INTRODUCTION TO SCREEN- AND TV WRITING TERMS AND FORMATMichele Gendelman, © 2005

Act/Scene Heading. In the multi-camera teleplay format, this is the heading at the start of an act or scene. It is centered, underlined, and in all caps. Act numbers are written out; scene numbers are written in alphabetical order:

ACT ONE

SCENE A

FADE IN:

INT. CHELSEA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Action. A field of written text that describes the literal action that occurs in a scene. It includes description of physical setting and surroundings as well. In the one-camera film format:

EXT. ESTATE - DAY

Jimmy pulls up the cracked drive, parks, and surveys the house. Roof tiles lie scattered about the lawn of weeds, the paint is peeling, and the steps are caved in. He won’t be needle-pointing “Home Sweet Home” anytime soon.

Action also includes description of characters: their physical appearance, some clue to their personality, their physical location within the scene, what they’re doing, etc. In the one-camera film format:

INT. BEDROOM - THAT NIGHT

Rachel emerges from the bathroom: the ’do is elegant, the makeup is flawless, and the dress is Prada. She studies herself in a full-length mirror. Perfect. As always.

In the multi-camera format, Action is written entirely in capitals, and bracketed by parentheses:

CHELSEA ENTERS. IT’S ONE BIG, GRIMY ROOM WITH EXPOSEDPIPES, A FREE-STANDING TUB IN THE KITCHEN AREA, AND A CRACKED SKYLIGHT. THROUGH IT WE SEE A VIEW OF CHICAGO.

In both one- and multi-camera scripts, write Action in the present tense only. Ad-lib. Improvised dialogue that is not in the script. Ad-libs are usually not written in the Dialogue field, but as part of Action:

Sam tries to calm the workers, but they’re too angry to listen. We hear cries of “Strike!” and “Management sucks!”

Sometimes (especially in television), ad-libs are written as dialogue:

PARTY GUESTS(ad-libbing)

Hi there! You look fabulous, etc.

Announcer. Used as a character name when dialogue is spoken by an off-screen announcer on TV or radio in the scene. Followed by a (V.O.) extension:

Stacy aims the remote and turns UP the VOLUME.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)(from TV)

Meanwhile, reports indicate that thetsunami’s path of destruction has...

Back On. To return to the character or object on which the camera had been focused before a cutaway to another shot or camera angle:

BACK ON ROSARIO

as she eagerly flips open her laptop and begins inputting.

Background. That part of the screen image that is farthest from the camera, and therefore ‘farthest’ from the audience. Written as b.g. or B.G.:

Helen crosses to her desk and accesses the Net. In the b.g. WE SEE George, watching through the open closet door.

Binocular Mask. A black shield with two adjacent holes, placed over the camera lens during a point of view shot to give the effect of looking through binoculars:

EXT. THE MOUNTAINTOP - CHARLIE’S POV - THROUGH BINOCULARS

Capitalization. Capitalize the name of a character when first introduced in the script:

Billy watches ASHLEY glide out of the girls’ locker room. She’s every bit as hot as he was told.

Capitalize specific objects in Action if they are important to the scene or the story:

Isabel open the closet door and removes a BRIEFCASE. Trembling, she opens it. It’s full of $100 BILLS.

Capitalize sounds when they are described in Action:

The children huddle together as the ghosts’ SHRIEKS and WAILS grow louder and louder, closer and closer.

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Capitalize any direction that describes what the camera is doing or showing:

ON Richard as he approaches Steve at the bar.

Character Extension. Written directly after the character’s name, on the same line, and enclosed by parentheses, to indicate that the speech is being spoken by a character who is not on camera. See off-screen and voice-over.

Character Name. Written in caps.

Continued. Placed on the bottom right-hand side of the page, to alert the reader that the present scene or shot will continue onto the next page: (CONTINUED). The next page starts with CONTINUED: on the upper left-hand side. While most screen-writing software includes this feature, it is not necessary in a “reading” script; only in a shooting script.

Continuing. A Parenthetical within Dialogue to indicate that the character’s speech is continuing. This can be done one of two ways. As:

KYLEYou did remember about the tickets,didn’t you, David?

