How to write and format screenplays like a pro! Script writing tips and tricks

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In this video, I demonstrate how to write a screenplay using Writer Duet by turning a scene from Joker (2019) into a screenplay.
We go over the conventions of screenplay writing and the key elements such as slugline, action, dialogue, and transitions.
This video is primarily intended for students of film, media, and television, but anyone who has an interest in screenplay writing will find something of use!
I have since made a further video on writing screenplays which you can watch here
Start writing GREAT screenplays | Script & Screenwriting tutorial and tips!
• Start writing GREAT sc...

[@TheMediaInsider]

SUPPORT ME ON PATREON! For even more content and ways to keep this channel going, visit: www.patreon.com/user?u=59166800

[@azetazr4103]

Good luck for you😃😍💕

[@SignalFlowers]

This teaching technique is phenomenal. I'm not exaggerating but, instead of writing an imaginary scene and making people imagine that scene in their heads, like most other tutorials, you took a film scene and "reverse engineered" it. Extremely easy to understand. This has to be the most useful video on screenwriting I've seen till now. You're a great teacher.

[@TheMediaInsider]

Wow, thank you very much! I'm so glad you found this video useful

[@Mrratimel]

Sure it very useful thanks for this video 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@to_mar_s]

Yes! Exactly what I've come here to write! This is such a great way to start writing 👏👏 thank you for this video 😍

[@drkarthik]

Yes..Absolutely right..This reverse engineering technique made me understand the screen writing components beautifully...Thank you "The Media Insider"

[@tracystephaniedelacruz9508]

Can you help me to make a screen play writing about a rose for Emily? Please 🥺 thank youuu ❤️

[@nm.v2419]

after six years, you've finally helped me in understanding and writing my first professional draft script!

[@powrpuffboy]

6 years ? Ohmygawd

[@AdithyaSaiKumar]

@@powrpuffboy same here mate

[@danger00722]

​@@AdithyaSaiKumar you really devoted your 6 years on one script ??

[@Celeborn93]

@@danger00722 What's wrong with that? It might be a really good script. I'm working on a story that's been ongoing for 7+ years, and i'm only just finished outlining about half of it.

[@danger00722]

@@Celeborn93 ntg wrong with that but i salute your devotion as some people changes their ideas while writing one script

[@nikkikruz8458]

THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTE, PHENOMENAL TUTORIAL...very basic, simple and to the point. I'm an actress and a brand spankin new writer trying to learn how to write my own content. I have watched a million videos and learned that all teachers can't teach. Your video was sooooo simple to understand. Thank you so much for sharing this content. It really helped me get started.

[@yikes_lazzy]

Thank you so much for this!! I'm getting into filmmaking, with no degree or extensive training and I'm trying my hardest to work with what I've got. So grateful for this video, it helps a ton. You explained everything in a clean and concise way, AND you made everything digestible. Again, thank you for this.

[@ErinJDickey]

Me too! He has done a great job. Best wishes.

[@tracystephaniedelacruz9508]

Can you help me to make a screen play writing about a rose for Emily? Please 🥺 thank youuu ❤️

[@ReelRespawn_]

@@tracystephaniedelacruz9508 still need help?

[@TheAmitkhandekar]

One important thing is , screenplay is written with one thing in mind that, the writer and the reader both are living the scene as if they are in the scene, observing. "WE" here is used for the writer and the reader, who both are experiencing the scene live.

[@reddjinn911]

Great process breakdown. Just to chime in, using terms like "we see" or transitions like "cut to" are often reserved for scripts being prepared photography. Many established writers will approach the first interation (not draft) very much like a novel as some feel "we" and anything technical pulls the initial read away from the story. This is of course up for debate but just be prepared for little odd preferences from reader to reader. Simply starting a new slug line is more often than not enough to let the reader know you've transitioned into a new scene. One last note, format is also rocky. For example, V.O. is sometime seen in parentheses next to the characters name during dialogue. And "continuous" is used to show something continues despite some transition...etc... this video is a fantastic example but be ready to adapt your format to fit your submission :)

[@Luckylukeproduction]

I just read Joker script. Happy I stumbled onto ur video

[@TheMediaInsider]

It’s interesting the number of things you can easily miss in the film which is made quite obvious by reading the script

[@kaustavdas212]

I have been trying to write a screenplay of a story but could not find anything until I found this. this is just what I needed. heartfelt thanks.

[@sophieemeny2347]

This was so useful! I'm a media student currently, writing screenplays on the side for fun and this cemented the basics for me. :)

[@TheMediaInsider]

Nice! Good luck with it!

