How to Format a Screenplay Correctly

Screenplay formatting is not a suggestion — it is a professional standard. Producers, agents, and script readers expect a specific layout. A screenplay that deviates from standard format signals an amateur writer before anyone reads a word of dialogue.

The Technical Standards

Professional screenplays follow these conventions, as established by industry practice and reinforced by the Writers Guild of America:

• Font: 12-point Courier (or Courier Prime)
• Margins: 1.5 inches left, 1 inch right, 1 inch top and bottom
• Page numbers: top right, starting on page 2
• Scene headings: all caps, flush left
• Action: flush left, present tense
• Character names: 3.7 inches from left margin, all caps
• Dialogue: 2.5 inches from left, 3.5 inches wide
• Parentheticals: 3.1 inches from left, within dialogue block
• Transitions: flush right, all caps (used sparingly)

These measurements produce the "one page equals one minute" rule that the industry relies on for scheduling and budgeting.

Scene Headings (Slug Lines)

Every new scene starts with a scene heading that contains three pieces of information:

INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

1. INT. or EXT. — interior or exterior (determines lighting setup)
2. Location — where the scene takes place
3. Time — DAY, NIGHT, DAWN, DUSK, CONTINUOUS, LATER

Scene headings are always in CAPS. Do not add camera directions, character names, or weather to the scene heading.

Action Lines

Action describes what we see and hear on screen. Rules:

• Present tense — "Sarah WALKS to the window" not "Sarah walked"
• Visual and auditory only — no internal thoughts, no backstory, no information the camera cannot capture
• Concise — aim for 3-4 lines maximum per action paragraph
• Sound effects in CAPS — "A GUNSHOT echoes" or "The door SLAMS"

The first time a character appears, their name is in CAPS: "SARAH (28), sharp eyes, paint-stained jeans."

Dialogue

Dialogue formatting is the most precise part of the screenplay:

                    SARAH
          I told you not to come here.

                    MARK
          And I told you I don''t take orders.

• Character name centered in caps
• Dialogue indented below
• No quotation marks
• Keep speeches short — long monologues are a red flag

Parentheticals

Brief direction within dialogue, used sparingly:

                    SARAH
                (whispering)
          They can hear us.

Do not use parentheticals for acting direction ("angrily", "sadly"). Trust your actors.

Common Formatting Mistakes

1. Camera directions — avoid CLOSE UP ON, PAN TO, WE SEE. The director decides camera work
2. "We see" or "We hear" — the audience always sees and hears; these phrases are redundant
3. Overwritten action — screenplays are blueprints, not novels. Be efficient
4. Centered text — nothing in a screenplay is centered except character names above dialogue
5. Bold, italic, or underline — used very sparingly if at all. ALL CAPS for emphasis

Use Software, Not Word Processors

A screenplay editor handles all of these formatting rules automatically. You type, and the software applies the correct margins, capitalization, and spacing based on which element you are writing. This is dramatically faster than configuring a word processor and ensures consistent output.

---

Seikan auto-formats your screenplay as you write — scene headings, action, dialogue, and transitions follow industry standards automatically. Free to start.