How to Format a Screenplay: Sluglines, Action, Dialogue and More – Movie Squirrel – Filmmaking, Screenwriting, Hollywood News, and What to Watch

Quick answer: to format a screenplay, write in 12-point Courier on letter-size pages with roughly a 1.5-inch left margin and 1-inch margins elsewhere. Start each scene with a slugline (INT. or EXT., location, time of day), write action in present tense, put character names in capitals above centered-column dialogue, keep parentheticals short, and use transitions sparingly. Screenwriting software handles the spacing, so your job is knowing what each element is for.

Screenplay format can look like a strict set of rules, but it is really a shared reading language. Producers, contest readers and actors all expect the same layout, so clean pages let them stop noticing the layout and start reading the story. Learning screenplay formatting early, including how a scene heading, action and dialogue fit together, saves rewrites later.

This guide walks through every standard element of a spec screenplay, from the first FADE IN to the page numbers, with examples you can copy. It is part of the Movie Squirrel series on how to become a screenwriter, which covers the whole path from first draft to first submission. The conventions described here are the ones used in the U.S. film and television industry. Treat them as conventions, not law. Studios, shows and countries vary a little.

Why Screenplay Format Matters

Format does three jobs. It makes the script readable at speed, it gives a rough sense of running time, and it signals that the writer knows the craft.

The timing part comes from the font and the margins. Because every script uses the same monospaced type and roughly the same layout, one page is commonly treated as about one minute of screen time. That rule of thumb is loose: fast dialogue plays quicker, and a battle described in a few lines can run for minutes. Still, it is why feature scripts are commonly expected to land somewhere around 90 to 120 pages, and why a reader may flinch when a comedy spec arrives at 140.

The signal part matters most to beginners. Odd fonts, novel-style paragraphs or camera directions on every line tell a reader, before page two, that the writer has not read many scripts. Clean format will not save a weak story, but messy format gives a reader an early reason to stop. Good script formatting is also a courtesy to the reader, and the script format you choose should stay the same from the first page to the last.

The Page: Font, Margins and Page Conventions

Software sets margins for you, but it helps to know the target when you check a PDF before sending it. If you use a screenwriting program, check that its Courier font setting is turned on.

Font: 12-point Courier or a close Courier variant such as Courier New, Courier Prime or Courier Final Draft. Courier is monospaced, meaning every character takes the same width, which keeps the page-per-minute estimate consistent.
Paper: U.S. letter, 8.5 by 11 inches. Many other countries use A4, and software can export either.
Margins: commonly about 1.5 inches on the left, leaving room for binding, and about 1 inch on the right, top and bottom.
Page numbers: top right corner, usually followed by a period. The title page is not numbered, and many writers leave the number off the first page of the script as well.
Line spacing: single-spaced within each element, with one blank line between elements.

Commonly cited indents, measured from the left edge of the page, put dialogue at about 2.5 inches, parentheticals at about 3.1 inches and character names at about 3.7 inches. Transitions sit toward the right margin. Exact figures vary slightly between software makers and style guides, so there is no need to measure with a ruler. If your program has a standard screenplay template, use it.

The Title Page

The title page carries the title, usually in capitals and centered about a third of the way down, followed by “Written by” and your name. Contact details, such as an email address and phone number, go in the lower left or lower right corner. Leave off draft dates, a copyright notice, a registration number and artwork. Some contests ask for no name on the title page at all, so check each set of rules.

Scene Headings (Sluglines)

Every scene starts with a scene heading, also called a slugline. It tells the reader where and when the scene happens, in three parts, all in capitals:

INT. for interior or EXT. for exterior. If a scene moves between inside and outside, such as a moving car, you will see INT./EXT. or I/E.
The location, from general to specific when needed, such as HOSPITAL – WAITING ROOM.
The time of day, usually DAY or NIGHT. Writers also use CONTINUOUS when action flows straight from the previous scene, LATER or MOMENTS LATER for a time jump in the same place, and occasionally DAWN or DUSK when the light matters to the story.

A sample:

INT. MARIA'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - NIGHT

Keep location names consistent. If the kitchen is MARIA’S APARTMENT – KITCHEN on page 3, do not call it MARIA’S PLACE on page 40, because production teams break a script down by location. Every scene heading should follow the same pattern, and a new scene heading is the cleanest way to show a change of place or time. Writers also call these slug lines, and they are written in ALL CAPS.

