FVP 12 - Film Elements s1

FVP 12 – Script Formatting – Basic Tips and Terminology

 LOGLINE - A logline is a one-sentence summary of your script. It's the short blurb in TV guides that tells you what a movie is about and helps you decide if you're interested in seeing it. It's the grabber that excites your interest. Your logline answers the question: What is your story about? Your friends and others probably ask you this question when you tell them you're writing a screenplay or that you've already written one. You need to be able to state the main concept of your story in one concise sentence.

 SLUG LINE - one line for every change in location indicating whether we are inside or outside, the location and the time of day. It should be all capitals.

EXT. - NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING CENTER - DAY

INT. – FAST FOOD RESTAURANT KITCHEN - EVENING

 SCENE DESCRIPTION - Briefly tells us what we see initially in the scene. Emphasis is on what we hear and see.

Santa Claus wears shorts and sandals, ringing a bell as he collects for the Salvation Army. Turning the corner, walking into frame is ELAINE MILLER, 35 She is a tall woman, consumed by the fevered conversation she's having with her pale young son WILLIAM, late pre-teens. They stand apart from the other shoppers. All around them is the highly-charged salesmanship of the season... silver glittering fake Christmas trees.

 CAPITALIZE all new characters’ names when they are introduced for the first time in a scene.

Turning the corner, walking into frame is ELAINE MILLER, 35

 CHARACTER NAMES are capitalized and centered. DIALOGUE is where you write what your character says. It is centered; indented 2.5 inches on either side of the page.

ELAINE Excuse me, I'm a teacher. There is no word in The English Language - "Xmas." It's either Merry Christmas... or Happy Holidays.

 GENERAL FORMATTING GUIDELINES: Print on only one side of the paper, number your pages in the middle on bottom of page.

For a more complete list of scripting terms, go to http://www.simplyscripts.com/WR_glossary.html

The Celtx software is a free download that allows you to easily produce scripts in the proper format: http://www.celtx.com/