Industry Formatting/ The Graduate

What makes a well written film?

Structure, Character Development, Dialogue, Pacing, Visual Storytelling

What is a active art form?

type of art that relies on active engagement and participation from the viewer or audience (reading a book)

What is a passive art form?

the experience is primarily about reception and interpretation rather than co-creation (watching a film)

What is the font for a screenplay?

Courier

What is the font size for a screenplay?

12 pt.

What is the margin criteria for a screenplay?

Top - 1 inch

Bottom and Right Side - normal

Left - 1/2 inch

Where are the page numbers?

Upper right corner

What do you do after dialouge?

Double space

What are the top 5 major elements?

1. Scene Headers

2. Narrative

3. Character Headings

4. Dialogue

5. Parentheticals

What are parentheticals?

(AKA wrylys) short descriptions of how a line of dialogue is to be performed

What do you use before/leading into a flashback?

Dissolve to:

What is a extention?

An abbreviated technical note placed after the character's name to indicate how the voice will be heard onscreen

Spec script

Focus on the story itself while camera movements, post production instructions and other directing ascpects are not used.

Shooting script

Shot-by-shot description of the film with action/camera directions and written breakdown of movie story into its individual shots.

How many sentences of narrative are recommended?

2-3

3rd person omniscient

A method of storytelling in which the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in the story.

3rd person limited

the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character

3rd person objective

the story is just told the reader doesn't know what the characters are thinking; describes events, actions, and dialogue, of the story as you would see on screen.

Simple present

describes the event as happening in the present

Ex. My brother comes home late from work.

Present continuous

describes an event as being in progress in the present and continuing in the future (MOST USED/IMPORTANT)

Ex. The baby is laughing at Shelly's monkey puppet.

Present perfect

an event that has occurred in the past but has some connection to the present

Ex. The baby has played this game before.

Present perfect continuous

an event that began in the past but still continues to happen in the present

Ex. Shelly has been babysitting for years.