Action Lines

Action, sometimes called description or scene direction, covers everything the audience will see and hear that is not dialogue. It runs the full width between the margins and follows a few habits.

Write in present tense: “Maria opens the fridge,” not “Maria opened the fridge.”

Write only what can be filmed. A camera cannot see that a character “remembers her childhood summers.” It can see her pick up a faded beach photo and hold it a beat too long. That gap between internal thought and visible behavior is the core skill of action writing.

Keep paragraphs short. Many professional scripts hold action blocks to about three or four lines before breaking, which creates white space and controls pace. A single short line can land like a cut.

Capitalize a character’s name the first time they appear, often with a brief, telling description:

MARIA SOTO (30s), still in scrubs, kicks the door shut behind her.

After that, write the name normally. Some writers also capitalize key sounds, such as a GUNSHOT, but too many capitals make the page shout.

Character Cues

The character cue is the name above a line of dialogue. It is set in capitals at the character-name indent. Use the same name every time; if she is MARIA in the cue, she should not become MS. SOTO halfway through. All caps keep dialogue speaker names easy to spot when you skim a page.

Cues can carry extensions in parentheses on the same line:

(V.O.) for voice-over, such as narration or a voice heard over a phone, that is not physically present in the scene.
(O.S.) for off-screen, when the speaker is in the scene’s location but not in view, like someone shouting from the next room. Some television formats use (O.C.), off-camera, for the same idea.
(CONT’D) when the same character keeps talking after a line of action interrupts their dialogue. Most software adds this automatically, and you can usually turn it on or off in settings.

Dialogue

Dialogue sits in a narrower column under the cue. That narrow column is part of why dialogue-heavy pages read fast and why a page of rapid back-and-forth rarely runs a full minute.

Write dialogue the way people speak, which is not the way they write. Fragments, interruptions and contractions are fine. Avoid spelling out accents phonetically; a brief note in action, such as “a thick Glasgow accent,” usually does the job.

A sample exchange:

                    MARIA
          You said you'd call.

DANIEL

I did call. Twice.

MARIA

From whose phone?

When a speech breaks across a page, software adds (MORE) at the bottom of the page and repeats the cue with (CONT’D) at the top of the next.

Parentheticals

A parenthetical, sometimes called a wryly, is a short note in parentheses between the cue and the dialogue, or between two lines of the same speech. It tells the reader something the words alone do not.

                    DANIEL
                (into the phone)
          She's here. Call you back.

Good uses include who a line is aimed at, a small action tied to the line, or a tone that would otherwise be misread. Keep them to a few words, start with a lowercase letter, and do not end them with a period. An actor parenthetical should rarely tell the performer how to read the line; it is there to clarify, not to direct.

The common mistake is using them on every line. Actors and directors tend to dislike being told how to read each sentence, and a page full of (angrily) and (sadly) suggests the dialogue is not doing its job. If the line needs a parenthetical to land, try rewriting the line first.

Transitions

Transitions tell the reader how one scene moves into the next. They are written in capitals and placed toward the right margin, usually ending with a colon:

CUT TO: a straight cut, which is the default and so often left out in modern spec scripts.
DISSOLVE TO: one image fading into the next, often suggesting the passing of time.
SMASH CUT TO: an abrupt, jarring cut for effect.
MATCH CUT TO: a cut linking two shots by shape, motion or idea.

Scripts traditionally open with FADE IN: at the top left of the first page and close with FADE OUT. at the end. Beyond that, most spec scripts use transitions rarely, because a new slugline already tells the reader the scene has changed. Save them for moments where the transition itself carries meaning.

Special Formatting Situations

A few devices come up in almost every script. The exact style differs between guides, so the key is to be clear and consistent.

Montages and Series of Shots

A MONTAGE compresses time around a theme, like a team training for a big game, and a SERIES OF SHOTS shows related moments in order. Both are commonly written as a heading followed by short lettered or dashed lines, then a line such as END MONTAGE.

Intercutting Phone Calls

For a phone call where we see both sides, set up both locations with sluglines first, then write INTERCUT – MARIA’S APARTMENT / HOSPITAL. After that, the dialogue can flow without a new slugline for every switch.

Flashbacks, Dreams and Inserts

A flashback can be marked in the slugline, such as INT. MARIA’S CHILDHOOD HOME – DAY (FLASHBACK), and closed with BACK TO PRESENT or a new slugline. An INSERT points to a close look at a specific object, like a text message or a letter. On-screen text, such as a place and date, is often written as SUPER: or TITLE: followed by the words in quotes.

