Does Script Format Matter?

[@TylerMowery]

Get Practical Tools to Write Your Great Screenplay: www.practicalscreenwriting.com

[@Youkimheng]

I come from a developing country, we don’t really have film school here and I want to be a director and filmmaker, so I don’t know where to start, so I’m lucky to have stumbled upon this video. Thank you.

[@TylerMowery]

Glad to be of help! Check out my other videos on storytelling and screenwriting if you’re looking for more resources!

[@ericrenquist6494]

Like many of the greats have said, just grab a camera and start shooting. Your phone works too. Dont say you want to be a director, just be one.

[@sed9385]

Goodluck on your journey! I hope to see your name in a film someday! 😀

[@BatdadIsBestDad]

THATS MY FUCKING MOOD JSJSSJ

[@BatdadIsBestDad]

@@vlc-cosplayer I lava you

[@geoffberteau2847]

Man I wish I was able to see this when I first started screen writing. Exceptional work as always, Tyler.

[@TylerMowery]

Thank you!

[@SongSubtitleChannel]

Great primer on formatting. I was hoping you'd state the MAIN (and ONLY) REASON why a screenplay uses these rules. You touched on it when you said it helps the producer plan the shoot. As a First Assistant Director, let’s look into that a little more. Yes, each page is about one minute of screen time. This is actually quite accurate, but there are exceptions, of course: PARIS BURNS, example. You could spend days shooting that. The 1st AD is the person who “breaks down” the script. Once the PRODUCTION DRAFT is locked (the white version), it goes to him first. His breakdown allows all the other depts to do their job. It allows the Production Manager to create an accurate budget. He uses a program like Movie Magic Scheduling to isolate every element in each scene: Locations, actors, props, vehicles, special effects etc. First, however, he breaks down each scene and makes sure each location has its own SLUGLINE. So, a thick action paragraph may be broken up into more scenes. It might take place, say, in SUZY’S HOUSE, but other rooms might be part of it. Those have to have their own slug lines or scene headings. It’s done for SCHEDULING the shoot. Each page is divided into eights. This is used by the AD to schedule how many screen minutes will be shot in one day. A scene might be 3 and 3/8s pages, example. So, a low budget film might have 5 to 8 and 5/8 pages per shoot day, while a big budget might have only one. In other words, format isn’t just a tradition. It’s very technical. Just like the lenses you’ll use or lighting. Courier 12 pt, margins, slug lines, dialogue, all must follow formatting rules in order to actually shoot the movie. Can’t happen without INDUSTRY STANDARD FORMATTING. Hope that made sense. Oh, and don’t number your scenes. The 1st AD does that. Amateur move.

[@Savyra]

Thank you! This is also very helpful to me.

[@djmx9237]

Your video are so helpful. I search on youtube for this and no other video was a productive as yours. Could you do storyboarding next? Thanks.

[@Termina648]

This is incredibly helpful, a lot of videos about scripts are longer than needed and ultimately say nothing, but your video is short, interesting, well edited and to the point, I even thought that this was a bigger channel by it's quality (And I hope you keep growing), amazing video :D

[@TylerMowery]

Thank you!

[@Loxer150]

Your channel is underrated. I find your videos easier to understand than some other channels.

[@grahpayy]

"Don't try doing this in a word document" Me, who downloaded a Screenplay Format plugin on Google Docs: "Looks like I'm aboutta break the law"

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

I AM ABOVE THE LAW!!!!

[@MrParkerman6]

(Hair Flips Comb-over)

[@zacharygrayfilms]

This is literally the greatest writing channel. If you market yourself right you will become the “go-to” guy on KZbin. Your content is golden $$$

[@TylerMowery]

Thanks for the encouragement!

[@formulajuan6038]

Heeeeyyyy thanks! I love this video. I use Final Draft 11 and it is a great software. I'm a new subscriber to your channel as well. Just finished my first TV pilot and it's under doctoring currently. The anxiety I am experiencing is brutal.

