Close Is Good Enough

Close Is Good Enough
Many people will shudder when they read the above statement. But when it comes to formatting a screenplay, close is definitely good enough, because producers, agents and readers aren't about to read your script with a rule book in hand.
If your story is killer (and they all want killer stories), then it won't matter that you may have strayed a bit with your format -- as long as it looks close enough to what they're used to seeing. I've had scripts turned down for any number of reasons, but I've never had one rejected because I deviated from proper format.
But let me be clear. When I say deviate, I don't mean using red ink on violet paper. Industry readers may not use a ruler, but they will shy away from the script that "looks" funny. If it's obvious on first glance that the margins are far too narrow, or there aren't any scene captions visible, or that your font of choice is "crayon," your script will be regarded with suspicion.
The trick to formatting without headaches is to simply approximate the look of the average screenplay. And by following the few loose rules that all professional screenplays have in common, you'll never have to worry about the format police again.
Before we get into the actual nuts and bolts of screenplay formatting, let me tell you about one important thing that will endear you to every agent, producer or reader who happens to have a close encounter with your script:
White Space
Leaving lots of white space on the page is extremely important. Keep the paragraphs short and surrounded by healthy margins. Instead of crowding words on the page, allow them to breathe. Readers like that breathing room.
Imagine meeting two people at a party. One is clean and well-groomed, while the other obviously hasn't bathed in about a month. Which one would you want to get to know?
Unless the filthy one is drop-dead gorgeous movie star material, I think most of us would agree that the clean one wins. The filthy one may well be a wonderful person underneath it all, but it's the first impression that counts and, chances are, you'd never even give this poor soul the time of day.
The first impression most readers have when they encounter a crowded page is, "yuk." And first impressions are all important in this business. So remember, lots and lots of white space. Keep those pages clean and well-groomed.
The Nuts & The Bolts
Okay. We're finally here. This is where we discuss those few loose rules about feature scriptwriting format that are common to all professional screenplays. But because I practice a profession that preaches "Show don't tell," I'm going to start this section by showing you what a feature screenplay page should look like before I get into the nitty gritty of how that look is achieved and related tidbits.
Appendix A shows an actual page from one of my screenplays. Because my formatting technique strays a bit from convention, I have revised the page so that it more closely approximates the look most screenplays have in common. Feel free to take a look at Appendix A now. I'll wait here while you do....
Done? Good.
What's the first thing you notice when you look at Appendix A? Lots of white space. The paragraphs are short and spaced apart and the margins are relatively wide.
When formatting your own script, all you have to do is approximate this look. You don't have to take a ruler and figure out the exact width of the margins, you simply have to come up with a reasonable facsimile of what you see. So let's take a closer look.
Typeface
The Appendix A sample uses 12 point Courier font. If you're utilizing a typewriter for your screenplay (one shudders at the thought), then you'll want to use Courier PICA..
I know. Courier is ugly. Unfortunately, this is one "rule" that shouldn't be broken. Unless you're an established screenwriter (and you probably wouldn't be reading this if you were), the use of any other font will more than likely cast suspicion upon you and your work.
Scene Numbers
You've probably heard about or seen scripts full of scene numbers. Scene numbers are only used in production drafts. In writer's drafts, you never put scene numbers. They serve absolutely no purpose (which is why you don't see them in any of these examples).
Scene Captions
This is a scene caption:
INT. NICK'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Every time you move to a new location, it's necessary to start with a scene caption. Looking at the sample, you'll note that we go from NICK'S BEDROOM to the STREET and then on to an ALLEY.
Each new location requires a new scene caption -- which is simply a short description telling us where we are and whether or not we need shades.