David’s busy; he’s just stepped in a pile of dog crap.

KYLE(continuing)

David? I just asked you a question.

Or, as:

KYLE (CONT’D)David? I just asked you a question.

If your script is running long, use (CONT’D)on the Character Name line to save space.

Continuous. Written at the end of a slug line or shot heading, to indicate that a shot or scene is occurring in “real” time immediately following the scene or shot preceding it:

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Gerald comes home. He crosses to the kitchen door.

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

Gerald enters. He’s stunned to find Sarah making dinner. Spaghetti sauce is splashed everywhere.

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Cross-Cut With. To indicate the alternation between scenes of one action or subject and scenes of another action or subject, where both scenes are happening at the same time but at different locations. Using a separate slug line for every single shot would be cumber-some, so follow this format instead (note that this is not the same as intercutting):

INT. ED’S VOLVO - MOVING - DUSK

Ed frantically punches a number on his dashboard-mounted cell. We hear it RING. The speedometer reads: 62 mph.

EDMelissa! Pick up!

CROSS-CUT WITH:

INT. BEACH HOUSE - SIMULTANEOUS

Wearing headphones, Melissa opens the fridge, oblivious to the PHONE RINGING O.S.

EDDamn!

He steps on the accelerator. The speedometer shoots up to 80... 85... 90...

Melissa removes a piece of chicken and digs in. She doesn’t notice the SHADOW on the floor behind her.

Ed punches another number into his cell. It RINGS.

EDI need the... Yes, it’s an emergency!

When the cross-cut sequence has ended and you transition to a different, new scene, you’ll need a new slug line to establish that new location and time of day.

Cut To: This is a form of transition used to indicate when a scene shifts from one location to another. It is always followed by a colon:

CUT TO:

It’s not necessary to use CUT TO between shots or scenes if they are taking place within the same general area. If, for example, you have a sequence set in a school, you don’t need to specify a cut from a scene in the lab to a scene in the cafeteria; simply use a slug line to indicate a new shot set-up.

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In the multi-camera format, scenes are listed in alphabetical order; and any time you cut from one scene to another you must start that new scene on another page.

Dialogue. A character’s speech. To emphasize a word or phrase, underline it. But be forewarned that many beginning writers tend to overuse underlining. Only use it if the actor could logically misinterpret the line without it. In the one-camera film format:

GIOVANNIWe’re not eager to let this get around, but we have been diverting a few funds to his political campaign.

When a character uses a foreign phrase in Dialogue, don’t underline or bold it or italicize it. Use the normal font:

ALEXASo then he starts going all ‘hors d’oeuvres’ and ‘foie gras’ on me. I mean, whatever happened to plain old appetizers and chopped liver?

Capitalize a spoken word for emphasis only in the most extreme, tense situations:

Butch and Sundance share a look. It’s a long way down. Sundance shrugs and steps off the edge of the cliff.

SUNDANCEOh SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!...

In the multi-camera format, dialogue is always double-spaced:

LUCRETIA

Here’s your key, a copy of the lease,

and your complimentary duct tape.

Establishing. A long shot that shows where the action is taking place:

EXT. BOB’S APARTMENT HOUSE - ESTABLISHING - THAT NIGHT

The Art Deco building stands twelve stories tall.

Exterior. A scene introduction indicating that the shot is set outdoors:

EXT. DOWNTOWN PARKING LOT - THAT AFTERNOON

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Fade In: The first two words of nearly every script. Always in caps, and always followed by a colon:

FADE IN:

Fade Out. Used to (1) transition from one sequence to another, or, more often, between one act and another; or (2) at the film’s end. Always in caps, and followed by a period:

FADE OUT.

Filter. Used in a Parenthetical to indicate that the voice of an off-screen character is being heard through a phone or speaker. Written lower-case:

CAROLYN (V.O.)(phone filter)

Dave? Dave, I can’t hear you, your cell’s cutting out.

Flashback. Either a Transition or a slug-line tag, indicating that what we are going to see occurred in the past:

CUT TO:

EXT. OKLAHOMA RANCH - DAY - 1932 (FLASHBACK)

We recognize the 8-year old Tommy Wagner from the photo on the adult Tommy’s piano. He’s trying to saddle a PONY.

To return the story to the present, use whatever type of transition is appropriate (CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO, FADE OUT/FADE IN, etc.):

EXT. TOMMY’S HOUSE IN MALIBU - NIGHT (PRESENT)

The adult Tommy stands on his terrace, staring out at the ocean, his mind a million miles away.

Follow, Following. Keeping the camera trained on a character as she or he moves about through a setting, whether interior or exterior:

FOLLOW Eduardo as he traverses the museum hallway, pausing to admire a portrait here, a statue there.

Font. The only acceptable type-font for screen- or teleplays is Courier, or Courier New.

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Foreground. That part of the screen image that is closest to the camera, and therefore, by extension, ‘closest’ to the audience. Written as f.g. or F.G.:

Charlie enters the room and starts searching. In the f.g., we see his wallet lying on the coffee table.

Frame. The field of vision contained on the screen. When a character has not been on camera during a scene, then enters the shot, he or she ENTERS FRAME. When a character leaves the shot, but the camera remains where it is, the character EXITS FRAME:

Susan ENTERS FRAME, taking a seat beside Nancy. Glaring, Nancy gets up, brushes past Susan, and EXITS FRAME.

From TV/On TV. A Parenthetical indicating that the dialogue or sound we are hearing in a scene is coming from a television. Use (from TV) if the character who’s speaking is not on screen; use (on TV) if the character is on screen:

REPORTER(on TV)

Ron, I’m here at the scene of what the L.A. Sheriffs Department has...

Intercut With. Alternating between shots from one scene and shots from another scene, but not necessarily to establish that the two scenes are occurring at the same time. Follow the format used in cross-cut with, above.

Interior. A scene introduction indicating that the shot or scene is taking place indoors. Followed by a period, and one space:

INT. CHLOE’S LIVING ROOM - THAT EVENING

INT./EXT. A slug line indicating that the action will go from an interior to an exterior throughout the scene, when interior and exterior are in close physical proximity, e.g., going from shots of characters inside a car, to shots of them taken from outside of the car:

EXT./INT. PATIO/KITCHEN - LATER THAT AFTERNOON

Linda carries out the pitcher of margaritas. She sets it on the table, then goes back inside for the glasses sitting on the counter.

Into Phone. A Parenthetical indicating an on-screen character is speaking into a phone:

MARCUS(into phone)

Delivery in two days? What?!

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M.O.S. “Minus optical sound,” or “Mit Out Sound,” i.e., shot without sound. Use this as a slug line extension, after the time extension, to indicate that the scene is to be shot without sound:

EXT. LONG BEACH - THE REFINERY - NIGHT

Lisa dives as the oil drums EXPLODE in a deafening ROAR.

CLOSE ON LISA - M.O.S.

Her hands are clamped over her ears. She screams SOUNDLESSLY as she staggers through the burning wreckage. She can hear nothing.

Montage. Also called a montage sequence. A group of related shots and very brief scenes that are all part of a larger action, linked by a series of dissolves. Montages are typically M.O.S., and do not include dialogue:

MONTAGE SEQUENCE (M.O.S.)

In a series of DISSOLVES we see Dana and Gordon begin their relationship.

-- Having a romantic picnic in the park-- Dancing at a club-- Running along the beach, hand in hand. They stop. As they pull in closer for a kiss, END MONTAGE.

CUT TO:

Moving. Added onto a slug line to indicate that the camera is physically moving in order to follow the action of a character or vehicle or object:

INT. RICK’S CAR - MOVING - DAY EXT. OCEAN - ON THE SHARK - MOVING - NIGHT

Off-Screen. An action or dialogue that is taking place off screen ( O.S.). When used as a character extension (O.S.), it indicates that the character who is speaking is somewhere outside of camera range during the shot (note that off-screen dialogue is not the same as voice-over narration; see voice-over):

EXT. THE DOCK - LATE AFTERNOON

Danny sits on the edge, dangling his feet in the water.

BILL (O.S.)Danny? Danny, where are you?

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When used as a direction in Action, O.S. is written without parentheses:

From O.S. comes the WAIL of a police SIREN.

