The first screenplay I submitted to a writing group came back with a single note: "Fix the formatting before we read it." I had written what I thought was a solid ten pages of drama, but it was laid out like a short story with character names thrown in. Nobody read past page one.
Screenplay formatting is not a creative choice. It is a universal standard that exists because film production depends on it. As a rule of thumb, one formatted page equals one minute of screen time. Directors, producers, and actors all rely on that ratio to plan schedules, budgets, and blocking. When your script deviates from the format, it breaks that math and signals that you have not done the basic professional work.
The good news is that formatting a screenplay is straightforward once you understand the rules. Here are the seven steps I follow every time.
Set Your Page Layout and Font
Every screenplay uses Courier 12-point font. This is not negotiable. Courier is a monospaced typeface, which means every character occupies the same horizontal space. That consistency is what makes the one-page-per-minute rule work.
Your margins should be set to 1.5 inches on the left and 1 inch on the right, top, and bottom. The wider left margin accounts for the brass brads that bind a printed script. Page numbers go in the upper right corner, half an inch from the top. The title page does not get a number.
If you are using screenwriting software like Final Draft, WriterSolo, or Highland, these settings are already built in. If you are working in a word processor, set them before you write a single word. Reformatting an entire script after the fact is tedious and error-prone.
Write Scene Headings
A scene heading, also called a slugline, tells the reader three things: whether the scene is interior or exterior, where it takes place, and when. It is always written in uppercase.
The format is: INT. or EXT., followed by the location, followed by a dash and the time of day. For example: INT. COFFEE SHOP - MORNING or EXT. PARKING GARAGE - NIGHT. Keep locations specific enough to be useful but short enough to scan at a glance.
Scene headings are the backbone of your script's geography. A reader should be able to flip through the pages, read only the sluglines, and understand where and when the story moves. If two scenes happen in the same location at different times, write separate headings. If a character moves from inside a building to outside, that is a new scene heading.
Some writers add secondary sluglines within a scene to indicate movement within a larger location, like moving from a kitchen to a living room in the same house. These are written without INT./EXT. and without the time of day: LIVING ROOM. Avoid using them often.
Write Action Lines
Action lines describe what the audience sees and hears. They are written in the present tense, in regular mixed case, and they run margin to margin across the page.
Good action lines are lean. Every sentence should describe something visible or audible. "Sarah feels nervous" is not an action line because you cannot film a feeling. "Sarah taps her fingers on the table and glances at the door" is an action line because a camera can capture it.
Keep paragraphs short, three to four lines at most. Long blocks of action text are known as "black pages" in the industry, and readers skip them. White space on the page signals a script that moves. Dense paragraphs signal a script that lectures.
When a character appears for the first time, capitalize their full name in the action line. After that first introduction, write their name normally. This convention helps casting directors and production managers scan for character introductions.
Format Character Names
Before every block of dialogue, the speaking character's name appears centered on the page, approx. 3.7 inches from the left edge, written in uppercase. This is called the character cue.
Use the same name throughout the script. If your character is introduced as DETECTIVE WILLIAMS, do not switch to WILLIAMS or DET. WILLIAMS later. Pick one version and use it from the first page to the last.
For characters who are speaking off-screen, add (O.S.) after their name. For characters providing voiceover narration, add (V.O.). These extensions tell the director and sound team how the dialogue will be delivered. For instance, SARAH (O.S.) means Sarah's voice is heard, but she is not visible in the scene.
Write Dialogue
Dialogue sits below the character name, indented to about 2.5 inches from the left margin and running to about 6 inches. This narrower column makes dialogue easy to distinguish from action lines at a glance.
Write dialogue the way people talk. That means shorter sentences, contractions, interruptions, and incomplete thoughts. Written dialogue that sounds like polished prose reads as artificial on screen. If you would not say it out loud without feeling awkward, chances are the character would not either.
