FORMATTING YOUR SPEC SCRIPT, A PRIMER: PART 22
If you’re applying to a fellowship, taking a TV writing class or just trying to learn the mechanics of TV writing as you build your portfolio, we likely have scripts you want to look at in the WGF Library for your research—scripts that you can’t find anywhere else.
As you may know, we only provide access to scripts in-person in our library. If you live outside LA or can’t come into the library for whatever reason, this blog series is for you. These primers are meant to supply the notes you’d take if you came to read scripts in person. (Just remember, formatting isn’t everything. Even shows themselves aren’t always consistent with their own formatting. These primers should not be used as an excuse to obsess over formatting at the expense of actually telling a compelling story, which is MUCH more important. Use these posts to try to get a feel for how television more generally is formatted. You’ll get the most out of them that way.)
As always, we aren’t able to send out scripts as we are not the copyright holders, but we hope this primer jump-starts your research and writing. If you have further, more specific questions about the shows covered in this (or any other) formatting post, please e-mail us at library@wgfoundation.org and we can help clarify or provide more info.
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (ABC)
Average page count: 29-33
Average scene count: 28-33
Broken into acts? Yes, three acts + cold open + tag
Other things to consider:
Scripts begin with a cold open, then have three acts and end with a tag. The cold open is typically 2 pages or less. Act one is usually the longest, clocking in at somewhere around 9 to 14 pages; act two is around 8-10 pages, then act three is the shortest, usually around at 5-7 pages. The tag is almost always 1 page.
Act breaks in Abbott Elementary scripts are formatted: COLD OPEN / END OF COLD OPEN ... ACT ONE / END OF ACT ONE ... centered, bolded and underlined.
In terms of talking heads, Abbott Elementary scripts are formatted much like The Office. To write a talking head, you'd put AVA TALKING HEAD on the left-hand side of the page—just as you would a scene heading. Talking heads are underlined. Scene headings are not.
Major locations include the teachers' lounge, Janine's classroom, admin area, etc.
Sometimes in the scene heading, for time of day, rather than saying simply "DAY" or "NIGHT" scripts will say "LUNCH," e.g. - "INT. TEACHER'S LOUNGE - LUNCH"
At the end of the tag (which is the end of the script), END OF SHOW is centered, bolded and underlined.
GHOSTS (CBS)
Average page count: 30-38
Average scene count: 17-23
Broken into acts? Yes, three acts + cold open + tag (the tag, especially, seems optional)
Other things to consider:
Ghosts scripts are broken into three acts. Sometimes there's a cold open specified on the page. Sometimes there isn't. Scripts occasionally end with a tag, but they don't always.
If there is a cold open, it's often 2-3 pages. Act one is anywhere from 8-15 pages. Act two: 7-10 pages. Act three: 4-6 pages. If there's a tag, it's usually just 1 page.
Act headings are formatted: ACT ONE / END OF ACT ONE, centered and underlined.
Before the end of each act, the description says (on a new line): "And we.... FADE OUT." Similarly, scripts usually include a main title cue. This can be formatted: "And we CUT TO MAIN TITLES." Note MAIN TITLES is underlined.
Occasionally scripts feature little flashes to the future or past. These can be formatted with a "FLASH TO:" on the right-hand side of the page, then the scene heading of whatever you're flashing to, then when you're ready to go back to the present -- "BACK TO SCENE:" also on the right-hand side.
Ghosts scripts don't have as many scenes as other single-cam comedies. There's a lot of dialogue and clean, white space on the page. Also, note: the ghosts have very distinct voices on the page, so it's very easy to distinguish between them when they are talking.
The show features out-of-the-ordinary, ghostly actions — like trying to walk through forcefields. Don’t overthink writing these types of things in your spec. The description is very straightforward.
Regardless of whether or not there's a tag, scripts end with END OF SHOW, centered and underlined.
LOOT (AppleTV+)
Average page count: 26-28
Average scene count: 22-28
Broken into acts? No, but scripts often include a cold open
Other things to consider:
Scripts are not broken into acts, but almost always include a cold open. The cold open is 2-3 pages.