On. The camera is holding on a specific character or object throughout a shot:

ON BOB

as he races up the stairs two at a time.

Over. Referring to any sound, narration, dialogue, or music that is heard over the visual image on the screen, but not made, spoken, or played by an on-screen character:

EXT. THE CHURCH STEPS - NIGHT

The priest walks up the stairs. OVER, we hear the soft murmur of a woman praying.

Over Credits. Indicating a sound or music or voice heard while the film credits are rolling, most often during opening credits:

OVER CREDITS, we hear the SCREECH of brakes, followed by the SQUEAL of rubber, and the SLAMMING of a car door.

Parenthetical. A stage direction placed between a character’s name and dialogue, or, between two pieces of dialogue in the same speech. There’s no hard and fast rule on this, but, in general, limit your use of Parentheticals to two purposes. The first is to convey to the director or the actor how the line is to be read:

GARY (irritated)

What do you mean?

The second usage of Parentheticals is to describe a brief physical action made by a character during a speech, without interrupting the immediacy of the moment:

RITA(opening envelope)

It’s from Harvard. But there’s no way I got...

(reads letter, then:)In! I got in! Wa-hoooo!

Parentheticals should not take up more than two rows of text; anything longer than that should be written in Action.

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In the multi-camera format, Parentheticals are contained within speeches:

CHELSEA

(SHRUGGING) Okay, so the place needs

a little cleaning.

P.O.V. Shot. A shot taken from a character’s point of view:

INT. PARKING STRUCTURE - NIGHT - ANDY’S P.O.V.

From his hiding place behind the rusted-out Fairlane, Andy watches as the two carjackers go to work on the SUV.

Reaction Shot. A cutaway from the main action to show a character’s reaction to the main action. Indicate this in Action:

Sister Theresa pulls a gun out from beneath her habit.

ON PETER

reacting in shock.

Note: it’s usually not necessary to indicate a reaction as a separate shot, so use this technique only occasionally, for when emphasis on a character’s reaction is especially dramatic, e.g., if you have a character who isn’t easily rattled, you could use a reaction shot to convey just how shocked he or she is by a particular situation.

Resume. To return to the original shot and/or camera angle that was in use before the action cut away to an insert or reaction shot. Written as a separate shot:

RESUME

as Priam removes Hector’s body from Achilles’ tent.

Note: use of RESUME is optional. Some writers use it, while others would write, BACK ON PRIAM, or BACK TO SCENE.

Scene Lettering. In the multi-camera sitcom format, each new scene must begin on a new page; that scene is then assigned a letter, usually in alphabetical order.

Scene Numbering. All screenwriting software programs include this feature, but you should not number scenes in a submission, or “reading,” script. Number scenes only in production and shooting scripts.

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Simultaneous. A time extension at the end of a slug line, to indicate that this new shot or scene is occurring at the same time as the previous shot or scene:

INT. THE CABIN - MOMENTS LATER

Barbara bursts through the front door and slams it shut behind her. As she leans against it to catch her breath, she looks up to see the werewolf. She SCREAMS.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE FIELD - SIMULTANEOUS

Jim reacts to Barbara’s SCREAM. He twirls the cylinder of the revolver: one SILVER BULLET remains. He locks it and sprints toward the cabin.

Slug Line. The heading for a scene or shot, telling us whether the shot is an interior or an exterior, where the shot is located, time of day, and other information. All text contained on a slug line is capitalized (do not highlight slug lines by bolding them; while this is sometimes done in shooting scripts, it is inappropriate in a submission or reading script). Also referred to as Scene Heading:

EXT. THE BARN - THAT AFTERNOON

A slug line, whether it indicates a new shot or a return to a previous shot, must always be followed by Action, no matter how brief:

BACK ON MARIA

as she hurls herself inside the car and locks the doors.

ON THE MAN WITH THE SCARRED FACE

He runs up to the car. Furious, he pounds on the roof and against the window with his fists.

INSIDE THE CAR

Maria turns on the ignition and throws the car into drive.

In the multi-camera sitcom format, the slug line is underlined. Directly beneath it, with no intervening spaces, is a list of the characters who’ll be in the scene:

INT. APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS (CHELSEA, LUCRETIA, TOMMY)

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Sotto Voce. Italian, “under the voice.” A Parenthetical indicating that a character has lowered his/her voice to avoid being overheard. May also be written simply as “sotto.”

