What is a treatment?
A treatment is essentially a prose version of your screenplay, although its exact definition can vary from person to person. Usually, treatments differ from outlines in that they look more like short...
View ArticleWhat tense are screenplays written in?
Unlike novels, which can be written in a variety of tenses, screenplays are always written in present tense. Some writers employ an objective 2nd person tense for point of view, where “we” stands in...
View ArticleWhat is the best way to handle flashbacks or dream sequences in a screenplay?
If you want the viewer (and therefore the reader) to know that a scene is or is part of a flashback or dream sequence, add the tag in brackets after the header. INT. TOM’S BEDROOM – DAY [FLASHBACK] If...
View ArticleHow long should a screenplay be?
There is no set page count for how long a feature screenplay should be, but generally speaking, your spec scripts should be between 110 and 120 pages. The rule of thumb with screenplays is that one...
View ArticleHow short can my screenplay be?
Generally speaking, as a novice your spec scripts should be between 110 and 120 pages. The rule of thumb with screenplays is that one page equals one minute of screen time. Of course, this is not an...
View ArticleAre scenes that take place in cars INT. or EXT.?
Car scenes often use camera placements that are both INT. and EXT., so INT./EXT. is usually appropriate for their scene headers. INT./EXT. STEVE BLACK’S CADILLAC – DAY [DRIVING] This is not a hard and...
View ArticleIn dialogue, how do you handle a character with a speech impediment?
If you have a character with a speech impediment, it most likely will be distracting — and quite possibly condescending — to try to mimic the impediment in all of his dialogue. Instead, include mention...
View ArticleWhat is the difference between an em-dash/double-hyphen and an ellipsis?
Both em-dashes (–) and ellipses (…) are used to indicate unfinished thoughts, but their uses differ slightly. Em-dashes are used to indicate a thought that ends abruptly, either because the speaker...
View ArticleWhat are MORE and CONT’D used for in screenplays?
When a dialogue block is split, either by a page break or an action line, you will use the parenthetical (CONT’D) to indicate the second part of dialogue is a continuation of the first: CHRIS Blake!...
View ArticleWhat format should my script be in when I send it out?
Generally, it’s best to send your scripts out as PDFs. PDFs are simple, not writeable or editable (unless you have Highland), and universally readable. With other formats, you run risks. For example,...
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What are colored revisions/drafts/pages?
Colored pages are used in film and television to keep track of revisions to a script as it goes into production. Spec screenplays and screenplays in development won’t have colored pages. It’s generally...
View ArticleWhat tense are screenplays written in?
Unlike novels, which can be written in a variety of tenses, screenplays are always written in present tense. Some writers employ an objective 2nd person tense for point of view, where “we” stands in...
View ArticleWhat is the best way to handle flashbacks or dream sequences in a screenplay?
If you want the viewer (and therefore the reader) to know that a scene is or is part of a flashback or dream sequence, add the tag in brackets after the header. INT. TOM’S BEDROOM – DAY [FLASHBACK] If...
View ArticleHow long should a screenplay be?
There is no set page count for how long a feature screenplay should be, but generally speaking, your spec scripts should be between 110 and 120 pages. The rule of thumb with screenplays is that one...
View ArticleHow short can my screenplay be?
Generally speaking, as a novice your spec scripts should be between 110 and 120 pages. The rule of thumb with screenplays is that one page equals one minute of screen time. Of course, this is not an...
View ArticleAre scenes that take place in cars INT. or EXT.?
Car scenes often use camera placements that are both INT. and EXT., so INT./EXT. is usually appropriate for their scene headers. INT./EXT. STEVE BLACK’S CADILLAC – DAY [DRIVING] This is not a hard and...
View ArticleIn dialogue, how do you handle a character with a speech impediment?
If you have a character with a speech impediment, it most likely will be distracting — and quite possibly condescending — to try to mimic the impediment in all of his dialogue. Instead, include mention...
View ArticleWhat is the difference between an em-dash/double-hyphen and an ellipsis?
Both em-dashes (–) and ellipses (…) are used to indicate unfinished thoughts, but their uses differ slightly. Em-dashes are used to indicate a thought that ends abruptly, either because the speaker...
View ArticleWhat are MORE and CONT’D used for in screenplays?
When a dialogue block is split, either by a page break or an action line, you will use the parenthetical (CONT’D) to indicate the second part of dialogue is a continuation of the first: CHRIS Blake!...
View ArticleWhat format should my script be in when I send it out?
Generally, it’s best to send your scripts out as PDFs. PDFs are simple, not writeable or editable (unless you have Highland), and universally readable. With other formats, you run risks. For example,...
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