Spec Scripts vs. Shooting Scripts

A spec script is written to sell or to show your skill. A shooting script is the production version, with scene numbers, revision marks and sometimes camera directions added once a film is going into production. When you write on spec, leave off scene numbers and keep camera directions like CLOSE ON or PAN TO to a minimum. Scene numbers, when used, sit beside the scene heading.

Common Formatting Mistakes

These are the issues that come up again and again in beginner scripts:

Writing thoughts and backstory in action. If the audience cannot see or hear it, cut it or turn it into behavior.
Huge action blocks. Ten-line paragraphs slow the read. Break them into shorter beats.
Directing the camera. Occasional shot notes are fine when they matter to the story, but constant camera calls make the script read like a shot list. Specific camera angles and camera shots, for instance, are usually left to the director.
Overusing parentheticals. Let the dialogue carry tone wherever possible.
Inconsistent names. Characters and locations that change names confuse readers and production teams.
Wrong font or cheating margins. Shrinking the font or squeezing the margins to hit a page count is easy to spot.
Typos and formatting glitches. A clean proofreading pass, ideally on paper or a printed PDF, catches what the screen hides.
Sending an editable file. Send a PDF unless someone asks for a different format, so your formatting survives on their screen.

If you are learning format alongside craft, a structured course with feedback can speed things up. The Movie Squirrel guide to screenwriting classes compares online courses, extension programs and workshops.

Screenwriting Software That Formats for You

Dedicated software applies these conventions as you type. Press Tab or Enter and the program moves to the next likely element, so you can switch from action to character to dialogue without touching the margins.

Final Draft is a long-standing paid program widely used across the film and television industry.
WriterDuet is browser-based with real-time collaboration and offers a free tier with limits.
Celtx is a cloud-based tool with screenwriting and production planning features.
Fade In is a paid desktop program known for a one-time purchase price.
Highland and other apps support Fountain, a plain-text screenplay markup language that converts to formatted pages.

Pricing, free options and features change, so check each company’s current offer before choosing. Most export a formatted PDF and handle the Final Draft .fdx file format. For the cameras, editing software and other gear you may need once the script is ready to shoot, see the guide to filmmaking tools. Many writers also draft in Microsoft Word with a screenplay template, but a dedicated screenwriting program handles page breaks and element spacing for you. Arc Studio is another screenwriting program writers use.

Tools That Help

Software handles the layout, but a few books and physical tools help when you study format or print drafts for a table read.

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The Screenwriter’s Bible (7th Edition) by David Trottier (paid link): A long-running reference that covers screenplay format with examples, plus guidance on writing and selling a script.

Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder (paid link): A popular book on story structure and beat sheets that pairs well with format study once your pages look right.

Officemate Brass Plated Fasteners, 1.25-inch (100 per box) (paid link): Printed scripts are traditionally three-hole punched and bound with two brass brads in the top and bottom holes. These are the 1.25-inch length.

Bostitch EZ Squeeze Heavy Duty 3-Hole Punch (40-sheet) (paid link): Punches a stack of pages at once, which helps when you print drafts for a table read.

Frequently Asked Questions

What font is used for screenplays?

12-point Courier or a Courier variant such as Courier New, Courier Prime or Courier Final Draft. The monospaced font keeps page length consistent, which supports the rough one-page-per-minute convention.

How many pages should a screenplay be?

Feature scripts commonly run about 90 to 120 pages. Comedies and horror often sit toward the shorter end. Television scripts vary by format, and contests sometimes set their own limits, so check the rules. A short film script follows the same format at a much shorter length.

Do I need special software to format a screenplay?

No, but it saves a lot of time. Dedicated programs handle margins, page breaks and (MORE) and (CONT’D) labels automatically. Several, including WriterDuet, offer free tiers.

Should I number the scenes in my spec script?

Usually not. Scene numbers are added to shooting scripts during production. A spec script normally has page numbers only.

Is screenplay format the same for TV?

The core elements are the same, but television formats vary. Some multi-camera sitcoms use double-spaced dialogue and capitalized action, and many shows have house styles. Read scripts from the show or format you are writing for.

Sources and Further Reading

Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, whose rules describe what the competition accepts.
Writers Guild of America, for guild information and resources for writers.
Fountain, the plain-text screenplay markup format and its syntax guide.
Format references: The Screenwriter’s Bible (David Trottier) and The Hollywood Standard (Christopher Riley).