Scripts begin with "COLD OPEN" at the top -- centered, bolded, underlined. The cold open ends with a main title cue. This is formatted "MAIN TITLES" on the left-hand side, bolded and underlined for emphasis with a period after it. The scripts do NOT specify "END OF COLD OPEN." The cold open just ends with that main title cue.
Description is fun and breezy much like the show.
When writing description for your Loot spec, keep in mind that Molly is a billionaire in a nonprofit world. Her actions are described in a really over-the-top way to contrast her surroundings.
Episodes end with "END OF EPISODE" centered, bolded and underlined. No tag.
OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH (HBOMax)
Average page count: 33-36 (typically closer to 36)
Average scene count: 33-56
Broken into acts? No
Other things to consider:
Our Flag Means Death scripts are not broken into acts.
Scene headings are often underlined.
Scripts don’t have an official cold open, but after a few pages they use a fun main title cue.
Each episode of Our Flag Means Death has a different main title card/sequence. This is formatted "TITLES:" (in ALL-CAPS and bolded) on the left-hand side immediately followed by a description of the title, e.g. "TITLES: OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH painted on a canvas with Picasso at the helm."
If you're spec-ing this show, a knowledge of nautical terms and history of piracy might actually come in handy... because there are explanations in the text sometimes, e.g. - "A tender (a rowboat essentially) manned by two officers approaches."
For series of shots or montages, the show will list what we see with numbers in the description.
Flashbacks are occasionally used on the show. Most of the time, flashbacks are simply noted in the scene heading. An example: "EXT. SPANISH MAN-O-WAR - DAY (FLASHBACK)"
When the flashback is over, just note "(PRESENT)" at the end of the next scene heading, e.g. - "INT. THE REVENGE - STEDE'S CABIN - DAY (PRESENT)"
For quicker flashes, you'll sometimes see "FLASHBACK:" on the right-hand side followed by a brief description of the flashback, then "BACK TO THE PRESENT:" to go back to the present.
Most scripts end with "END OF EPISODE" centered, bolded, underlined.
THIS FOOL (Hulu)
Average page count: 29-31
Average scene count: 16-24
Broken into acts? Yes, three acts + a cold open
Other things to consider:
This Fool scripts are broken into three acts and a cold open. The cold open typically runs 3-4 pages. Act one is a tiny bit on the shorter side at 5-7 pages. Act two runs 7-10 pages, then act three runs 4-8.
Act headings are formatted: ACT ONE / END OF ACT ONE, centered, bolded and underlined.
Scene headings are underlined.
When a character speaks in Spanish (or any other language other than English), their Spanish dialogue is included in a separate column next to the English translation.
Description is really fun and inventive in This Fool scripts. Text on screen is often in quotations or in italics or bolded—just to draw the reader's attention to it.
There is no tag. Act three ends with "END OF EPISODE" centered, bolded and underlined.
WELCOME TO FLATCH (Fox)
Average page count: 28-37
Average scene count: 40-48
Broken into acts? Yes, four acts
Other things to consider:
Welcome to Flatch sometimes uses text written out on screen to convey information. This is formatted "CHYRON:" on the left-hand side of the page followed by the words we see on screen in italics.
Scripts are broken into four acts. Act one is 8-12 pages. Act two is roughly 6-8, but could be more. Act three is 6-11. Act four is short at 3-8 pages.
Act headings are centered, bolded and underlined, e.g. - ACT ONE / END OF ACT ONE
While there isn't a formally specified cold open, there is usually a main title cue a few pages into the script formatted with the words "TITLE UP: WELCOME TO FLATCH" on the left-hand side of the page in ALL CAPS. The words "WELCOME TO FLATCH" are bolded.
Talking heads are formatted differently in these scripts than they are in Abbott Elementary. In Welcome to Flatch, the description usually specifies that a character "talks to CAMERA." Oftentimes the word CAMERA is in all caps.
Until next time, happy writing!