Archive for the ‘Formatting’ Category

Friday Q&A: The Correct Use of an Ellipsis

Q: What is the correct use of an ellipsis? – Lauri Clark

A: Thanks for your question Lauri. There are only two correct uses for an ellipsis in screenwriting:

1. To indicate that a character’s dialogue has trailed off
“Before you leave, I just want to say… “

2. To indicate that a character’s dialogue is mid-speech.
“… In other news, Mayor McDonald was re-elected today.”

The correct formatting for an ellipsis is three periods followed by a single space.

Friday Q&A: The Correct Use Of Dashes

Q: I have a question about punctuation in scripts, specifically the dash. I understand it is used in dialogue for interruptions, and also when a thought changes suddenly. I have even seen it used in action and description as well. It always seems to consist of two hyphen marks with a space before and after. From what I’ve read it should be used for emphasis or when several related items need to stand apart from one another. But I’m still a bit confused. Can you identify and show examples of how the dash is most commonly used in dialogue, action, and description? – Robert Hosking

A: Thanks for your question Robert. Generally, punctuation rules are the same for any type of writing (you may see a few variations based on which manual an editor uses, for example the Associated Press or The Chicago Manual of Style).

When it comes to the dash, there are two types of dashes, the em-dash and the en-dash. The en-dash is the width of the letter “n” and the em-dash is the width of the letter “m”. The em-dash can be written as one long extended dash (–) or two single dashes (–), always with a space before and after.

The en-dash is used to designate a range or when one part of an open compound is made up of two words, such as:
“I work from 8-5 every day.”
“The score was 3-1 at halftime.”
“Robert is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter.” (Note that the en-dash signifies the inclusion of Academy in the open compound, whereas a hyphen only includes the joined words.)

The em-dash is used most often to indicate emphasis or interruption. Commas and parenthesis are also used to enclose parenthetical elements. The difference is em-dashes mark a sharper disruption than commas and parenthesis indicate a still sharper one than em-dashes. The em-dash is also used for attribution (such as the usage above attributing Robert Hosking to today’s question) and as part of each slugline. Writing a well-structured, compelling script is the goal – so don’t get too hung up on em-dashes.

Some screenwriters use em-dashes more than others. Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) may be the king of em-dashes when it comes to using them in description and action lines.

EXT. SIMI VALLEY – MORNING
The scorched landscape stretches out beneath a latticework of high-tension power lines. Only scrub grass grows here. Rusted railroad tracks wander into the distance, and nestled beside them, like the last stop before death — sits a lonely trailer home. Battered TV antenna. A dirt yard, which houses a beat-up pickup truck. Dead garden sprouting weeds. The ground begins to tremble … like an earthquake, RATTLING the POWER POLES, as, without warning — An express TRAIN BLASTS BY and streaks past the trailer at seventy miles an hour.

INT. HIGH-RISE APARTMENT – NIGHT
Through billowing curtains, into the inner sanctum of a penthouse apartment, and here, boys and girls, is where we lose our breath, because — spread-eagled on a sumptuous designer sofa lies the single most beautiful GIRL in the city.

She stands, stumbles across the room, pausing to glance at a photograph on the wall: Two men. Soldiers. Young, rough-hewn, arms around each other.

The Girl throws open the glass doors … steps out onto a balcony, and there, beneath her, lies all of nighttime L.A. Panoramic splendor. Her hair flies, her expression rapt, as she stands against this sea of technology. She is beautiful.

On the balcony railing beside her stand three potted plants. The Girl sees them, picks one up. Looks over the balcony railing … It is ten stories down to the parking lot. She squints, holds the plant over the edge.

GIRL
Red car.

Drops the plant. Down it goes, spiraling end over end — until, finally … BAM — ! SHATTERS. Dirt flies. A red Chevy is now minus a WINDSHIELD. The Girl takes another plant.

GIRL
Green car.

She drops it. Green Dodge. Ten stories below, BAM. Impact city. Scratch one paint job. Grabs the final plant and holds it out

GIRL
Blue car.

POW. GLASS SHATTERS. Dirt sprays. A blue BMW this time. The Girl loves this game … her expression is slightly crazed. She reaches for another plant — There aren’t any. Her smile fades — And for a moment, just a moment, the dullness leaves her eyes and she is suddenly, incredibly sober. And tears fill her eyes as she looks over the edge –

GIRL
Yellow car.

