Sluglines are also known as “scene headings” and they exist to establish if the scene takes place interior or exterior, their location, and the time of day. They’re always presented in all caps with interior or exterior denoted as either “INT” or “EXT”.

A sample slugline would read as “EXT. PLAYGROUND – DAY”

Action lines are straightforward sentences (or sentence fragments) that define what’s happening in your scenes. They describe the locations, characters and actions as it plays out (they’re always written in present tense). From a formatting standpoint, action lines align with the left margin of the page.

A screenplay’s characters get introduced in action lines. Their names should always be capitalized the first time they appear on-screen. This can be followed by a concise description of them (age, gender, outstanding physical attributes and maybe a quick word on their personality). Again, remember to keep these descriptions brief – the momentum of your script depends on that.

Dialogue includes all spoken words in your screenplay. Center and capitalize the name of the character speaking. Underneath the character’s name is where the dialogue itself is placed. Sample dialogue looks like this…

BILL
The floor is slippery.

For characters who are off-screen but can still be heard by an audience, place an (O.S.) to the right of the speaking character’s name. Use (V.O.) for characters who are speaking in voice over. The difference here is that an off-screen character is still inside the same space as everyone else in the scene (they’re just not visible on-screen), while a character using voice over is speaking from another time and location.

Sometimes you’ll need to be specific about ways certain lines of dialogue should be delivered. Words and phrases can often have clouded, multiple meanings and parentheticals are a way to clarify your intent as the writer. Parentheticals can often add meaning, depth, and clear direction to a speech (or even solitary word). They’re placed directly between the character’s name and the dialogue they’re speaking. They look like this…

BILL
(terrified)
The floor is slippery.

Note how that single parenthetical can change the emotional feel to the entire scene. But be judicious in how often you use parentheticals, it’s your job to tell the story, not necessarily direct the on-camera talent.

Although these should generally be avoided (as it’s the director’s job to place and move the camera), sometimes using a camera angle is necessary to convey a specific story point or reveal. When used, camera angles are written as action lines.

Transitions denote changes between scenes. They’re always capitalized (FADE IN, FADE OUT, etc.) and can be used for dramatic, as well as narrative effect (for example, SMASH CUT TO).

So now that you’ve got the nuts-and-bolts basics of how to properly format a script, it’s time to start thinking about actually writing one! Ready? Of course you are (why else are you reading this?). We just need to break down the process to make things a bit more manageable…

We all have stories to tell. So what’s the one you’re really wanting to tell at this moment? The one inside you that’s just screaming to be made? Why do you want to tell it? The answers to these questions will help craft a launching point for your story.

A logline uses carefully (and effectively) chosen wording to break a script idea down to one or two sentences (but no more than that). Here, because you’re using so few of them, it’s vital to make every word count.

A great example of a logline is the one for BACK TO THE FUTURE and it goes like this – “A teenage boy time travels to the past, where he must reunite his parents before he and his future cease to exist.”

Easy, right? Now you try with yours. Make sure to include your protagonist, their goal and the story’s central conflict. Keep the logline visible in your working space as you move into next steps, it’ll serve as a helpful guide if you get stuck on a story point.

Multiple Academy Award winning writer William Goldman said it best, “Screenplays are structure.” Movies tend to follow a three act narrative. Put simply, it’s a story told with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Another way to look at it is setup, confrontation, and resolution. Outlining is arguably the most crucial part of the writing process. It’s when the map through the jungle is essentially drawn, ideally creating a clear beginning-to-end path for the author to follow.

A treatment is the outline written out in story form. Broken down into paragraphs, treatments should read like fast-moving short stories, steadily fleshing out the beats and moments you established in your outline. The document should be an engaging read and give your audience (and you) a complete sense of the movie (from overall story to character to genre to tone) you’re putting together. With that in mind, detail the treatment as much as you need to convey your intent.

This is the step where the rubber meets the road. Time to put your pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and start executing all the story elements you’ve been building in your treatment and outline and lay them out in screenplay form. A few writing tips to keep in mind as you move forward… remember to enter scenes late and leave them early. Also, it’s always better to show than to tell. Keep the writing in the present tense. And finally, don’t get bogged down with details; let the story flow. You’ll have lots of opportunities to rework things. So let’s gets into that now…

And rewrite. And then rewrite some more. This stage is arguably the most crucial when it comes to script development. Scripts can often go through dozens of revisions and rewrites before they’re put into production. Some landmark films such as CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, AVENGERS, and WHEN HARRY MET SALLY 2 all went through significant screenplay changes before they were eventually turned into the films we all know and love so well.

From Billy Wilder to Joel and Ethan Coen to William Goldman to Nora Ephron to Woody Allen, it would behoove any writer to study the works of the masters. A number of their screenplays can be found here.

But don’t just read these scripts; study them. Break them down into components. Analyze why certain events happen when they do and why certain characters behave in specific ways. Soon, structures and themes will become clear. You’ll get a thorough understanding as to why the work is so terrific. This could prove to be an invaluable tool when it comes to your own writing.

Scripts are the basis for the creative vision behind every movie and TV show. Understanding not just how to professionally format them, but how and why they work on contextual and subtextual levels will guide you towards creating your own, sold and produced work.