I read a lot of screenplays. Granted, most of them are works in progress or student work. But all of them — without exception — are sloppily presented. The errors range from simple typos that the computer spell-check did not catch (its for it's and there for their) to mismatched character names or repeated chunks [...]
As with many things to do with screenwriting, there are conventions regarding binding. If you have a powerful agency this is taken care of, as they copy and bind your script in a nice agency logo-ed cover. If, however, you are sending the manuscript out yourself, you need to give some thought to the binding. [...]
Phone conversations, especially since the advent of the cell phone, are ubiquitous in films (see The Departed for an example of a film that could not exist without cell phones). And the question often arises as to how to properly format them in a screenplay. Most commonly, you will see something like this: INT. JACK'S [...]
A distinction has been lost with the rise in popularity of screenwriting software. They treat the abbreviation (CONT'D) and the character cue (continuing) as equivalent. They aren't. Why on the flip. Share on Facebook
For those of you who have not invested in a dedicated screenplay program, and who have Word for Windows (95-2007) or Word for Mac 2004 — here is a free screenplay template that does all you need to get started. ScriptStyles. Share on Facebook
