub-location in ALL CAPS, without INT./EXT. or time of day. Example: KITCHEN, LIVING ROOM, BACKYARD. Use these sparingly and only when the master slug line has already established the location.

4. Action Descriptions

Action lines (also called scene description, narrative, or direction) describe everything the audience sees and hears that is not dialogue. They run margin to margin and are written in present tense.

Rules for Writing Action

• Present tense, active voice. "Sarah opens the door" not "The door was opened by Sarah."
• Write only what can be seen or heard. The camera cannot show thoughts or backstory. "She looks nervous" is acceptable (we can see it). "She remembers her childhood" is not (we cannot see a memory unless you show it).
• Keep paragraphs short. Three to four lines maximum. White space is your friend. Dense blocks of text slow the read and get skimmed.
• Be specific and vivid. "A 1967 Mustang, rust eating through the fenders" is better than "an old car."
• Avoid camera directions. Do not write "We see," "The camera pans to," or "CLOSE UP ON" unless you are also directing. Imply the shot through your writing.
• Sound effects in CAPS. Important sounds can be capitalized for emphasis: "A GUNSHOT echoes across the valley." Use this technique sparingly.

Notice how each paragraph is short, visual, and tells us something about character through behavior rather than exposition.

5. Character Introductions

The first time a speaking character appears in your screenplay, their name is written in ALL CAPS within the action line. This is a one-time convention: after their introduction, the name appears in normal case within action and in ALL CAPS only above their dialogue.

What to Include

• Name in ALL CAPS — the character's proper name
• Age or age range in parentheses — (30s), (late 50s), (12)
• A brief, vivid description — focus on energy, demeanor, and defining behavior rather than physical inventory

Avoid describing characters by their attractiveness. "Beautiful woman, 25" tells the reader nothing useful and reduces a character to their appearance. Instead, show us who they are through what they do and how they carry themselves.

For non-speaking background characters, use descriptive labels in ALL CAPS: BARTENDER, NERVOUS KID, SECURITY GUARD. They do not need an age or detailed introduction unless they become important later.

6. Dialogue Format

Dialogue is the most precisely formatted element in a screenplay. The character name, parenthetical, and spoken text each have specific positions on the page.

Dialogue Extensions

Extensions appear in parentheses next to the character name and indicate how the dialogue is delivered technically:

• (V.O.) — Voice Over: the character narrates over the visuals; they are not physically present in the scene
• (O.S.) — Off Screen: the character is physically present in the scene's location but not visible on camera
• (O.C.) — Off Camera: same as O.S., sometimes preferred in multi-camera TV
• (CONT'D) — Continued: the same character speaks again after their dialogue was interrupted by an action line or page break
• (PRELAP) — the dialogue begins before we cut to the scene where the character is speaking

Dual Dialogue

When two characters speak simultaneously, their dialogue blocks appear side by side on the page. In screenwriting software, this is typically a formatting option. In Fountain format, the second character's name is followed by ^ to indicate they speak at the same time. Use dual dialogue sparingly; it is difficult for actors to perform and for audiences to follow.

7. Parentheticals

A parenthetical is a brief direction to the actor, placed on its own line between the character name and dialogue, indented to 3.1 inches from the left margin.

When to Use Parentheticals

• To indicate who is being addressed when it is not obvious: (to Cole), (into phone), (to herself)
• To specify tone when it contradicts the text: "I'm thrilled" (deadpan) — the parenthetical tells us the line is sarcastic
• To indicate a physical action during dialogue: (pouring a drink), (checking her watch)

When Not to Use Parentheticals

Do not use parentheticals when the emotion is obvious from the dialogue and context. Writing (angrily) before "Get the hell out of my house!" is redundant. Actors dislike over-parentheticaled scripts because it micromanages their performance. If you need more than a few words to describe the action, use an action line instead.

8. Transitions

Transitions describe how one scene ends and the next begins. They are right-aligned and written in ALL CAPS followed by a colon.

Common Transitions

• CUT TO: — A direct cut between scenes. Since this is the default, most modern screenwriters omit it entirely.
• DISSOLVE TO: — One image fades into another, often indicating a passage of time.
• SMASH CUT TO: — An abrupt, jarring cut, often used for comedic or dramatic effect (like cutting from a character saying "What could go wrong?" to everything going wrong).
• MATCH CUT TO: — A cut where a visual element in one scene matches a visual element in the next (like a spinning wheel matching a spinning planet).
• FADE IN: — Always the first line of a screenplay. Left-aligned.
• FADE OUT. or FADE TO BLACK. — Always the last line. Right-aligned with a period (not a colon).

Modern screenwriting convention favors fewer transitions. Most scripts today only use FADE IN: at the start and FADE OUT. at the end, letting scene headings handle the cuts between scenes. Only use a transition when the specific type of cut matters to the storytelling.

9. Montages, Flashbacks, and Special Formats

Montages

A montage is a sequence of brief shots that compress time or show parallel actions. There are two common approaches:

Alternatively, you can use a series of slug lines for each shot in the montage. This approach gives more room for description in each beat and reads more like traditional scenes.

Flashbacks

Flashbacks are indicated in the slug line:

For extended flashback sequences spanning multiple scenes, use "BEGIN FLASHBACK" before the first scene and "END FLASHBACK" after the last.

Intercut

When cutting back and forth between two locations (typically a phone call), establish both locations with slug lines, then use INTERCUT to free yourself from having to slug each cut:

Text on Screen

For titles, subtitles, or text overlays, use a combination of CAPS and description:

SUPER (superimpose) is the most common convention. TITLE CARD and CHYRON are also acceptable.

10. Title Page

The title page is the first thing a reader sees. It should be clean and professional with minimal information:

Do not include copyright symbols, genre descriptions, loglines, or cast lists on the title page. Do not put a cover image or artwork. The title page should be text only, clean and professional.

MyWriters.life automatically generates a professional title page for every PDF export, with your name, title, and contact information formatted correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions