Special script pages include title pages, cast pages, sets pages, first pages, last pages and pages containing act breaks.
Samples of many of these pages can be found in Appendix C.
Every script needs a title page. The type of script will determine what information the title page should contain.
For a screenplay or teleplay written on spec (that is speculatively, not on assignment or under contract to a studio or producer), the title page should contain, at minimum, three pieces of information: 1) the title; 2) the name of the writer; and 3) contact information.
For a screenplay or teleplay written under contract to a studio or producer, the title page should contain 1) the title; 2) the name of the writer; 3) contact information, in this case the name of the studio or producer; and 4) the draft and date. It may also contain 5) a copyright notice.
The title is centered 4.0″ below the top of the page, typed in all capital letters and underscored with one continuous underline. Quotation marks are not used.
GONE WITH THE WIND
For an episode of a television series, add the episode title, double-spaced beneath the series title, in upper and lower case letters, enclosed in quotation marks and underscored. The underline should not extend beneath the quotation marks.
LAW AND ORDER
“One for the Road”
The writer’s name and credit appear centered, beginning four lines below the title:
written by
Felix Alvin Butler Jr.
The writer’s name is typed in upper and lower case letters. If multiple writers are working as a team, their names are joined by an ampersand (&):
Felicia Keyes & Matthew Scott Brown
Screen credits in Hollywood are determined by the Writers Guild of America following shooting. Prior to that official determination, WGA rules require that the title page list the names of all writers who have worked on the project. The name of the first writer comes first, beneath the credit “written by,” “screenplay by” or “teleplay by.” The names of subsequent writers follow, beneath the credit “revisions by.” The name of the current writer comes last, beneath the credit “current revisions by”:
12 HOURS IN BERLIN
written by
Felix Alvin Butler Jr.
revisions by
Maria Gustav
Charles Knowles-Hilldebrand
Robert Bush
current revisions by
Johann Potemkin
For a spec script, you want the reader to know how to contact you if there’s interest in your script. If you are not represented by an agent, manager or attorney, your address and/or phone number should appear in the lower left corner of the title page, beginning 1.2″ from the left edge of the paper:
12902 Hollywood Place
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 555-9807
For a script represented by an agent, manager or attorney, leave the writer’s information off. The representative’s contact information will appear on the title page, script cover or cover letter.
For a script written under contract, the studio or producer’s contact information will appear:
MICHAEL GELD PRODUCTIONS
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91505
In order to help distinguish one version of a script from another, a script in development, preproduction or production ordinarily lists the script’s draft and date in the lower right corner, beginning 5.5″ in from the left edge of the paper. The draft is typed in all capital letters and underscored. The date is typed in upper and lower case letters, double-spaced beneath the draft:
FIRST DRAFT
March 3, 2009
A spec script has no real need to list a draft and date and can avoid appearing stale simply by leaving that information off the title page.
Some studios and production companies list a copyright notice on title pages of their scripts. This notice appears directly beneath the draft and date:
Most spec scripts don’t list a copyright notice or WGA registration number.
Information relating to source material for a script is listed beneath the writer’s name, centered, in upper and lower case letters:
THE IMAGINARY WAR
SCREENPLAY BY
MARI ZWICK
BASED ON THE BOOK BY
ROBERT MCMULLEN
Scripts based on, suggested by or inspired by true stories can indicate that fact in the same spot:
BASED ON A TRUE STORY
A cast page is usually included in an episodic television script at the preproduction stage. Some made-for-television movie scripts also incorporate cast pages. Feature film scripts and spec scripts do not.
A cast page follows the title page and lists the cast arranged either in order of appearance or according to some set order of regular cast, followed by the guest cast in order of appearance. The character names are typed in all capital letters at the left margin, beneath the title and the heading “CAST”:
For hour-long television and made-for-television movies, the list can wrap into a second column, if necessary.
