Shot-by-Shot Style Film Script

Dramatic Film/Video Script Format

FADE-IN

 

INT. KITCHEN OF EDWARDS HOME—MEDIUM SHOT ALANA EDWARDS—DAY (1)

                            ALANA EDWARDS, age 36, quickly moves from the stove to the kitchen table. (2)


CLOSE-UP — TOASTER

                            Toast pops up in the toaster.  We SEE ALANA'S HAND quickly pull out the toast.

WIDE SHOT — KITCHEN

                           We HEAR a KETTLE WHISTLE.  She quickly moves to the stove to turn off the burner.

    ALANA (3)
    (calling) (4)
Bill, you're going to be late! (5)

        She takes a pan of oatmeal off the stove and pours it in four bowls  on the kitchen table. 
        RONNIE, age 8, bursts into the room.

ALANA
(continuing)
And tell Sherry to get a move on!

MEDIUM SHOT — RONNIE

RONNIE
(sitting down)
                          Mom, Sherry's puttin' lipstick on again; I saw her.

ALANA
(calling)
Sherry!

INT. HALLWAY — MEDIUM SHOT — SHERRY—DAY

                             SHERRY EDWARDS, age 12, stops to check her appearance in  the hallway mirror.  
                             She HEARS her father's FOOTSTEPS ON THE STAIRS and quickly turns and walks
                              toward the kitchen.

INT. KITCHEN — WIDE SHOT — DAY

             ALANA
                 (To Sherry as she enters)
Where's your father?

[optional] (CONTINUED)

(1) Scene settings and camera angles start at left margin and are in all caps.

(2) For scene descriptions set left margin at 20 and go to 70 on the right (the right margin).

(3) For character name set left margin at 40 and put in all caps.

(4) For parenthetical descriptions use left margin of 35 and right margin of 50.

(5) For dialogue use left margin of 30 and right margin of 65. It begins directly under the character's name.

The page number at the top right of the page should be about six lines from the top of the page and extend to the right margin (75).

Scripts are done in pica type without right margin justification. Triple space for a new scene setting. In episodic television the acts — generally three or (more recently) four — are numbered. In screenplays the acts are not indicated.

Note that things we HEAR and SEE are typically capitalized in film scripts. Also, the first time actors appear in the script their names are capitalized. The master scene style film script is similar to the above except that shots are not numbered and described. Only general scene descriptions are provided. The latter approach gives the director more latitude in deciding on shots.

Half-hour sitcom format —

All of the settings above are used, except that dialogue is double-spaced. All general descriptions, are moved to the left margin. Scene descriptions are capitalized and moved to the left margin.

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