[@tracystephaniedelacruz9508]

Can you help me to make a screen play writing about a rose for Emily? Please 🥺 thank youuu ❤️

[@kingLroc]

I dont understand why more people dont format their teaching videos like yours this is extremely helpfull thank you!❤

[@itsthatwhale]

Thank you so much, I hope yall in the comment section make it as a film writer

[@shreyashikashyap2999]

This process was so easy to grasp. Thank you.

[@the_filmboss]

I just finished reading this screenplay and I gotta say, ITS NUTHING LIKE THE DIALOGUE IN THE FILM!

[@TheBitzr]

Wow! This is incredibly well made and informative. 💕 Fantastic video, very helpful!

[@Heyitsvickkk]

I have watched other videos but this video is so detailed and your writing is too. Thank You!

[@sadaa6463]

This man has said all the things I wanted to hear , thanks man

[@emerybraun4698]

I love this video! I’m planning on writing my own screenplay soon, this helps a lot.

[@carlosguzmanav]

so useful, easy to understand and practical at the same time. Great content! It helps me a lot.

[@romaneaster9492]

Straight forward and easy to understand. Definitely saved a lot of my time. Thanks!

[@casualgamerthatsucks6576]

This is concise and simple. Straightforward to the point. I like it, thank you. Makes it look easy for natural writers like me.

[@Mikial.]

Im going to start media when we get back to school in September and you’re videos have helped me get a good introduction to the topic, thank you so much 😊

[@TombomOfficial]

Always good for a nice refresher. I've seen a lot of screenplays and plays in my life but I have yet to actually fully write my own (as always, starts with a killer idea) so to see it written down simply and succinctly is useful. Thanks for this.

[@manifestmyreality2025]

wow, thank you for going over it this way, super helpful.

[@ErinJDickey]

Thank you so much for this! You are a wonderful teacher. I am wanting to write my first script and wanted to know where to start with the format. You are the best.

[@yusuflee8113]

man, absolutely love your video, your clear explanation, and your content, thanks!

[@raviteja1388]

This is one of the finest explanations

[@MsGlo66]

Thanks for your precious help!

[@Frankonstein]

hey man. Awesome job. You really made almost ten months of work done in just 10 minutes. Just the lesson I was looking for.

[@iplusae3908]

I can see you've got what it takes to convey knowledge, it's more of practical here, the video really helps, as I need more guidance from you. Thanks for this great video, makes it a bit easier than those I've come across

[@BrandonSezHi]

Thanks! I've always wanted to know how to format a script as I've always had an interest in storytelling and filmmaking. I appreciate the video, very well and simply explained.

[@gracenmotion2402]

Man! You really helped me out. What an awesome tutorial. Thanks so much. I definitely clicked thumbs up and subscribed.

[@sellothabane3331]

Wonderful teacher! So, beginner friendly. Much appreciated. Blessings!

[@agustephanie4827]

Most helpful tutorial ever. I subscribed and liked after the first two minutes. Wished I watched this three weeks ago

[@missa3645]

Script-making is explained in an interesting way. It has been a great learning experience for me, thank you so much.

[@JonathanBhagan]

one of the best examples i've seen on youtube

[@monaxia5817]

I've been trying to learn formating for months and this video helped me more practical information than all the sources i checked together. Thank you!

[@mercyaluko6716]

Very helpful. I admire your teaching method. It makes it easy to understand and very relatable. Thank you.

[@davidwalter2002]

Very informative, and, best of all, concise! This video helped me immensely.

[@dillonfernando2803]

Pls keep making more videos, this was really awesome!

[@adriatic123]

This was actually very helpful, thanks

[@franklynagbebaku2971]

This is so helpful. I don't have enough words to convey my thanks.

[@maybeoneday9027]

Thank you so much for explaining this in a very easy way to understand the whole process

[@Father_of_Internet]

Best teacher ive seen hands down and this is my first video. seeeesh

[@pheonix9242]

This is amazing, needs more views

[@littleratchild3028]

thank you so much for this, i am thinking of going into screenwriting as a profession. this was extremely help and easy to understand. this allowed me to learn most of the terminology. thank you again.

[@annabelleroma2336]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@manishsumitradevi]

Such a wonderful and simple explanation. Thank you. Love and respect from Vancouver.

[@charliederic152]

Thank you this will really make me improve my craft in screen play .

[@shawningwane]

Thank you so much, seeing you apply this to a movie I'm familiar with did help greatly. It's better than you telling me how a scene is made.

[@user-vf5yu7me7i]

your screenplays are very good and amazing

[@manajbanerjee8615]

Thanks for making complex things so simple with real-time examples. Love the tutorial.

