BLOG QUESTION ADV: SCREENPLAY FORMATTING P. 1

Explain what each of the following parts of a script is and why they are important:

Slug Line: AKA headers. These give you details about the locations of the scenes, such as whether it's filmed in the interior or exterior, the actual physical location, and the time of day. This is important because it gives context to where a scene takes place in the character's universe.
Action: A description under the header that describes the scene in more detail. It's all the action of a character, the visual information of what you see on screen. This is important because it gives the character directions on what their actions will be on screen.
Character: This goes below an action line, and it lets you know who is speaking during a scene. This is important because it differentiates which character is speaking during a scene.
Dialog: This is placed below the character's name, and it lets you know what they are saying. Dialog helps drive the story forward.

Parentheticals: This is placed next to the character's name that tells the reader if the character is doing something besides regular speaking (ex. voiceover, speaking into a phone, whispering, shouting). This is important because it gives context to how the character is speaking.