Basic Format To Write A Script

Each script is designed using an idea. It’s either an original concept or adapted from a novel. Be it a blockbuster movie, theatre play, or an advertisement campaign, all of them begin with a script. It can seem overwhelming at first to learn how to write a movie script, but you can then concentrate on your imagination once you understand the script format and structure. What is script-writing? A script that ranges from 70-180 pages is a movie script, also known as a screenplay. Most movie scripts are about 110 pages long, but there are a variety of aspects that play into the length. 

There can be creative variations to begin a script, which may include fade in or black screen. While some scripts start with a scene heading or even subheading. For a clear understanding of how to write a perfect script, follow these tips:

1. Scene Heading- The heading of the scene is there to help minimize physical spaces and give an idea of the story’s location to the reader and production team. You can select either INT. for indoor spaces or EXT. for outdoor spaces. Then, the setting summary, and the time of day.
2. Sub-Heading- Sometimes, writers can use subheadings without breaking the scene to indicate a change in place, even though the scene has changed from INT. to EXT. Readers are supposed to grasp the shift in space while preserving the concept that the time of day is the same – sometimes constant.
3. Transition- The transitions are supposed to be placed at the bottom right of the page. But these seem to be used very little in modern screenwriting. CUT TO and FADE OUT are the transitions that seem to have stood the test of time.
4. Character Introduction- Introduce a character’s name by using capital letters in a script, then a reference to their age, and finally some details about their characteristics and personality. Though the screenwriters have found other ways to describe their characters, nonetheless this is the most popular and production-friendly way of presenting a character.
5. Action Lines- Action lines are used to describe visual and audible actions that take place on the screen. Write the lines in the third person plus the present tense. Sometimes, by removing unnecessary pronouns and conjunctions, you can make your script read easier. Major sounds and significant objects can be written out in capital letters to highlight their influence on the plot.
6. Dialogue- The lines will be written beneath the character they are assigned. Dialogue from a formatting point of view is fairly easy, but it is the most difficult aspect of screenwriting.
7. Extensions- The extensions are used when a character says something off-screen (O.S.) or if the dialogue is voice-over (V.O.). Extensions are essentially used when a character ends a block of dialogue, performs an action, and speaks more.
8. Parenthetical- To demonstrate small acts, or even a shift of mood without having to leap out to an action line, use a parenthetical within your dialogue.
9. Camera Shots- Without actually writing in shots, the best-skilled screenwriters know how to suggest shots. Thus, if you insist on explaining a specific shot in your script, you can style it as a subheading.

Although, if you have an idea but are unable to complete the script, find a short story and write it into a play, this will help you to get familiar with the process of script-writing.