[@martinwathen3807]

My first script was in a word document. I look back at it and it's painful 😂

[@yuhi6649]

It's not such a problem jeez

[@rorybrown3149]

Thank you very much! I'm working on a few projects on a very different career trajectory than I planned. Your videos are incredibly helpful. Keep it up!

[@TylerMowery]

glad to be of help!

[@Savyra]

Great tips here. Thank you! Love the down-to-earth, cut-to-the-chase attitude. Just the facts ma'am works every time when one is trying to learn a new skill or improve it.

[@loganw.6756]

How do you not have more subscribers?

[@adamjackal]

I make funny sketches and used to write the scripts in my notebook using different color markers for each character. My scripts had no format, but now that I have found this video, I've learned how to write scripts neatly and efficiently. I will start to take this information into practice now, Thank You Very Much!!!!!!

[@IsaacWale2004]

I make sketches too... I format in my own way...

[@jacissapitaart4704]

I was thinking to google what "EXT" and "INT" mean when I was reading someone's script on the other day. Then I saw this video on YT. I understand it completely now and I really have learned A LOT from you! Thanks Tyler!

[@WanderingWeirdly]

I always try to help fellow filmmakers with their scripts if asked, but people get really defensive when the first thing you point out is that their format isn't up to par... It seems like such a small thing, but when you ask someone to read your screenplay, make sure you're formatting things correctly, as it affects the pace/ease of the read. Please and Thank you.

[@YouCanCallMeCaius]

"Will this help the people making the movie deliver what you want them to deliver?" SO TRUE!! I would love to reference this post on my channel. I have found a well formatted script does wonders for the actor delving into the role and the world. Even learning the lines becomes 100 times easier if the formatting is good. But of course the writing must be good too! Thanks for another brilliant post!

[@beinerthchitivamachado874]

6:02 Hahaha that's crazy, because I love to write and aspire to Direct as well, I usually just "Direct" from the page. Didn't know it was frowned upon.

[@GoldenSpoon109]

Serious props!! Especially for pointing out the importance of “who”. I’ve heard it’s a lot different when you’re trying to sell the script to someone else than if you’re making the film yourself. Gtg digest this KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM for a sec!

[@TylerMowery]

Glad to hear it was helpful!

[@FishFreddy]

Developers also use fixed based font for some of the same reasons. To quickly be able to analyze things and see whats important.

[@korvusfilms1]

The best screenwriting video on KZbin. Really deserves so many more likes. Keep at it m'dude, the research and hard work shows in your quality content.

[@baguetteboy2785]

Bro I’ve learned more from your videos than I have from any film class. Thank you.

[@wesley8135]

Perfect timing. Only started reading about this minutes ago, and now this came out.)

[@TylerMowery]

That’s awesome

[@aisadal2521]

Ooh thanks for this!

[@carloh-nw9vz]

You have my sub, good man! Been wanting to write a particular story for quite some time but never really knew where to start. I've written shorts but always in a freestyle form and if I am to invest more time into a thing now, I feel like I should do it right.

[@TylerMowery]

Glad to hear the video was helpful!

[@kaedavv3229]

A good free tool for chrome users is Screenplay Format, an add-on for Google Docs. It formats the entire doc in the script format, and has easily accessible buttons to add new characters, action, or dialogue. All of my film friends as well as myself use it and it’s really handy

[@dariushcreates]

This was really useful and unique teaching on script format. Apart from just the basic format. "int. Means this, ext means that" It also settles a debate on its use and importance!

[@beplantastisch5280]

Hey Tyler! Great video! I'm into photography and documentary filmmaking and somehow your video was suggested. Glad to have watched it! I will subscribe and check out your videos. Keep it up!

[@TylerMowery]

Thank you!