WONG(sotto voce)

Shut up! If they find out I’m here I’ll lose my job for sure!

Super Titles. To superimpose a title -- i.e., written text -- over a visual image. This is done to establish location, at the beginning of a film or episode, or at other points when location or time might shift. A title (also called an intertitle) can be supered over an image, or it can just be its own “card,” usually in white text against a black background:

SUPER TITLES: “THE NORMANDY COAST - June 6, 1944”

EXT. THE ENGLISH CHANNEL - DAY

U.S. SHIPS slice through the water, toward the beach that lies dead ahead.

Titles can also be used to convey comic or ironic commentary on the story and/or characters:

INTERTITLE: “SOMETIME LATER THAT CENTURY...”

INTERTITLE: “CARRIE HAS A CHANGE OF HEART”

Through Speakers/Through P.A. A Parenthetical indicating that we are hearing a voice projected through a stereo system, or a public address system.

PRINCIPAL DAVIS (V.O.)(through P.A.)

Attention, boys and girls!

Time Cut To. A cut from one angle in the previous scene to a different angle in the next scene, to convey a passage of time:

Alice waits for Bill to speak. He just glares at her.

TIME CUT TO:

INT. ALICE’S LIVING ROOM - AN HOUR LATER

Alice is asleep on the sofa. Bill’s still glaring at her.

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Time Extension. Includes Later, Later That Day/Night, Moments Later, Next Day, etc. A time extension appears at the end of a slug line to indicate that the action in this scene is occurring sometime after the preceding scene:

INT. THE RESTAURANT - LATER THAT NIGHT EXT. MOLLY’S HOUSE - THE NEXT DAY

Tracking. Moving the camera on a set of tracks in order to maintain focus on a character or object as it moves through a shot or scene:

INT. THE MANSION - BALLROOM - TRACKING

as Jonathan moves stealthily, hugging the wall.

The terms “tracking,” “moving,” and “following” are often used interchangeably.

Under Credits. To indicate that a visual image or action is being shown while the opening credits roll over that image. (This is also used, but less often, during closing credits.) What we see under the opening credits should set the scene for the story:

INT. NEW YORK CITY - OFFICE BUILDING LOBBY - MORNING

UNDER CREDITS, the building stirs to life: the GEEZER at the newsstand arranges his papers. The COLLEGE GRADUATE at the overpriced coffee cart grinds beans. A GUARD unlocks the revolving door for the JUNIOR EXECS, and the ASSISTANTS who want their jobs.

Voice-Over. A character extension, abbreviated as V.O., indicating dialogue being spoken by a character who’s not on camera, similar to off-screen (O.S.) dialogue. But where O.S. implies that the character speaking is doing so from somewhere just outside of camera range, the implication in a V.O. is that the narrator is physically nowhere near the camera or shot . A V.O. most often implies that this off-screen narrator is introducing, explaining, or commenting upon events that occurred in the story’s past. A V.O. may be delivered by a never-seen, omniscient, third-person narrator, but more often is given by a character who’s been directly involved in the story:

NARRATOR (V.O.)I turned ten that summer, not knowingthat by September I would lose one parent, and find another...

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Widen/Widen To Include/Reveal. The camera pulls back to offer a wider field of vision, to include some object or character who had been unseen in the shot until now:

INT. THE CRYPT - DUSK

Harker enters, moving quietly among the dozens of stone coffins. WIDEN to reveal Dracula, looming behind the oblivious Harker. The vampire smiles, exposing his fangs.

Zoom In/Zoom Out. The visual image changes from larger to smaller, or smaller to larger, not because the camera is moving (it isn’t), but because the focal length of the lens has been adjusted. This technology can look cheap: a zoom lens exaggerates depth when zooming in, and flattens depth when zooming out. It’s best reserved for shots in which you wish to indicate a very fast shift in image size in order to heighten the impact, intensity, and immediacy of a shot:

Amir sees something O.S. that stops his heart. ZOOM INon the pool, where Trisha’s BODY floats atop the glistening water.

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