EXT. BENEATH THE PIER – NIGHT
FOUR TOUGH-LOOKING DOCK WORKERS are camped out under the pier, warming themselves around a small bonfire, laughing loudly. Christmas decorations dangle above them from the pier, and empty beer cans litter the sand around them. An old collie is tied to one of the pilings. The dog is being tormented by the dock workers. They flick lighted matches at him. Shake their beers and spray him in the face.

These guys are not rocket scientists. The dog cowers, tugging on the rope. Tries to get away. All to the great amusement of its tormentors. One of them turns, laughing –

As a shadowy FIGURE strides calmly up to the fire:
Long hair.
Cigarette dangling from-lower lip.
Shirt-tails hanging loose below the waist.
Nothing threatening in his manner as he plops down beside the men, smiling.
They are immediately on their guard.

RIGGS (FIGURE)
Happy holidays. Mind if I join you?

PUNK #1
Yes.

PUNK #2
Fuck off.

Riggs smiles at him innocently. Strokes the collie’s fur with one hand. With the other, he reaches into a paper sack and produces, a spanking new bottle of Jack Daniels, possibly the finest drink mankind has yet produced.

RIGGS
I need help drinking this. Cool?

The dock workers exchange glances. There seems to be no harm in this. One of them frowns:

PUNK #1
You a homo?

RIGGS
Do I look like a homo?

PUNK #1
You got long hair. Homos got long hair.

PUNK #3
I hate homos. Arrggh.

Riggs shakes his head, laughs.

RIGGS
Boy, you guys are terrific. You make me laugh, you just do.

At which point, appropriately enough, Punk #4 shakes a beer and sprays it in the old collie’s face.
The DOG pulls away, WHINING.
Riggs leans forward.

RIGGS
This your dog? Nice dog.

And then, he proceeds to do a peculiar thing: He starts to talk to the dog — in what seems to be the dog’s own language. Very weird, folks… He coos, snuffles, barks softly, then withdraws, listening, his ear to the dog’s muzzle. Riggs nods. Frowns. The others look on, puzzled. Then Riggs looks at each of the four dock workers.

RIGGS
Huh – You know what? He says he doesn’t want you to spray beer in his face. He says he just hates that.

A pause. Uncomfortable. Then –

PUNK #1
Oh, he does … ?

Screenwriter David Marconi also likes the em-dash, as noted in this scene from Enemy of the State

INT. CRYSTAL CITY, VIRGINIA, TALL OFFICE BLDG. – DAY
A well-appointed big-city law office filled with citations of merit and pictures of a wife and child. ROBERT DEAN, a likable young lawyer, sits behind his desk with his back to an OLDER MAN. He stares at a commanding view of Washington, D.C. as he listens to a tired, smoke and whiskey voice.

OLDER MAN (L.T.)
I don’t know how much longer we can hold out, Mr. Dean.

DEAN
I don’t know, either, L.T. Maybe you guys should get yourself a labor lawyer.

L.T.
Well that’s why I’m here, Mr. Dean. ‘Cause you’re a labor lawyer.

DEAN
Good point.

L.T.
Last night, Larry Spinks, he works the Steel Press, he goes to a bar with his wife Rosalie to have a glass of chianti ’cause it’s his birthday, and these two guys, these Guido mother-fuckers, they jump him when he goes to the bathroom.

DEAN
L.T., in this office I’d prefer you say Italian-Americans.

L.T.
I’m sorry, Mr. Dean. But Larry’s in St. Lukes now, so I’m a little — I’m not myself. The Union bosses say unless we take Bellmoth’s offer, it’ll only get worse.

DEAN
That’s because your Union bosses are those Guido mother-fuckers.

L.T.
I don’t under –

DEAN
The Union’s trying to railroad you into accepting terms worse than what you have now.

L.T.
Why would the Union –

DEAN swivels around in his chair and faces L.T.

DEAN
Because they’ve been paid off by Bellmoth.

L.T.
Mr. Dean –

DEAN
My name’s Bobby. I’m your lawyer. Don’t do anything ’till I talk to you.