[@lonjohnson5161]

This was very relevant for one of my scripts. Without going into detail, I have a concept that I can communicate with words only, but if I modify format, I can enhance clarity and possibly reduce the number of words I use. I think I'll give it a try on a draft and see if it helps.

[@TylerMowery]

Fantastic! Glad it helped.

[@tajender_singh]

Really helpful! Love all your videos!!!

[@TylerMowery]

thank you!

[@tajender_singh]

@@TylerMowery I'm writing a couple of screenplays for shorts...for my college project. So, this was like made for me...lol⊂((・▽・))⊃

[@whoo8252]

Wonderful video! From a person transitioning to making more script-based stuff, this video and channel in general is of great assistance. P.S. What cool films have you worked on? Because you have to have gotten this knowledge from somewhere.

[@TylerMowery]

Gotten this knowledge from writing and studying!

[@shibuyes]

Okay so I know like, 0% of script formatting or anything related. I’m just an animator. However this was super informative to learn about so thanks for covering it!!

[@TylerMowery]

Glad to hear it!

[@InformantNet]

Hey Tyler, just a point of clarification: One page only equals 1 minute if it's written that way, it's not automatically 1 minute per page. An inexperienced writer should never rely on their final page count.

[@ventrillo9]

Another great video Tyler, well done

[@TylerMowery]

Thank you!

[@scottgoding3115]

Thank you SO much I needed this🙌🏻

[@TylerMowery]

Glad it was helpful!

[@HamzaKhan-jw5wc]

Great video Tyler as always, can you make a video on Primer 2004?

[@TylerMowery]

Haha Primer is wild. Maybe in the future. It wasn’t super engaging to me and it’s hard for me to make videos on films that weren’t personally engaging.

[@jahanzabahmed3896]

Thanks for sharing

[@TylerMowery]

you're welcome!

[@itamarbenziv3793]

This video has a few thousand views, 200 + likes and 0 dislikes. I can see why. Love your vids

[@TylerMowery]

Thanks!

[@jnighty7154]

This video was so helpful thank you...I want to write and direct also

[@laHagans]

Another fantastic video! Thank you!

[@gabrielidusogie9189]

Thank you for the informative video Tyler. Very helpful

[@witchybear5457]

your videos are sooo useful thankyou!!

[@UnleashedProPlays]

You have excellent videos!

[@TylerMowery]

Thank you!

[@theblacksmith0880]

Great video! Only thing I would be cautious of are those screenplays written by directors because they rarely follow traditional format. Mentally they know what they want so their format could lack key points. For example Peter Jackson battle scenes for Lord of the Rings would just read "they fight". What producers have told me in the past is don't do the directors job.

[@TylerMowery]

Agreed!

[@IsaacWale2004]

I think, that as long as it has all the necessary information and is understandable, it doesn't matter. Example: Here is the same script written in many formats: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXT. STREET - NIGHT PERSON is walking down the street, slowly, sadly. PERSON (Monotonously) I am so bored, I have nothing to do... He continues walking, slowly. ------------------------------------------------------------------ [EXT. STREET - NIGHT] (A person is slowly walking down the street, sad) PERSON: (Monotonously) I am so bored, I have nothing to do... (PERSON continues to walk down the street) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [EXT. Street - Night] (PERSON is walking down the street, slowly, sadly) [PERSON] (monotonously) I am so bored, I've got nothing to do... (PERSON continues to walk down the street) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did the format affect how easy it was to read? No? Didn't think so! So it doesn't matter.

[@JoGrandpa]

I've heard of the importance of prose, but not much on the subject itself. Could Prose be worth making a video on?

[@fantasynerd3695]

Man! What a good channel! I've been learning a lot!

[@Vijaykumawatx]

I am thankful to make this video for making me more clear about script format Thank you Brother ( Tyler Mowery)

[@TylerMowery]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rajsingharora26]

Thank you.

[@nishantsingh3923]

amazing work

[@travispickle8185]

This really helpful thank you

[@TylerMowery]

Glad to hear it!

