Everyone’s got an idea (or in some cases, several ideas) for a movie and/or TV show. But how do you transfer something from a nebulous idea to a concrete screenplay?
There are many elements to a screenplay, from both technical and creative standpoints. There’s even an Industry-standard professional template for scripts that’s best to follow when you’re writing.
Let’s start with the technical aspects…
- Feature screenplays tend to run from 90-120 pages (following the general rule that one page equals – on average — one minute of screen time).
- They’re written in courier 12pt font and printed on 8 ½”x11½” white paper.
- Page margins should have a 1½-inch margin on the left of the page, a 1-inch margin on the right of the page, and 1 inch of white space on the top and bottom of the page.
- Page numbers should appear in the upper right corner of every page (with the exception of the first).
- Title pages contain the work’s title, the author’s name and their representation (if applicable).
Now let’s take a deeper look at the fundamental script format elements…