[@TheMediaInsider]

You're very welcome! Simple is always best

[@manajbanerjee8615]

Thank you, Sir!

[@rolapeachy8280]

you basically summed up 16 hours of class time in 12 minutes... but i think my professor is gonna roast the way you wrote things.

[@resilientfilms8511]

Very helpful thanks, I'll be rewatching this when I get stuck writting my own Screenplay ! thanks again!

[@madnessbydesign1415]

Wow. I dealt with a Hollywood script consultant for years who would have shredded that first paragraph (too long - the room should be one paragraph, and the characters should be a second paragraph.- no paragraph should be more than 3-4 lines). She also said to never direct the actors through the script (a point we argued about frequently). This brings up an interesting point: There are a lot of 'rules' about format and style for screenplays, and it's always presented as if breaking any of these conventions will result in your eternal banishment from the industry. But then you look at the actual scripts from major films or TV, and they break all the 'rules'. The one about paragraphs not being too long was shattered when I saw the script for the first Walking Dead episode. Paragraphs that were 1/4 of a page, with meandering descriptions that felt more like I was on safari than being given relevant information. That said, I do think shorter (3-4 lines, max) descriptions are better, because they're easy to read quickly. Having had scripts read by execs and producers at major studios, I can honestly tell you - these people have no attention span. A block of text will stop them dead in their tracks, and they will pass on your script. If your paragraph has two separate things (the room AND characters, for example), make it two paragraphs. Again, it makes it easier to read (See how I separated this paragraph from the one above?). Also, don't use "seems to", "like they", or other weak descriptors if you're going to give a direction. Where "This question SEEMS TO sober him, LIKE she's just killed the joke" has two weak points, and gives ambiguity, "Killing the joke, her question sobers him.", makes her action the pivot point, changing him from giddy to sober, and is unambiguous. That will read better. Last, I should say I'm an American, trying to sell scripts in Hollywood. It may be different in the UK, Australia, or anywhere else in the world. I've sold two scripts, but neither has been produced as yet, so my words have as much weight as you give them... :)

[@TheMediaInsider]

That’s incredible - having sold two scripts already I mean, congratulations! I’ve never dealt with Hollywood producers but I imagine they can be very prescriptive about how every detail should look. I read quite a lot of a scripts and I prefer to think of them like any other written format and they’re likely to carry some of the authors personality in them, so they’re bound to be different - I love how much Tarantino script sound like him if you know what I mean - even in the action paragraphs. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts

[@madnessbydesign1415]

@@TheMediaInsider Thank you! Selling those scripts was a story in itself. Long story short: You never know where opportunities will come from, so be open to stepping outside your comfort zone. I share your belief that part of a writer's 'voice' should come through in the script, but this can be a tightrope. I love reading Tarantino's scripts, but he has the advantage that he's not trying to sell them to anyone else - he self-directs. Those same scripts coming from an unknown writer would likely never see the light of day. Once in awhile, an oddball script lands in the hands of someone who can appreciate it, but this is not the norm. Some adherence to the standards will likely serve you well. At the end of the day, you're not writing for a movie audience, you're writing for what a producer/director/executive THINKS a movie audience will pay to see. The truth is, you're not selling a story, you're pitching an investment scheme. The better they think the odds are of profiting from that investment, the better your chances are. The odds of something outside the norm being made are low, but it does happen. It can take years (sometimes decades) to sell a script, so don't get discouraged - that's just the business. Good luck to all. We all have stories in us that deserve to be told. Getting them in the right hands at the right time is the trick... :)

[@poljakov13]

How long did you wrote your script? How much money did you get for your script?

[@madnessbydesign1415]

@@poljakov13 There were 2 scripts that I got paid for. Each was translating a book to a screenplay, and I only had about 6 weeks for each. I made roughly $7,500 total. That's not a lot of money, but the producer was a dream to work with, and he got those scripts in front of Clint Eastwood and Gary Sinese's people, and CAA agents (a major Hollywood talent agency). Being a nobody, I was happy with the opportunity... :)

[@balazslukacs3436]

After I watched this video, I finally can make my own movie more professional than it used to be. You helped me a lot, thank you for that. Have a nice day

[@Miracle_production]

Thank you so much, I am a beginner in screenwriting, your video really helped me.

[@toodle171]

Great way of presenting how / what to do!

[@pal_mac_]

I’m a young freelance animator who’s just getting to write a formal storyboard script for the first time for my school district’s film festival. Learned some good terms here!

[@shawshank178]

What a scene to be used as a teaching tool!

