FORMATTING RESOURCES
ON THE WEB
Formatting, formatting formatting…sigh.
No doubt the biggest bane to any beginning screenwriter is getting a handle on the proper formatting of screenplays. In fact, it can become an obsessive pursuit derailing the larger (and more difficult, hence the convenient derailment) concerns of writing the very best script you can.
“How wide should my margins be?”
“Are camera directions okay?! I saw them in the script to [insert favorite produced script here)!”
“Do I use CONTINUEDS at the top and bottoms of pages? How? Why?!!”
“What the hell’s the difference between (O.S.) and (V.O.)?!!!
Who the *@#%! gives a #@%*! about formatting anyway, huh?!!!!
“AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Okay, okay settle down. Take a deep breath…let it out slowly: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Repeat after me: “Formatting is our friend. We like formatting.”
Why? Because all those nice young readers and story analysts who are forced to read the tons and tons of scripts submitted every week are just looking for an excuse to throw your script on the junk pile, and the first excuse they will use to not take you seriously is bad formatting. So say it again, this time with conviction:
“We like formatting, yes, yes we truly do.”
A Word On Formatting Programs:
There are several computer programs out there that will do the job for you — Final Draft, Scriptor, ScriptThing, et al. If you can afford one, go ahead and buy it and use it. Some people actually feel guilt (they must be from the same area of the Midwest where I was raised) about using a program to do your work for you. DON’T! Geesh, I mean, you’re using a computer right now to access this site and read it properly, correct? Then there’s nothing wrong with using a program to format for you either. Whatever makes the crazy and difficult job of actually concentrating on character, story, tone, theme, etc., easier is worth it in my book.
However, (bet you knew there was one coming, didn’t you) the one thing a program won’t do for you is tell you how to best use formatting effectively to make our script really sparkle. That comes from reading and studying well written scripts, a practice I can’t emphasize enough. It’s the same as painting with a paint brush versus a spray gun: both will get the object painted, one faster than the other, but neither will tell you what the effect will be of the specific color and type of paint you use. That come’s from studying and knowing your craft.
Speaking of formatting, don’t you love them brads?
Don’t even get me started! The amount of angst and concern these little metal office supply products create is way out of proportion to their worth.
Just follow this link to the Official Brad page and get all the info (and more) that you need. If you’re still having little brass anxiety attacks after visiting it, you definitely need to take a rest!
Microsoft Word Script Template
If you have Microsoft Word, I’ve designed a template that I use when writing scripts. It allows me to use all the Microsoft shortcuts I have spent years learning and I don’t have to switch out of a formatting-specific program to write a non-script document.
MS Word has the ability to store “style sheet” information for paragraphs; what I’ve done is to design my own scripting style sheet that does a lot of the formatting automatically for you. Not everything, but a lot of the grunt work. It contains all the information you need to use it, so feel free to download it and see if it tickles your fancy, or whatever else you want it to tickle.
You should be able to open this template in your word processor no matter whether you use a Mac or PC, or which version of Word you own. However, there may be some … quirks that appear depending on your setup, so check that it lays out and prints the way you want before you overnight it to the studio. Any questions or problems, just email using the link below.