Avoid using dialogue to deliver exposition that the characters would already know. Two scientists saying "As you know, the reactor uses nuclear fusion" is a well-known screenwriting cliche because real people do not explain things they both understand. Find a way to convey information through conflict, discovery, or reaction instead.
When you are getting started with writing dialogue for your how to write a script or screenplay, read it aloud to yourself. Read each character's lines to check that they sound distinct from one another.
Add Parentheticals
Parentheticals are brief instructions that appear between the character name and the dialogue, indented further than the dialogue block. They look like this: (whispering) or (to Sarah). They provide direction on how a line should be delivered or to whom it is addressed.
Use parentheticals only when the delivery is ambiguous. If the dialogue itself makes the emotion clear, a parenthetical is unnecessary. Writing "I will kill you" with a parenthetical of (angrily) adds nothing. Writing "I will kill you" with (laughing) changes the meaning altogether and justifies the note.
Keep parentheticals short, no more than a few words. They are not a place for acting direction, scene description, or emotional essays. Directors and actors tend to resist heavy-handed parentheticals because they imply the writer does not trust the performer.
Include Transitions
Transitions indicate how the film moves from one scene to the next. They are written in uppercase, aligned to the right margin. The most common transition is CUT TO:, though modern screenwriting uses it less because a scene heading already implies a cut.
Other transitions include DISSOLVE TO:, SMASH CUT TO:, and FADE TO BLACK. Each carries a different visual implication. A SMASH CUT TO: suggests an abrupt, jarring shift. A DISSOLVE TO: suggests a gradual transition, often used for time passage. Use transitions to tell a story, not as decoration.
FADE IN: appears at the very beginning of a screenplay, and FADE OUT. appears at the very end. These bookend the script. Beyond those two, avoid using transitions too often. Most professional scripts in circulation today include very few mid-script transitions, relying instead on scene headings to do the work.
Common Formatting Mistakes
Using a font other than Courier 12-point. It changes page count and breaks the one-page-per-minute rule
Writing camera directions like CLOSE UP or PAN TO. Unless you are directing, leave the camera work to the director
Overusing parentheticals. They should clarify ambiguity, not dictate performance
Forgetting to capitalize a character's name on first introduction in the action lines
Writing action blocks longer than four lines. Break them up with white space
Inconsistent character names. Pick one version and stick with it
Formatting a screenplay is a skill you learn once and use forever. Get the format right, and the reader focuses on your story. Get it wrong, and they never get past the first page. Set up your template, follow these seven steps, and let your writing do the work.
Related Resources
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FAQ
Here, I answer the most frequently asked questions about formatting a screenplay.
What font and size should a screenplay use?
Courier 12-point is the industry standard. It is a monospaced font, meaning every character takes up the same amount of horizontal space. This consistency is what makes the one-page-per-minute rule reliable for scheduling and budgeting.
How many pages should a screenplay be?
Feature films tend to run 90 to 120 pages. Comedies tend to be shorter, between 90 and 100 pages. Dramas can run up to 120. Anything over 120 pages will raise concerns with readers and producers because it implies a runtime that is difficult to market.
Should I include camera directions in my screenplay?
No, unless you are also the director. Camera directions like CLOSE UP, ANGLE ON, or PAN TO are considered overstepping by most industry readers. Describe what the audience sees and let the director decide how to shoot it.
What is the difference between a spec script and a shooting script?
A spec script is written to sell or showcase your writing. It includes minimal technical direction. A shooting script is the production version with scene numbers, camera directions, and revision marks. Writers submit spec scripts. Shooting scripts are created during pre-production.
Do I need screenwriting software to format a screenplay?
No, but it saves significant time. Software like Final Draft, WriterSolo, Highland, or Fade In handles margins, character cues, and page breaks automatically. You can format in a word processor, but you will spend more time on mechanics and less on writing.
How do I format a montage in a screenplay?
Write MONTAGE as a scene heading or sub-heading, then list each shot as a separate action line with a dash or letter. End with END MONTAGE. Keep montage sequences short and specific. Each line should describe a distinct, filmable moment.