[@ihsan1835]

THANK YOU! was trying to find for a script writing tutorial and this one was the best. I am gonna start my first ever short film and this really helped! Thanks again :)

[@hermannaoudou3271]

I wish you all the best! Once done, kindly drop the link here, I would like to watch it :)

[@sheehannag1283]

This will help man. Appreciate it

[@siwill09]

this was immensely helpful!!

[@MosesFashina]

Thank you. This helped a lot. Thanks so much.

[@purityagbasieje]

The video is amazing, thank you so much sir 🙏🙏🙏

[@Karahofficial]

I found this very useful. Thank you very much

[@YadaChristLifeChurch]

I'm from ETHIOPIA, Thanks for your teaching and advice!

[@sheriberrie]

thanks so much, ur an amazing tutor, I feel inspired to carry on my screenplay

[@jbmglobalmediaproductions4229]

This is the most helpfull video in a long time made it very easy for me to write a screen play ,,,thank you so much ...

[@sophiamclean2781]

This is soo good! Thankyou 🙏🏾

[@oluebubefaitholub995]

Thank you so much sir, this really helped me finished up my home work

[@randomspirit]

Thank you, that was VERY helpful! Subscribing!

[@MichaelDemdam]

thank you for this. you helped me to understand how to write a script. planning to write soon.👍

[@frankbarr1101]

Very,very helpful and very clear. Thank You so much

[@Elijah-rk7oc]

Great experience with this tutorial 😁

[@yoshiz594]

Vert good video! I have just started my fillmaking carerr and this changed for me everything! please to more videos like this ❤.

[@suresh36538]

Thank you so much for detailed explanation of screenplay.....

[@TheMediaInsider]

You are most welcome

[@brshankar2010]

Great presentation of how to write a screenplay, very helpful. Thanks Bro

[@Render-scribe]

Very helpful! Thank you for this tutorial👍

[@user-zn9lc2uu5s]

🎉 3:33

[@eoncatalyst]

Thanks a lot such a beautiful tutorial! It’s very helpful!

[@malikisayev1546]

This is phenomenal. Thank you so much!!

[@TheMediaInsider]

Phenomenal? I'll take that - thank you!

[@josephlowry4320]

Brilliant tips mate I starting to plan my own screenplay and these are very helpful, thanks.

[@TheMediaInsider]

Good luck with it!

[@whovikrantsingh]

I think this reverse process is a great way to self-train in screenwriting. Very helpful, keep it up.

[@TheMediaInsider]

Glad you think so!

[@EmsSofia]

THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART

[@amorets]

Love this. Interesting way of teaching script writing.

[@TheMediaInsider]

Thanks! Are there other videos like this you’d like to see?

[@ioriedwards7554]

Thanks for your informative article on screen writing for novices like me.

[@hildahjaruha]

This is a good one I was really stressed out because we were taught this in class but didn't get it but I have gotten some ideas on where to start. Thank you very much

[@TheMediaInsider]

Good luck

[@rajsingharora26]

Loved the way you did it.

[@TheMediaInsider]

Why thank you!

[@SerapioSergiovich]

Moving picture with great ideas.

[@manitejads7514]

This is great. Thank you so much ❤

[@mychalsimmons4177]

This was very helpful thank you.

[@TranskripFilm]

Amazing, love it 👍

[@7sengy683]

Extremely helpful!

[@koolhand12]

THANK YOU, great presentation....beginner editor

[@marryviomargush7917]

I wood love to learn more about how to producing films and scenes 😢!! I already write some films that I wrote it and invented myself!! I love your work so much ❤!

[@PhantomFilmAustralia]

I've written many screenplays and viewed an extensive supply of screenplay tutorials on You tube. This was concise, and very easy to follow. If I can make a suggestion on another tutorial? Let it be screenwriters unnecessarily cluttering their scrips with superfluous information. One example is while reading countless scrips, I see the term, "smash cut". I've asked dozens of young screenwriters to define the term. The response has been something like, _"A jarring or impact cut to shock the audience."_ I constantly tell them that a "smash cut" doesn't exist. Taking away the sound design, how is it different to a plain, old, garden variety cut? It is still the last frame of one shot joined to the first frame of the next shot. If screenplays were edited down to the bare essentials to adequately convey the story, the script would be twenty pages lighter.

[@TheMediaInsider]

Thanks very much for the feedback, and excellent suggestion!

[@TheKeithvidz]

I wrote multiple SP - we don't deserve you. I saved the link.

[@TheAyniro]

Thank you brother this will help me in building my web series

[@abhinavshrivastava5544]

It's really really great, thank you for sharing...!!

[@pawpaw324]

That was very educational.