[@TheRebelDottie]

It should be noted that OS can also be OC (Off Camera)

[@mimicrybypravesh]

Thank you, bro

[@galaxykillah3694]

Do you know any writing software that is free? Final drafts costs like 200 $ and yeah... no money for that so any tips for a young person who likes to write, where? Thanks great video!

[@TylerMowery]

I've heard Celtx is okay. Haven't used it though. Used Final Draft for the past 4 years.

[@formulajuan6038]

Try Trelby. Free and easy to use.

[@Saberwaisen]

Fade In or Scenarist, both 100% free.

[@johnbrady9813]

Could you do a video on writing the second act of a a screenplay?

[@TylerMowery]

I’ll put it on the list.

[@standindarkness]

Thank you for the info, helped me out a lot. What is the significance of the color names on the Eternal Sunshine script when labeling revisions?

[@hm47ent.]

Dude! Your videos are so damn helpful! Thanks a lot. I'm gonna send you an Xmax card and a bottle of Scotch.

[@THOMAS2910able]

If you want to see a weirdly formatted script , check out Nightcrawler by Tony Gilroy , the Jake Gyllenhaal movie .

[@edkfilms]

Very good

[@greggeverman5578]

Great, great vid!

[@ikoknyphausen198]

Can you merge storyboard images with scripts? It seems easier to quickly grasp a scene with a well drawn image than trying to describe it.

[@kbatraful]

This is the thing that has been preventing me from bringing up my ideas

[@veerbadra]

Nice video... Though I'm learning cinematography ... I have to understand script format... To make a smooth transition with the director.... Do more videos on work in btw cinematographer and director that will help more...

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

Can I use Fade In?

[@fijigoya1236]

How do you format a scene that cuts between 2+ settings? For example, when comparing conversations by different people that overlap

[@TylerMowery]

If you are split screen, then it can be done in different ways. Google and find some scripts that have done split screen. I believe one of the Charlie’s Angels scripts might’ve done that? If it’s not split screen, then just change scene headings as you cut back and forth.

[@fijigoya1236]

Tyler Mowery Awesome!! Thank you!! I will read that script.

[@jp.dlamini]

Fargo got me interested in screenwriting, Nightcrawler inspired me to start writing scripts.

[@davidstorme8748]

Oh man, I’ll never sell this thing the way I write… MATCH-CUT: WIDE-ANGLE: DIRTY OSS: 2-SHOT: EYE-LEVEL: CHEST-HIGH: 60-DEGREE-SIDE-ANGLE: CIRCLE-PAN: PUSH/ZOOM: IN/OUT: TO: 15-DEGREE-SIDE-ANGLE: SHOULDER-HIGH: (All Right Justified Shot-List).

[@samjones594]

I use studio binder to write my scripts

[@marcelorodriguesautor]

Hi Tyler, i have been looking some use of music in screenplays. The rule is when is happening any kind of noise, like a fight or music coming out of radio, the action should be capitalized, am i right? However, what should i use when is a band playing? I realized that any band movie scripts i read, like "Almost Famous, Scott Pilgrim or Sing Street", capitalized the jam's scenes. Cameron Crowe doesn't even capitalizes when someone turns on the radio. Do i really need capitalizes in these cases ?

[@trunch58]

I'm so sorry if this question is stupid, but I have to know because I'm dumb enough for this to be an issue: So it's NOT "breaking the rules" if the only capitalized words in an action line are introducing characters' names?

[@benbenjaminr]

Hey Tyler, i subscribed to the Practical Screenwriting emails, but your link does not work for me. it says "unable to connect". I hope it can be fixed! still love your videos, keep it up!

[@TylerMowery]

Ill take a look at it.

[@benbenjaminr]

@@TylerMowery thanks!

[@Reggie2000]

What is some good script software for MS Windows, ranging from free to high cost?

