How to Format a Screenplay
So you want to write a script but don’t know how to format it? You’ve come to the right place!
Whilst writing this blog post I stumbled upon an incredible document in The BBC’s Writer Room. It breaks a script down into every element and lays out exactly how a screenplay should look! Amazing right?
Here’s a link to the document as a PDF:
So you’ve read the document and you can see how a screenplay is assembled. Now what?
A lot of the scripts I’ve seen have been written using Microsoft Word, which can be okay but really you should be using a script writing program. The benefits of using a script writing program are that it takes all of the hassle out of formatting and makes it really simple!
The top three script writing tools I would suggest are:
Final Draft
Pros: This is the go to in terms of screenwriting. Final Draft is regularly updated and is the industry standard of scriptwriting.
Cons: The only downside to final draft is it is quite expensive, but I would argue, a good investment in the long run!
Adobe Story
Pros: A very impressive writing tool which is included with an Adobe subscription. It intergrates well with the Adobe software package, allows you to create schedules and has a lot of useful formatting tools!
Cons: Since the latest update it’s become a little less user friendly and you will need a subscription to access it.
Celtx (Free)
Pros: I started writing screenplays using Celtx (I won’t tell you quite how long ago) but it’s a really neat little programe. The free version shows you everything you need in terms of formatting and it’s a very powerful tool!
Cons: Sadly Celtx has also started charging for some of it’s more comprehensive features, it’s up to you if you think you need them.
https://www.celtx.com/index.html
Hopefully now you feel more confident starting that screenplay.
Stay tuned to our blog for more tips and tricks to achieve your screenwriting and film making goals!
