The major components are action (sometimes called "screen direction") and dialogue. The action is written in the present tense and is limited to what can be heard or seen by the audience, for example descriptions of settings, character movements, or sound effects. The dialogue is the words the characters speak, and is written in a center column.
Unique to the screenplay (as opposed to a stage play) is the use of slug lines. A slug line, also called a master scene heading, occurs at the start of every scene and typically contains three pieces of information: whether the scene is set inside (interior/INT.) or outside (exterior/EXT.), the specific location, and the time of day. Each slug line begins a new scene. In a "shooting script" the slug lines are numbered consecutively for ease of reference.
Physical format[edit]
American screenplays are printed single-sided on three-hole-punched paper using the standard American letter size (8.5 x 11 inch). They are then held together with two brass brads in the top and bottom hole. The middle hole is left empty as it would otherwise make it harder to quickly read the script.
In the United Kingdom, double-hole-punched A4 paper is normally used, which is slightly taller and narrower than US letter size. Some UK writers format the scripts for use in the US letter size, especially when their scripts are to be read by American producers, since the pages would otherwise be cropped when printed on US paper. Because each country's standard paper size is difficult to obtain in the other country, British writers often send an electronic copy to American producers, or crop the A4 size to US letter.
A British script may be bound by a single brad at the top left hand side of the page, making flicking through the paper easier during script meetings. Screenplays are usually bound with a light card stock cover and back page, often showing the logo of the production company or agency submitting the script, covers are there to protect the script during handling which can reduce the strength of the paper. This is especially important if the script is likely to pass through the hands of several people or through the post.
Increasingly, reading copies of screenplays (that is, those distributed by producers and agencies in the hope of attracting finance or talent) are distributed printed on both sides of the paper (often professionally bound) to reduce paper waste. Occasionally they are reduced to half-size to make a small book which is convenient to read or put in a pocket; this is generally for use by the director or production crew during shooting.
Although most writing contracts continue to stipulate physical delivery of three or more copies of a finished script, it is common for scripts to be delivered electronically via email.
Story Structure
The French filmmaker Jean-Luc Goddard said that "Every story should have a beginning, middle and end, but not necessarily in that order."
Robert Mckee outlines the structure of any story like this:
1. An enticing incident or key event.
2. A struggle against all forces of life
3. A crisis
4. A climax
5. A resolution
"A story expresses how and why life changes from one condition to another condition at the end"
Exposition
All exposition within a story contains facts about the characterisation, history, society and the physical qualities of the setting. Details of exposition are employed to give the audience clues and to entice/hook them into the film. They only need to be included in the screenplay as and when the audience need to know them, and they should be very dramatised.
The most effective way to employ exposition is to turn it into ammunition, which means to show exposition rather than making characters having unnatural dialogue in order to tell a story.
Characters and dialogue
Its best to produce detailed notes on the history of characters and to follow the same rules as for exposition, giving depth to characters and their emotions as what they say and do will be different to their internal thoughts and feelings.
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