How to Write a Movie Script

Every year thousands of people write movie scripts hoping to get them produced and make a lot of money. However, very few scripts are actually bought. The reason is that movies are expensive to make and only the best scripts are produced. If you are interested in dabbling in movie writing, then follow these steps to write your first, third or fiftieth movie script.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. 1
   Select a genre and come up with a story idea. Use story creation techniques like brainstorming, headline fishing or sound boarding. Before you can do any writing, have a solid direction for your script.
2. 2
   Familiarize yourself with the story "rules" for your movie genre. For example, if you want to write a horror genre movie script then include a hero who has a flaw and a fear. Your "monster" needs to be truly evil, and you need to include several "false alarms" during the second act to increase tension. You also need to isolate your hero so that he or she has no escape from the movie's monster, and at the end of your script, indicate that the monster is not really gone.
3. 3
   Outline your store idea. Break up your outline into three acts. The first act of your movie script needs to have a hook (opening scene), it needs to introduce the hero of the story, introduce the problem the hero has to overcome and introduce the supporting cast as well as the antagonist for the story. The second act needs to move the protagonist of the story into the heart of the problem that they have to face. By the end of the second act, have your characters at a point of no return. This is usually the most difficult act to write. The final act needs to bring the hero of the story to a point when all seems lost or hopeless. Then you need to include the final confrontation and resolve the problem.
4. 4
   Conduct research for your story. Look for information that can help you flesh out your characters, locations and events.
5. 5
   Format your movie script. The industry standard is 12pt Courier single-spaced. The header needs to be right-justified and include the title of your script and the page number. The header should not appear until the second page of the script's body. Do not number the cover page or the first page of the script. The cover page needs to include the title of the movie script, the author's name and a note that your script is copyrighted by you, centered. Space down and left-justify to add your contact information.
6. 6
   Open your movie script with FADE IN and end your movie script with FADE OUT.
7. 7
   Allow your characters to speak by tabbing in 4 or 5 times and then spelling out their name, hard return. Then tab in 3 times, and type out the dialogue. Keep the dialogue block within a two-tab width space. If your dialogue spills over to a new page, end one page with CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE, and then start the next page with CONTINUED. When referencing a speaking character, spell their name in all caps.
8. 8
   Keep the voice of your movie script in the present tense. For example use descriptions like, "Jason moves toward the axe, breathing heavily and dragging his leg," instead of "Jason moved toward the axes, as he breathed heavily and dragged his leg."
9. 9
   Label scenes. You need to label each scene as it opens. For example, if you are about to write a love scene, then your scene label might look something like this: INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT. On the other hand, if you are writing a car chase scene, then your scene label might look like: EXT. HIGHWAY 6 - DAY.

What Exactly Is a Script?

A script is a document that outlines every aural, visual, behavioral, and lingual element required to tell a story. Why "outlines"? Because film is a highly collaborative medium and the director, cast, editor, and production crew will, based on your "outline", interpret your story their way when it is filmed. They may consult you, or they may not. Other writers may be brought in or you may be asked to re-write the entire thing. That's life, in the world of screenwriting. But because so many people are involved in the making of a film, a script must conform to standards that all involved parties understand and thus has a specific format or layout, margins, notation, and other conventions. This document is intended to overview the typical elements used screenplay writing.
It is crucial to remember that film is a VISUAL medium. You don't tell your audience your story, you SHOW them. You must learn to write a screenplay VISUALLY. Write what they will SEE and what they will HEAR. You might love your characters and know what they are thinking, but the discipline of screenplay writing is how to show it on a screen. When it happens, it may be just done with a look, often improvised on the movie set. So just write the pictures, sounds, and speeches, and leave the rest for the filmmakers.

What Makes Good Story?