[@roberthipolito1351]

Damn this was quite helpful

[@MMMRATTY]

Great info here, but I disagree with your first assertion. Word can be a great alternative to FD, especially if you have access to it already. The key to making it work is creating themes that you can switch between with hotkeys that works almost identically to screenplay software. I understand that spending some time to set up Word to be conducive to screen writing can seem annoying, but honestly, the time investment of about half an hour setting it up greatly outweighs FD's cost. And the end result is the same.

[@HarpoonTA]

Was wondering - should a scene shot inside a cave or deep in the earth be labled EXT or INT?

[@perrap79]

How do you handle textmessages? Or watching a movie on your phone? Like whats happening on the iPhone screen, on screen? Does that make sense? 🤔

[@hi-cz8zd]

Andreas Persson (through text)

[@a.n.a.8508]

Do the script writers ever think about the actors that have to act that ?

[@srikanthdevara9358]

Sir I don't want to write dialogues to my script I want to write only story and screenplay can u tell us how It format should be without dialoges

[@nikxbharali1999]

2:00 - "So if you have a 120-page screenplay, you should end up with a movie that's around 120 minutes or 2 hours long", not true for Justice League 😂

[@josepablomartinez-rendon9484]

I can’t really afford software, so I use the screenplay template on Microsoft word. What’s your opinion on it, Tyler?

[@elisaidir2837]

there are plenty free softwares tho, I use Highland 2 on Mac, I'm sure you can find others if you don't have a mac.

[@ghenulo]

Probably not, but I've noticed that in other people's scripts, then usually goes on the same line as if: if [ $a -eq $b ]; then where I put it in on a separate line: if test $a -eq $b; then Either way seems to work in bash, dash, zsh, etc, so I say the formatting doesn't matter.

[@mikewilhelm2977]

Are there free softwares?

[@SapLow]

Just wondering but have you actually written anything yourself that's been successful? I don't mean to be rude or anything just wondering.

[@darmus8928]

Search on IMDb. I guess there will be some mention of him.

[@SapLow]

@@darmus8928 he's written like one thing www.imdb.com/name/nm9537432/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 If that's him

[@bkjones8899]

What site did you use to get the scripts?

[@Fanboy-rq6tv]

What if a scene takes place in two places?

[@TylerMowery]

Then your scene headings will change as you move between the two places. Think about how it will appear onscreen. Unless you are actually splitting the screen, you will be going back and forth between the locations, so you would switch the scene headings. If it is split screen, there should be a way in final draft to split into two columns.

[@Fanboy-rq6tv]

Tyler Mowery thanks a lot

[@aebonstudio7193]

Ah yes, a great video for anyone unwilling to pick up any basic screen writing book.

[@kbasit65]

Can someone please send me the script link of legends of the fall movie thanks

[@samfilmkid]

As someone who took a screenwriting class where 50% of my grade was based on script format I can safely say: NO!!!

[@danvargas7065]

Wich size of page? Letter?

[@leviphotenhauer8916]

What has this guy written, not an attack just wondering if he’s done anything

[@TylerMowery]

Nothing I’ve written has been sold or produced. I’m working to get better at writing each day and I hope to help others do the same.

[@redblock1382]

why is Jimbo in the thumbnail

[@natrowney5735]

This is so kool

[@katherinemarsh7429]

Cool vide. Bastards is spelled with two "a"s.

[@TylerMowery]

It’s intentionally spelled incorrectly in the title of the film.

[@theguyyoudontfuckingknow294]

Soooooo...how many movies have been made out of your screenplays fellow writers?

[@prathamjoshi5435]

Tyler pls tell a free website u know to download free scripts. It must be original and must have scene numbers too. Pls tylerrr

[@katherinemarsh7429]

Merely making points is not effective communication.

[@VaultOfTheFuture]

Yes and No

[@phoenixphillips358]

simplistic

[@dai19721]

I use WORD an its fine.