Screenwriting : Format? by Keith A Kedenburg

Keith, here you go. First off, just write it. Get it out of your head and on the page. It's your vomit pass (you get everything out). Overwrite for now, it's okay. Then get your carving knives out and cut away ... rewrite, revise ... repeat ... repeat ... get fresh eyes on it for notes, revise ... trim ... repeat ... fresh eyes ... revise ... trim ...

Keith get First Draft software, it automatically formats your script

If your funds are tight there are so many free and cheap priced great screenwriting software to choose from. StudioBinder, Fadein, Trelby to name a few are free and will format your screeplay for you.

"when I write my scenes if the scene I'm writing is long , then it cuts it into the next page witch puts my slug line on one page and the rest of the scene on the next." Hey, Keith A Kedenburg. I've attached a scene from my script. Do you mean like that? That's not a problem. That's how scripts are formatted.

Just taking a guess here. Are your line spacing properly formatted?

I use studio binder . And yes Maurice Vaughn that's what I'm talking about.

The picture Maurice Vaughn has posted is the problem I'm having . Some of my scenes look like we that and when I send them infor someone to read they tell me the format needs work or is not right . How can that be if I'm using studio binder it formats it's for me ..

I'm not sure why they say that's a problem, Keith A Kedenburg. It's not. I've attached a scene from the "Creed 2" script.

Thank you Maurice Vaughn ... Really I'm just typing out the scene. Only so much room on the page ..

You're welcome, Keith A Kedenburg. Some scenes will be short (they'll fit on one page), and some scenes will be long (they'll spill over to other pages).

On thoae cases your StudioBinder ONLY puts your header at the very end of one page and the rest of the scene on the next, there is something wrong with your settings I guess. Check them and adjust. Same for splitting up the scene's narrative or dialog in the middle of a sentence. Adjust.

Rutger Oosterhoff how do I adjust the settings. Where?

How do adjust the settings on studio binder ? I don't see any options for that . Dose anyone in know ??

Keith, don't know, I do not use StudioBinder, maybe Maurice or someone else knows?

I haven't used StudioBinder, Keith, but you could contact them and ask how to adjust the settings.

Try to save your screenplay in PDF and see has anything changed.

Hi Keith, just as Niksa said, maybe try to save it as PDF, so you'll know if it's just a formatting issue on your screen or if you need to contact them at StudioBinder

Everyone here is right. Scenes go over pages. It is bad to have too much blank space at the end of a page. I use MS Word, easy to set up styles and formatting.

I used to think I was great at formatting and would just set things up in Word. Then, I had someone take a look. He was kind but let me know the formatting was a problem. It was. There are several tools for script writing/formatting, including some that are free. They do a lot of the work for you and make you keep proper formatting. .

I think I just have to many broken up paragraphs that can be condensed shorter . I think that seems to be working . I am shorting some scenes . I went down from 127 pages to 108.

Get yourself a Screenwriter's software such as, WriterDuet. They have a low monthly charge, but all you do is type and it automatically structures your screenplay

Like some of the people who have commented on this post, my go-to for writing screenplays has always been MS Word, thanks to its useful screenplay template. Fortunately, I managed to figure things out with it as I go along, writing three scripts using this exact tool while learning how such concepts as line/paragraph spacing as well as showing and not telling work in the screenwriting process, all in a matter of years!

Guys, if youre using MS WORD to write your scripts, please stop. This is not what you use to write scripts. Use real screenwriting software! even the free ones are better. yes, we can tell when you use Word. No, its not used professionally. thank you.

That's loud and clear, Danny. ;)

MS Word has a strange format that's closer to that of a sitcom, than to a feature film screenplay. Characters and dialogues are incorrect in terms of line spacing and it is very unclear where MS Word sees sluglines.

Please use Trelby screenwriting software. It is free. Screenplay means "What you see on the screen". Script means you can add a little more information. But please avoid explaining the colour of the flower on the vase kept on the mahogany table, if the colour of the flower on the vase on the mahogany table doesn't have anything to do with the story. Stick to a readable style of short and crisp writing when it comes to scene action.

Thank you. Hope it helped.

Trelby is pretty good. It's free. It has character and scene reports, too. Word isn't the right tool. I've got expert skills with all sorts of hidden features and have been using it for long technical documents for 20+ years. It's not the right tool for scripts. It's not. I tried. It didn't work and yes, industry folks can tell immediately.

Danny Manus, take a look at one of my PDF's on here and tell me you can tell what I used.

What did I use here? You get one guess.

Screenwriters should use professional scriptwriting software. If you can't afford it, there are free and low-cost options and trials you can use in the meantime. It saves time, cuts down on frustration and formatting questions, it shows that you're serious and know what you're doing. But it also simply gives you the file format that people will ask for once you start getting work and sharing work with industry professionals. Regarding Studio Binder specifically, Maurice is right, reach out to them and they should help no problem!

I read screenplays and they look the same as my PDF's.

What exactly are you guys looking at? I'm looking at Joker compared to one of mine and all I see is tighter line spacing. I look at other modern screenplays and the spacing is the same as mine.

The action paragraphs are the same width as Joker. Although the dialogue is wider. Easy change if that's all you're looking at.

Your line spacing is wider, Gen. And there are extra spaces between the character names and their dialogues.

Appreciate it Dan Guardino . Really easy to change those things. I set up styles n formatting myself from a set of regulations online. Maybe they were older.

I know we have to do whatever we can to have people read our screenplays. But if someone refuses to read past page one of a PDF because of that. I don't want them to read past page one.

A lot of screen writing software will automatically format your screenplay correctly.

Already made the changes in Word. Only took two mins. Thanks for the help guys.

Actually worked out really well page count wise.