Let's hazard a guess. The movies you loved most featured characters that swept you up, who captivated your emotions, got you involved. The audience viewing a movie not only wants to be interested in and care about the people they see on the screen, they want to be PASSIONATE about them, whether they like them or not. Great heroes and heroines inspire us; great villains make us want to jump into the screen!
There is always something at stake in a good movie. Not just something someone wants, something that must be acquired, no matter what the risk, as in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Or something highly desired by as many main characters as possible, like the small black statue in The Maltese Falcon. Some times it can be an intangible thing, like the freedom of a people in Lawrence of Arabia or Gandhi. All these things drive the character's quest, even gives the hero superhuman strength. It can be something personal (romance) or for the good of all (saving the world from aliens) but it must be powerful and grow more desperate as the story unfolds.
There are always obstacles, which provide that catchword that actors love so much -- CONFLICT. This is the heart of drama. Someone wants something and people and things keep getting in the way of them achieving the goal. At times, the obstacles can be common to both the hero and villain, and the ultimate goal a laudable one for both parties, as in Jingle All The Way. In that film, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad battle to achieve the same goal--the acquisition of the last popular action figure for sale that Christmas season. Both of them have promised their son, and they must not fail. Conflict and obstacles can be physical or emotional. But they have to be in your story or you don't really have a story. In most good stories, the protagonist will also have an inner obstacle, some mental or even spiritual problem, that will be resolved by the time s/he reaches the outward, physical goal of the story. Some people call this inner demon a "ghost," while others call in a "wound."
You need a hook. That's a songwriting term that describes that thing that catches the public's attention. A popular Hollywood term is a "high concept." A better idea might be a simple "What if?" In Galaxy Quest, for example, the concept is "What if the washed-up actors from the crew of a cancelled but still popular sci-fi TV show are pressed into a real war in space by aliens who think the TV show broadcasts they received were documentaries?" A good enough "what if?" will set your script apart from the pack. It is why people will leave the comfort of their homes and plunk down their hard-earned bucks at the local cineplex.
Hollywood buys genres. Agents, managers, and producers are drawn to and specialize in specific genres so approaching them with something they can recognize is a good idea. Successful stories have a fresh face but are identifiable. You know what makes your idea unique, but can you describe it quickly to others? Is it a fast-paced thriller, romantic comedy, action adventure?
Scripts have to look a certain way. I can't stress this point enough. You must present your work like an insider. The sheer volume of submissions makes it so that if ANYTHING about your script looks strange it's headed for the circular file. If you don't know the game they won't play. The scriptwriter has to adhere to conventions covering everything from how many pages to what font (Courier 12 pitch in the U.S.), and that's just the beginning. I recommend you follow those rules, unless you're independently wealthy and plan to finance, produce, and direct your movie. Even then, however, the people you'll need to work with will be accustomed to standard formats.

Script Styles

Below is a listing of the most common script formats in use today. This document will be dealing with Feature Film/Television Movie of the Week which are very similar but the others are distinctly different. Their attributes complement the needs of production distinct to the medium, the working style of the actors, and production personnel:
In this document:

• Screenplay / Feature Film
• Television Movie of the Week

Not addressed:

• Stage Plays and Musicals
• Sitcoms (3-camera, 1-camera, tape and film)
• Soap Operas/Daytime Television
• Audio/Visual Scripts/Dual Column
• Multimedia

Scriptwriters for any of the above formats will present their work in either of the two variants below depending on whether they are trying to sell their work or have sold it and are working in the production part of the process.

Submission Scripts

AKA a Spec Script. This is a script written without being commissioned or bought, on the speculative hope that it will be sold. This overview will favor the philosophies of spec script writing which is to say, 'stay out of the way of the collaborative process'! The do's and don'ts you'll see here will reflect this philosophy.

Shooting Scripts

Once a script is purchased, it often goes through a series of rewrites before it is put into production. Once that happens, the script becomes a 'Shooting Script' or Production Script. All the scenes and shots of a shooting script are numbered and each scene and shot are broken down into all the component pieces required to film it. The production assistants and director can then arrange the order in which the scenes will be shot for the most efficient use of stage, cast, and location resources.
Since feature screenplay format is the most popular form of script today, we will begin by exploring that layout. Later, we'll discuss the other formats, building on what we've discovered here.
A general comment about script formatting: Although a certain format has become more and more standardized in recent years, there isn't ONE way, ONE set of margins, ONE style. There is a RANGE OF CORRECTNESS. All the software program formats and measurements fall within this range.

Script Elements

These are the unique margin, case, and position attributes that give feature film script text the format and consistency expected by all participants. Once you are accustomed to them you'll be able to tell your story the way an industry reader is accustomed to seeing it. The elements for a script are:

• Scene Heading
• Action
• Character Name
• Dialogue
• Parenthetical
• Extensions
• Transition
• Shot

Scene Heading

Writing Tip:
Scene Heading are aligned flush left (which we learned is about 1.5" from the edge of the paper) and are rarely long enough to reach the page margin.
The Scene Heading is written in ALL CAPS. Use a period after the INT. or EXT., a hyphen between the other elements of the Slugline.

The Scene Heading, sometimes called Slugline, tells the reader of the script where the scene takes place. Are we indoors (INT.) or outdoors (EXT.)? Next name the location: BEDROOM, LIVING ROOM, at the BASEBALL FIELD, inside a CAR? And lastly it might include the time of day - NIGHT, DAY, DUSK, DAWN... information to "set the scene" in the reader's mind.
The Slugline can also include production information like CONTINUOUS ACTION, or ESTABLISHING SHOT or STOCK SHOT. Here are examples of Scene Headings:

INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
EXT. LAS VEGAS STRIP - SUNSET
INT. OFFICE - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS ACTION
EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING
EXT. PASADENA - ROSE PARADE - STOCK FOOTAGE

Software Tip:
Script writing software will automatically file each new Scene Heading you use. This alleviates the need to retype the same text again and again, and it also helps you keep your script consistent. There is nothing more distracting to the reader than to see one Scene Heading read:

EXT. - OUTER SPACE RAIN FOREST - NIGHT

and two pages later:

EXT. - OUTER SPACE JUNGLE - NIGHT

Keeping Scene Headings consistent allows your reader to recognize locations and places and not have to figure out if this is a new set (location). You don't want to take the reader's mind off your story, ever.
Here is a sample in Scene Heading sample in script form:

FADE IN:

EXT. KEY WEST MARINA - DAWN - ESTABLISHING

We have 'established' that we're in a marina at dawn.

