Screenplay Format
The complete guide to industry-standard screenplay format — margins, fonts, sluglines, dialogue, transitions, montages, flashbacks, and Fountain syntax, with examples for every element.
Screenplay format is the set of layout conventions every professional script follows: specific margins, a monospaced 12-point font, capitalized scene headings, centered character names, and narrow dialogue columns. It exists for one reason — one page equals roughly one minute of screen time — so anyone reading your script can instantly judge its pacing, budget, and structure.
This section covers every formatting question screenwriters actually search for, with copy-ready examples you can paste into any editor.
Why Format Matters
- Readability — readers skim 30–50 scripts a week. Standard format lets them parse a page in seconds.
- Timing — the fixed-width font and fixed margins make the "one page per minute" rule reliable.
- Professionalism — non-standard formatting signals an amateur before your first line is read.
- Production math — margins, scene numbers, and page counts drive schedules and budgets.
Every page below includes examples in plain-text screenplay format. Want to skip the manual work entirely? Scripta applies all of these rules automatically as you type. Start writing free →
The Elements of a Screenplay
| Element | Position | Looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Scene heading | Flush left, ALL CAPS | INT. COFFEE SHOP — DAY |
| Action | Flush left, present tense | MARA slides into the booth. |
| Character cue | Indented, ALL CAPS | MARA |
| Parenthetical | Indented, lowercase | (under her breath) |
| Dialogue | Narrow center column | You're late. |
| Transition | Right-aligned, ALL CAPS | CUT TO: |
Section Contents
Core Format
- Screenplay Margins — exact measurements for every element, and why the left margin is wider
- Screenplay Font — Courier, Courier New, Courier Prime, and why monospace matters
- How Long Is a Screenplay? — page counts by genre and medium
- Title Page Format — title, byline, and contact information
Scene Elements
- INT vs EXT — what the abbreviations mean and when to combine them
- What Is a Slugline? — the anatomy of a scene heading
- Screenplay Transitions — CUT TO:, FADE OUT., MATCH CUT, and friends
Dialogue Elements
- Formatting Dialogue — the dialogue block, interruptions, and trailing off
- Character Cues — naming characters and their first appearance in CAPS
- Parentheticals — how to use (beat), (then), and attitude cues
- V.O. vs O.S. — voice-over, off-screen, and off-camera explained
- (MORE) and (CONT'D) — splitting dialogue across a page break
- Dual Dialogue — two characters speaking at once
Special Situations
- How to Write a Montage — compress time with a shot sequence
- How to Write a Flashback — entering and leaving the past cleanly
- Formatting Phone Calls — one-sided calls and INTERCUT
- Formatting Text Messages — showing texts and chats on screen
Formats & Workflow
- Fountain Syntax — write screenplays in plain text
- Spec Script vs Shooting Script — what changes between the writer's draft and production
Where to Start
New to screenwriting? Read Margins and Sluglines first — they cover 80% of formatting mistakes. Already drafting? Jump to whatever you're stuck on.
What Is a Screenplay?
Learn what a screenplay is, how screenplays differ from novels, and why screenplay formatting is essential in film and television production.
Screenplay Margins — Exact Measurements for Every Element
Standard screenplay margins explained: 1.5" left margin, 1" top/right/bottom, and the exact indent for dialogue, character names, parentheticals, and transitions.