Formatting Your Script Like a Pro

About this course:

There are two key factors that determine the success of your script when it’s about to be read by a script reader, producer, director, agent or any other Hollywood executive: Does it “look” professional on the page? And is it a great read? Both are affected by the formatting of your script, and it takes more than using screenwriting software to get it right.  Screenplay formatting is an industry standard practice that allows a writer to accurately communicate their stories to readers in this collaborative medium. Without adhering to this standard, scripts become indecipherable and distract the reader from the story, characters and world you are trying to convey. In this course, you learn not only how to properly format scene headings, action lines, characters, dialogue, parentheticals and transitions, but why these are industry standards. Even with screenwriting software, writers still struggle with the intricacies of formatting as it relates to clarity, succinctness and the reader’s emotional experience. You also learn how to spot formatting red flags that prejudge your script as amateurish, and explore advanced techniques that help you direct and edit on the page without the use of camera directions and other technical jargon.