Action

The Rules:
Action runs from left to right margin, the full width of the text on the page, the same as the Scene Heading. Be sure to use the word wrap function of your script writing software, to make editing and rewrites easy. Text is single-spaced and in mixed case.
When you introduce a speaking character for the first time, you should put the name in all caps.

Software Tip:
Script writing software intuitively formats the spacing and text between different paragraph styles for you as you type. All you worry about is your story!

The ACTION or Description sets the scene, describes the setting, and allows you to introduce your characters and set the stage for your story. Action is written in REAL TIME.

Writing Tip:
Every moment in a screenplay takes place NOW. Use the active voice (a window slams shut) not the passive voice (a window is slammed shut).
Always write in PRESENT TIME, not the past. (There are rare exceptions to this; for example, John Milius' The Wind and the Lion had description in past tense like a novel, but then, he also directed the film.)
Keep your paragraphs short... don't let them go on and on over 4 or 5 lines. The reader may scan long action paragraphs without really reading them.

FADE IN:

Character Name
The Rules:
The CHARACTER NAME is 
formatted in uppercase letters and indented 3.5" from the left margin.
Before a character can speak, the writer inserts a CHARACTER NAME to let the 
reader know this character's dialogue follows.
A character name can be an actual name (JOHN) or description (FAT MAN) or an 
occupation (DOCTOR). Sometimes, you might have COP #1 and then COP #2 speaking. 
It is okay to identify the speaking parts like this, but actors will like you 
more if you personalize their part with a name. Try to be consistent.

Software Tip:
When you use script writing software the 
use of long, difficult to type character names is a breeze. The programs 
automatically learn and keep track of the CHARACTER NAMES you use, allowing for 
consistency and ease. No need fear those JACQUELINEs and DR. FRANKENSTEINs; two 
quick keystrokes are all you will need to make them appear on the screen.
Script writing software will also insert the correct spacing from the 
previous paragraph style, saving you thousands of keystrokes during the writing 
process.

The Rules:
DIALOGUE margin is indented 
2.5" from the left margin. A line of dialogue can be from 30 spaces to 35 spaces 
long, so the right margin is a bit more flexible, usually 2.0" to 2.5".
DIALOGUE rules apply when anyone on screen speaks. During a conversation 
between characters. When a character talks out loud to himself... even be when a 
character is off-screen and only a voice is heard.

Writing Tip:
Great dialogue is a window into the soul of 
your character. It sounds real... It's conversational. The audience feels like a 
fly on the wall, hearing natural interplay between characters. Great dialogue 
may use common language but express great passion, and even become a catch 
phrase in popular culture, as the line from Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry 
Callahan "Go ahead. Make my day."
It's not a bad idea to read your dialogue aloud to see how it really sounds. 
If you have a difficult time reading a line, it may not be good dialogue. You'll 
definitely be able to tell if you organize a reading of your script and hear it 
that way (best with professional actors, like they do in Hollywood and on 
Broadway).

Software Tip:
Script writing software 
now has the capacity to read your dialogue back to you via your computer's sound 
system. You assign a gender to your character name, even different inflections, 
and you can have a staged reading of your script right there in your living 
room.
FADE IN:
Other Script Formats
So far we've mostly discussed submission or spec screenplays. The same 
elements used in a screenplay are used in several other script formats. Only 
measurements and format vary here and there.
MOW - Movies of the Week  
DTV - Direct TV Movie  
Hour Episodic TV Show 
These formats are almost identical as the format of the spec screenplay. 
However, these scripts are broken into ACTS that 
are delineated within the body of the script. An act covers that part of the 
story that takes place between the commercials. Hence, an ACT BREAK is a 
commercial break.
When a MOW Act begins, note it this way:
ACT ONE
When an Act ends, note it this way:
END OF ACT ONE
MOW or DTV scripts usually have 7 acts. When a MOW ends, note it this 
way:
THE END
A MOW will also have a (roughly) three- to eight-minute "teaser" that begins 
the story, noted this way:
TEASER
A Teaser is not usually noted with END OF TEASER. Rather, the scene 
simply ends and a new page begins where Act One starts. A one-hour episodic 
script will also have a Teaser, albeit a shorter one than a MOW.
A MOW will also have a similar (but shorter) "Tag" scene at the end that caps 
off the story and keeps your audience riveted by the television until after the 
next set of commercials. This is usually not delineated as such.
A one-hour episodic program usually has 4 acts.
Page numbering is continuous for both forms.