Half-hour television scripts often include the names of the actors playing each role and a listing of any extras needed. The character name appears on the left side and the actor’s name appears on the right. The names are connected by a dot leader:
NINE LIVES
“Cats Away”
CAST
KITTY..........................................MARSHA WILLIAMS
JULIO MENDEZ.....................................ALEX GONZALEZ
HILDE SCHMIDT.................................ALISON PARMENTER
FELIX SIMPSON............................MICHAEL PAUL MILLIKAN
LIEUTENANT MARTIN................................ANTHONY BOGNA
PARKING LOT EXTRAS
POLICE HEADQUARTERS EXTRAS
Cast pages are not numbered.
A sets page, like a cast page, is usually included in an episodic television script at the preproduction stage. Some made-for-television movie scripts also incorporate sets pages. Feature film scripts and spec scripts do not.
For hour-long television and made-for-television movies, interior sets are listed in a column on the left side of the page and exterior sets are listed in a column on the right:
NINE LIVES
“Cats Away”
SETS
INTERIORS: | EXTERIORS: |
KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE STORM SEWERS |
PARK SCHOOL PLAYGROUND NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE DUMP |
Sets are grouped logically. For example, if scenes take place in several different locations inside an elementary school, they get listed like this:
HAMMOND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Library
Cafeteria
Mrs. Timberlake’s
Classroom
Sets pages are not numbered.
The first page of a script is unique in the following ways:
Although it is counted as page 1, no page number is typed on the first page.
The title is usually typed at the top of the first page, centered, in all capital letters and underscored. For episodic television, the episode title appears double-spaced beneath the series title, in upper and lower case letters, enclosed in quotation marks and underscored. The underline should not extend beneath the quotation marks.
The first page of a script for a feature film or a made-for-television movie begins like this:
THE LONG SLIDE
FADE IN:
EXT. HIMALAYAS — HIGH ON WINDSWEPT PEAK
Snow and blinding sunshine.
The first page of an hour-long television episode begins like this:
NINE LIVES
“Cats Away”
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
EXT. PARK — DAY
KITTY sits high in the branches of a tree.
An example of the first page of a half-hour television script can be found in the section on Multicamera film format.
The last page of a script concludes with the words “THE END” typed in all capital letters, underscored and centered. If space allows, leave five blank lines between the final transition (e.g. FADE OUT or CUT TO BLACK) and “THE END.” If space doesn’t allow the full five blank lines, leave at least one blank line.
Kitty climbs back into the tree and watches as the dilapidated school bus disappears into the night.
FADE OUT.
THE END
Scripts for episodic television shows and for many made-for-television movies contain act breaks, which represent the commercial breaks in the program. An hour-long television script usually consists of four acts. Half-hour scripts consist of either two or three acts. Two-hour movies typically consist of seven or eight acts. Some shows also include a teaser or prologue before the first act and/or an epilogue or tag after the last act.
A new act always begins at the top of a new page which includes a heading identifying the act in all capital letters, double-spaced beneath the page number, centered and underscored, followed by a transition double-spaced beneath it:
16.
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. DETECTIVE BULLPEN — NIGHT
Savage slams a case file down on his desk. He picks up the phone and punches in a number. He’s not happy.
The last page of an act ends with a transition (usually FADE OUT) double-spaced below the final script text, followed by the words “END OF ACT ONE” (or TWO or THREE, etc.) typed in all capital letters, underscored and centered. If space allows, leave five blank lines between the final transition (e.g. FADE OUT or CUT TO BLACK) and “END OF ACT ONE.” If space doesn’t allow the full five blank lines, leave at least one blank line.
Kitty races out the door in time to see McCloud wrestled aboard the bus. She pulls her gun and sprints for the BUS but it ROARS away, leaving her in a cloud of dust
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT FIVE
The last page of the entire script ends with no reference to the number of the current act. Instead, it ends with the words, “THE END.” (See Last pages above.)