Screenplay Format
Cover / Title Page:
Title & screenwriter(s) names in the middle.
Contact information is located in the lower right corner.
Page Margins:
Top: 1.0"
Bottom1.0"
Left 1.5"
Right 1.0"
Font:
Always use 12 point Currier no bold face or italics. Use underlinging instead.
Page Numbering:
Place the page number on every page in the upper right corner except the cover and the first page.
Spacing:
Double space between slug line, action line, speaking character, stage directions and dialogue. Single space action lines and lines of dialogue.
The Slug Line:
The general or specific locale and time of day. Always in ALL CAPS.
Action Line:
Sets the scene with a description of characters, places and action single spaced from margin to margin. New characters are always capitalized. After the characters have been introduced their name no longer needs to be capitalized.
Character Speaking:
3.5" from left margin and always in ALL CAPS
Dialogue:
2.5" from left margin
Voice Over:
Indicated by placing (VO) immediately to the right of the character name.
Off Camera:
Used to indicate that a character is speaking off screen place (OC) immediately to the right of the character name. This is some times done as (OS) for off screen.
Stage directions (or parentheticals):
Written in parenthesis and under the name of the character speaking. They should be placed 3.0" from left margin and include what the character is doing within the scene.
Sound / Music Effects are always capitalized.
Camera Directions: Use sparingly or not at all. Let the director do his job.
Copyright 2000 by James D. Miller
All Rights Reserved
This page was last updated 28 JUL 2001
