Screenwriting

If you've seen a script before, you might be wondering; why are scripts presented differently to books and plays?

When we read a book, it’s written for one reader. It’s just for you to enjoy the uninterrupted flow of a story.

The story in a stage play is formatted in a way that the actors know when it’s time to speak, and when to come on and off the stage. Like a set of instructions.

When it comes to screenplays, the main difference is that film is a visual medium. Much of the story is told through the camera, rather than described in words or spoken by actors. A screenplay is also formatted in a way to give information and instructions to everyone working on the film.

Let's start with the different elements we see in scripts/screenplays:

Formatting is how words are arranged and laid out on the page. Try using scriptwriting software such as Celtx or Writers Duet as they have shortcut keys that make formatting it easy.

A script is broken into elements which are formatted according to a set of rules. Screenwriters are also expected to use the Courier New font. Here are the different elements you see in a script:

Scene heading

A scene heading, or 'slug line' is where you set the scene. In a scene heading we need to know:

• If it is taking place indoors or outdoors (interior or exterior? INT. for interior and EXT. for exterior)
• Where it is (in a living room? A city street?)
• Time of day (day or night?)

Here's a quick example:

INT. CITY STREET - DAY

Action

You describe where the characters are, what is happening, and what you want the audience to see. For example:

Alex and her mum stand in front of a rambling old house. A 'SOLD' sign hangs out the front.

Character and dialogue

When you first introduce a character in action, you write their name in capitals so it stands out. Every time after this you write it normally.

Once you have set up the scene, the action and your main character, you can introduce your character’s dialogue. You start by writing their name.

The dialogue is fitted neatly under the character's name, so it’s easy for the actors to know when they have to say something, as opposed to doing something. Notice too that when characters have dialogue, their name is in bold and centred on the page.

Before you write a script, read an example. You can also watch videos like this script-to-screen comparison of Up. 

Here is a scene, but it's laid out all wrong!

Ext. Old house. Day.

Alex and her mum stand in front of a rambling old house in front of them. A ‘sold’ sign hangs out the front. Mum: Home sweet home! Alex: I want to go back to our old house. Mum: Just give it some time and it will feel like home. Alex: Whatever.

Alex storms off.

Watch the video below on script formatting first if you like:

Using the present tense

The tense is really important in formatting your script. When writing a script, we use the present tense. This makes the story immediate and active. It’s happening as we read it.

To keep the story exciting, it’s important to keep the action clear and short. This makes it easy for the reader to follow. If there is too much description, the reader will lose interest.

Here's another scene that's not quite working yet:

INT. CLASSROOM – DAY. It was a sunny day outside and inside the classroom was cold, with pink and blue walls. One wall was covered with recent projects made by students in the class, one on the human digestive system, another on the human brain, and one on how lungs work. There were ten tables in the classroom, each seating two to three students. The tables were quite new, as were the chairs. The school bell rang, and soon after, Ms Holly came into the classroom and wiped the previous day’s class instructions from the whiteboard. Soon students began trickling in and took their seats. Ms Holly: OK guys, it’s that time again. Jake: Oh no, not again! Ms Holly: Sorry Jake, but this must be done every week.

If you want to know more about script formatting check out Screen Australia's Suggested Script Layout. Studio Binder also have notes on finer points of screenwriting such as sub-headings and writing montages here.

Now you have the basics and tense sorted, you might like to add some shorthand techniques to your script.

Parenthetical

Parentheses are used when a character needs to make a small action during their dialogue, or if the writer wants to indicate how the line is being spoken. Use parentheses sparingly, and keep it short. For example:

Voice over (V.O)

This is a voice that is heard but not seen. It may be the inner voice of a character or someone on a phone call.

Off-screen (O.S)

With off-screen, the character is still in the scene, just not on camera at that exact moment. So if one character was talking to another who was in another room, you could use (O.S) for the character that's in the other room. Or maybe with a phone conversation, the character on the other end of the line could be heard but not seen.

Here's an outline for a scene you can rewrite for the next activity:

Christine has to make a phone call she is dreading. A narrator describes to the audience her fear. Eventually, she makes the phone call, but she is extremely nervous throughout the conversation.

By this we mean, unlike short stories or novels, scripts tend to be a little more economical with their word use. That's to say, they aren't as descriptive as books.

A screenplay needs to be engaging as a story, but unlike a book, it’s important to be brief, because it’s going to be going on a life of its own once it leaves your computer. The script will act as a blueprint or plan for the film.

As we mentioned, film is a screen medium so it is packed with visual clues. The action can happen in multiple places and times too. The formatting helps make this information clear, so that everyone who works on a film can understand an interpret it, including but not limited to, cinematographers, art department, costumes, location scouts, makeup artists, actors and directors.

A great think to think about when writing a scene is to 'show, don't tell'. When we write novels, books can go inside and outside character's heads, and tell us exactly what they're thinking and how they're feeling.

With scripts we need to show that somehow, and preferably not by having characters just telling the audience through dialogue.

Writing a scene goes beyond just having a scene header, including action, characters and dialogue; each scene needs to drive the story forward and tell us about the characters. So something important should happen or be shown in each scene. This moment can be significant to the plot, the world of your story, the characters, or all three.

So here is a scene we've added for The Time Machine. At the moment, this scene just shows Alex going about her morning routine just before she finds the time machine device.

We've also used another screenwriting term with the scene heading called 'continuous'. This just means the action is continuous even though Alex changes location from the bedroom to the bathroom. You can use this where the action is unbroken so you don't have to write a new scene heading every time. 

Read the scene first:

INT. ALEX'S BEDROOM – MORNING, CONTINUOUS

Alex wakes up and gets out of bed.

In the bathroom she brushes her teeth.

Back in her bedroom and she is in her school uniform.

She moves a box on her floor and notices quite a large hold in the floorboard. She pulls at the floorboard and it comes loose, revealing a small compartment underneath. She peers inside.

There are a couple of things wrong with it. Although it's getting us to the point where she finds the time machine, it doesn't tell us much about her situation, the fact she has just moved house, or how she feels about it.

Have a go at rewriting this scene, and think of ways to show that this house is new for Alex, through how the house looks, and maybe how Alex moves in this space.

Think of ways to show how she feels about this move (what directions could you give the character for example?)