Layout is not something that should bother you when you’re writing your story. However, when you do sit down to write your screenplay, it is very important that it is written in the correct format.
For some reason filmmakers still live in the age of the typewriter and expect scripts to conform to some quaint standards. For instance you should always ensure that your finished output is formatted as Courier or Courier New at 12pts. They also expect standardised margins for each element of the script such as SCENE
HEADINGS, CHARACTERS, ACTION, DIALOGUE and PARENTHETICALS. Details of these can be found online or you can even purchase software which will format your screenplay for you.
Many reasons are given for this need to remain in the Stone Age, but the main one is conformity. The experienced producer can look at a script, count the pages, and know how much time it will play on screen for. Excessive dialogue will also show up much more easily. Anything to avoid reading your masterwork.
And that’s really all I can give you in this introduction to screenwriting. As I said there are many other books, blogs and forums on the subject. Read them if you get interested in the subject but treat them with 9
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caution, there is more bullshit talked about film writing than any other form. If you find out why, let me know.
What follows is my screenplay DISCIPLE. It won Scottish Screen’s First Draft Award but was never picked up by a production company. It was also entered for the Orange Screenwriting Prize (which it failed to win) and the review from that is also attached. But do note that this is not precisely the script which is critiqued. That unfortunately has been lost. I hope that working between the above, the script and the review you can make some sense of the process of screenwriting.
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