Script Writing...

I don't know if there's a thread on this already or what; I just put this down without even really checking. But for the first time in my ten years of writing aside from poetry and fiction I've decided to branch out and write a short film script. If I can manage to make it really worthwhile to read, I might be able to get a few of my friends to help me film it sometime.

But that's not why I'm putting this thread up. I've never written a script before, so I'm not sure what's the deal. What do I need to do, and is there anyone who can give me something to go on? Like, what exactly do I need to do in order to format a script? Any advice like that at all is helpful and very much appreciated.

Thank you.

It is definitely a good idea to get some screenwriting software. Final Draft is highly recommended and tends to be considered as the industry standard, but it's unbelievably expensive (here in the UK, your standard package costs around £120).

Some general formatting tips:
1. Type each character's name in full before speeches. E.g.:

MARK
I'm going out to get some coffee. NOT:
M
I'm going out to get some coffee.

2. Characters' names are always introduced in capitals: JORDAN. You can revert to lower-case afterwards, but this is optional.

3. Important information, most commonly sound or visual cues, should also be capitalised:
We hear the SOUND of a toilet flushing, and a door SLAM.

He stumbles across a RED CAR, horn BLARING.

4. Scenes should always be headed: INT/EXT + LOCATION + TIME OF DAY (generally DAY/NIGHT). E.g.:

EXT. OUTSIDE DAISY'S HOUSE. NIGHT

INT. KITCHEN. DAY

EXT. NEW YORK STREET. EARLY EVENING

5. Use BEAT for a short pause, either within speeches or outside:

MICHAEL
I want...

BEAT.

MICHAEL (cont.)
I want to kiss you.

or:

MICHAEL
I want... (Beat.) I want to kiss you.

6. Whenever you begin, write FADE IN in the top left hand corner.
At the end, use: FADE OUT in the bottom right hand corner, followed by END CREDITS/THE END centred.
To cut from one scene to another, we generally use a CUT:

MARK
I want to kiss you.

CUT TO: (normally on right hand side of page)

EXT. OUTSIDE JOHN'S HOUSE. DAY

JOHN
How did it go?

7. Use Courier font, 12 pt! And nothing else!

Hope this helps.

Gahks

This helps considerably. Thanks mate.

I use Celtx when I write scripts, it's a free software that makes all of the formatting easy. It's takes a short while to get used to the shortcutting, but it's so much better than trying to memorizing all of the formatting.

Another site that I will recommend is Script Frenzy, which is the sister script challenge to NaNoWriMo. The goal is to write 100 pages in April, but I'm not saying that you have to do the challenge. I'm just saying that the site is an excellent resource for learning how to write a script. The forum still has all of the old posts from last April, but you can still post messages at the forums and some people are still around.

Then there are the Writer's Resources at the site, which give out formatting tips, outlining tips, and so much more! They even have interviews of a sort with script writers and such.

One thing I've learned for writing my first script is 'keep it simple.' Don't worry about what the director or the actor can do with the script, but just write out what you need to. Also try and picture it as a movie or play.

Good luck with your script!