DEAN gets up and walks a grateful L.T. to the door, calling to his secretary as they go –

DEAN (CONT’D)
(calling)
Martha! Larry Spinks, St. Lukes. Send him a case of chianti from the firm. And send his wife Rosalie some flowers.

Friday Q&A: Free Screenwriting Software

Q: I’m not ready to invest in Final Draft or Movie Magic Screenwriter software. Is screenwriting software really necessary?

A: Thanks for your question. Screenplays have been written for decades without the use of screenwriting software. However, there’s no doubt that the built-in formatting of screenwriting software makes the process much easier. Using The Hollywood Standard: The Complete & Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style by Christopher Riley, you can format your script using a basic word processing software program, such as MS Word. There are also several free screenwriting software programs available worth considering: Scripped, Zhura, Celtx, and MindStar’s Script Editor.

10 Screenplay Formatting Rules To Help You Stay Out Of The Rejection Pile

Ensuring your screenplay is professionally formatted is essential if you expect to be understood in Hollywood and avoid the rejection pile. Here are 10 tips to help you format your ‘spec script’ correctly.

1. READ SCREENPLAYS
The best way to understand correct screenplay formatting is to read professional scripts. Check out: Script Fly, Script City, or Simply Scripts for screenplays.

2. PROOFREAD & EDIT
Typographical errors and poor grammar and punctuation are major no-no’s. Proofread and edit, then proofread and edit again.

3. THE TITLE PAGE
* Plain, no graphics, two brass brads or Chicago screws.
* Title should be in all caps, 1/3 of the way down the page followed by “By” or “original screenplay by”
* Contact information is inserted in the lower right hand corner of the page.

4. MARGINS & FONT SPECIFICATIONS
* The body of the script should be Courier 12, Single Sided, Plain paper
* Margin 1”, 1”, 1”, 1 ½” – leaving a “GUTTER” on the left.
* Page numbers are placed in the upper right corner. The Title Page is not numbered. Page numbers are ½” from top and 1” in from the right side.
* Scene headings and description (action) is left justified to the left margin.
* Left Margin (“Gutter”) approx. 1 ½” (to allow for three-hole binding)
* Top, right and bottom margins = approx. 1”
* Dialogue starts approx. 2 ½” to 3” from the left edge of the page and is always left justified.  A dialogue “block” does not exceed 3 1/2” in width.
* Parenthetical starts approx. 3” from left edge of page and does not exceed 2 1/4” in width before “wrapping.”
* Transitions start approx. 6 ¼” from left edge of the page, or just “outside” the dialogue block.
* Character names to indicate dialogue are not centered, they are about 4 inches from the left side of the page.

5. SCENE HEADER FORMAT
* Scene headers or Sluglines are capitalized.
* If you use the same header twice, it should be identical throughout the script.
* INT/ EXT. is only used for scenes in vehicles.
* Triple space between the end of a scene and the next slug line (scene heading)
* Do not widow a scene heading (do not break it at the bottom of a page.)

6. NARRATIVE FORMAT
Narrative (also referred to as action or description should be short paragraphs written in present tense. CHARACTER’S name is capitalized the first time he is introduced. SOUNDS are also capitalized.

7. DIALOGUE FORMAT
The use of “Cont’d” is optional when a character speaks over and over. If a page break interrupts Dialogue, use “CONTINUED” or “MORE”. In dialogue, spell out times (five-thirty), personal titles (except Mr., Mrs., and Ms.) and one and two digit numbers (three or more digits can be written numerically.

8. USE PARENTHETICALS SPARINGLY
Parentheticals (wrylys) are placed below the character’s name before the dialogue. They should only be used for clarity, to indicate another language or as a beat (On the phone).

9. AVOID CAMERA DIRECTIONS
Avoid technical terms and camera directions such as WIDE SHOT, CLOSE UP, ANGLE, INSERT. POV (P.O.V.) is acceptable. The use of “FADE IN:” on page one and “FADE OUT.” at the end of the script is still a standard convention.

10. EXTRA TIPS
*Don’t break a sentence from one page to the next.
* Don’t over-use ellipsis (three periods) to indicate pauses.
* Scene numbers aren’t required in reading drafts.
* Don’t cheat the page count by adding extra space to increase your page count, or cram more on the page to decrease the count.
* Avoid excessive use of bold, underscore,  & italics .