FORMATTING YOUR SPEC SCRIPT WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING: A PRIMER - PART 1
During these weird, uncertain times, I hope the muse hasn't left you. I hope you find yourself with plenty of motivation to finish your fellowship and workshop applications. Even if you just need a break from all of it, I hope you're staying as healthy and happy as possible. Javier, Hilary and I are sad we can't be in the library with you to give you elucidating materials to study in order to perfect your spec script, but that doesn't mean we can't offer you a little bit of guidance as you sit on your couch.
To this end, each week of fellowship season (or as often as we can), we will post brief formatting suggestions that highlight what you should consider if you're spec-ing a certain show. We know this doesn't compare to actually reading scripts in the library, but hopefully this will help in some small measure with your work. I'll begin this week by sharing some of the formatting pointers I've given out over e-mail the past several days. If you have questions about a specific show and how it looks on the page, feel free to e-mail library@wgfoundation.org. While we can't send you scripts in full, we can give you this kind of advice for most shows.
These are some of the hot scripts in the library right now and all are included on the WB Television Workshop's list of accepted shows to submit for their application. Where possible, I have also included links to where you can find scripts from some of these shows online.
BIG MOUTH (Netflix)
Average page count: 54
Average number of scenes per script: 30-31
Broken into acts? No, but around page 3-5 in each script we see the words "CUT TO our MAIN TITLES." with the words "CUT TO" and "MAIN TITLES." in bold -- a teaser of sorts. This text is on the left side of the page.
Every episode ends with "END OF SHOW" in bold and centered.
Other things to consider:
Scene headings are in bold.
Dialogue is doubled-spaced, much like a multi-cam sitcom, but description is NOT in upper-case letters as you sometimes find in multi-cam sitcoms.
Occasionally when something is significant in the description, the writers will put the text in bold. Description rarely goes over three lines and is used sparingly.
I was also asked how the show formats musical numbers. In the description, the writer will say something like "Melancholic music begins..." in bold. Then, when a character is singing, their lyrics or dialogue text are capitalized (which is very standard for writing musical numbers for film and TV). See sample below.
THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA (Netflix)
Average page count: 50-51 (some scripts have as few as 46 and some go as high as 60)
Average number of scenes: roughly 50
Broken into acts? No
Other things to consider:
Scripts often begin by jumping right into the first scene heading.
Every script ends with "END CHAPTER THIRTEEN" or whatever chapter it is, written out, centered, underlined and in bold.
Description rarely goes over 3-4 lines. Like any good script, there's a lot of clean, white space.
Note that when a character casts a spell or is talking in witch-speak, their dialogue is written in italics
Find the pilot here.
THE CROWN (Netflix)
Average page count: 56 pages
Average number of scenes: 84
Broken into acts? No
Other things to consider:
While none of the scripts are broken into acts, each one includes a short teaser. The teaser begins on page one, sometimes with the words "PRE-TITLE:" The teaser typically ends on page 3, 4 or 5 with the words "FADE TO BLACK:" on the right side of the page, then "FRONT TITLE SEQUENCE" on the left immediately following.
Note is that the descriptive paragraphs usually don't go over 2-4 lines.
Most scripts end with "FADE TO BLACK." on the right side of the page.
Find several award-nominated Crown scripts here.
THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL (Amazon)
Average page count: 75
Average number of scenes: 45
Broken into acts? No
Other things to consider:
Mrs. Maisel scripts are a bit longer because they consist of so much rapid-fire dialogue. Description is used sparingly.
How do scripts begin? Often with “FADE IN:” (much like you are reading a feature script.)
Occasionally, the script specifies the title card. “CUT TO: THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL.”
There's no special way that comedy routines are written -- just lots of blocky text, much like a late-night comedian's monologues.
Most scripts end with "FADE OUT." on the right side of the page, then "END OF SHOW" centered and sometimes underlined, sometimes not.
Access the Mrs. Maisel pilot here.
MINDHUNTER (Netflix)
Average page count: 73 (but keep in mind the only script we have in the library is the pilot)
Average number of scenes: 44 (in the pilot)
Broken into acts? No
Other things to consider:
How does the script begin? In bold.
This script has lots of description, but again, descriptive paragraphs very rarely go over three lines.
Every time a character appears, regardless of whether or not it is the first time we see them, their name is CAPITALIZED.
Sometimes bits of dialogue are underlined for emphasis.
Titles and scene transitions are in bold.
PEN15 (Hulu)
Average page count: 31
Average number of scenes? 40
Broken into acts? Yes, 4 (Each act is about 6-10 pages save the fourth and final act which is usually around 3 pages)
Other things to consider:
Scripts begin with a 1-2 page cold open, beginning with "COLD OPEN" in bold (center) and ending with "END COLD OPEN" in bold and centered.
Acts are delineated as such: ACT ONE (bold, centered) / END ACT ONE (bold, centered)
Each script includes a one-page tag at the end. See example below (notice in this sample how the on-screen IM conversation is written)
Sometimes absurd things happen on PEN15, like the appearance of a ghost or a vision of giant tampon. These elements are written sparingly and without a lot of fanfare -- just telling us plainly what we (as the audience) are seeing.
Access the pilot and Emmy-nominated Anna Iishi-Peters here.
SHRILL (Hulu)
Average page count: 28
Average number of scenes: 21
Broken into acts? No
Other things to consider:
Scripts begin very simply without any special transition or camera direction, often just a scene heading.
Scripts end with "FADE OUT." on the right.
Overall, Shrill scripts feel like reading a screenplay -- sometimes the descriptive paragraphs are 4-5 lines long.
With Shrill, simplicity and directness are paramount, description is very noun-verb.
SUCCESSION (HBO)
Average page count: 70
Average number of scenes: 62
Broken into acts? No
Other things to consider:
The episodes usually begin with just a scene heading.
Occasionally, for emphasis, certain words in the dialogue are underlined.
Succession is very dialogue heavy; pages are clean with lots of white space and most descriptive paragraphs rarely going over three lines.
Episodes end with "END EPISODE" on the left-hand side. But not always.
Access Emmy-winning script "Nobody is Ever Missing" here.
WILL & GRACE (NBC)
Average page count: 40
Average number of scenes: 6-10 (1-4 per act); scenes are roughly 4-10 pages
Broken into acts? Yes, 3
Other things to consider:
Act headings are written out like "ACT THREE" and scenes are numbered with letters like "SCENE A" or "SCENE F."
Because it's a multi-cam show, all of the dialogue is double-spaced, all of the description is in CAPITAL LETTERS and every time you change a location just make sure all the characters in the scene are listed (in parentheses).
Most Will & Grace episodes end with “FADE OUT.” on the right, followed by “END OF EPISODE” in the center and underlined.
Read my blog post on classic Will & Grace episode “Bed, Bath and Beyond” here.
YOU (Netflix)
Average page count: 55
Average number of scenes: 54
Broken into acts? Yes, 6 (Acts are about 8 to 15 pages / the first act is usually the longest)
Other things to consider:
The teaser (included in Act 1) seems to end on about page 6 or 7 with the words "FADE TO TITLE: Y O U" or "CUT TO TITLE: Y O U" or something like that on the left hand side in bold.
Each script contains six acts. Act headings are centered at the top of the page and underlined, like "ACT ONE". Then, acts end with "END OF ACT ONE, " etc. underlined.
Descriptive paragraphs rarely go over 3 lines -- most of them are only one line. The writers will underline certain words in the description for emphasis.
Often scripts end with "...TO BE CONTINUED" underlined in the center.
Access the pilot for You here.