ABBREVIATIONS AND NOTATIONS IN SCREENPLAY.

(skip if already familiar with standard script notation)

1    ONLY WHAT IS SEEN, AND HEARD, IS SCRIPTED.  MUCH MORE IS ADDED OR CUT IN THE ACTUAL FILM.  MUSIC, LIGHTING, CAMERA ANGLES, SHOTS, AND OTHER EMBELLISHMENTS ARE NOT IN THE SCRIPT.

2    SCENE LOCATIONS ARE ALWAYS IN CAPITALS: ACTION TAKING PLACE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE IS NOTED WITH "EXT. OR INT." , FOLLOWED BY THE PLACE AND TIME OF DAY. FOR EXAMPLE, A SCENE TAKING PLACE OUTSIDE, ON A MOUNTAINSIDE, IN THE DAY IS WRITTEN THIS WAY:

“EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE -- DAY”

SCENE HEADINGS ARE FOLLOWED BY A SHORT DESCRIPTION OR ACTION IN REGULAR TYPE, AND THEN BY DIALOGUE.  THE CHARACTERS’ NAMES ARE CAPITALIZED AND CENTERED, AND, IF WHO THEY ADDRESS OR THE WAY THEY SAY SOMETHING IS NOT OBVIOUS, IT IS NOTED IN PARENTHESIS.

3    THE FIRST TIME A CHARACTER IS INTRODUCED, THEIR NAME IS ALSO CAPITALIZED EVEN IF THE AUDIENCE DOESN'T KNOW THEM YET.

4    SOUNDS THAT AREN’T SEEN, BUT ARE HEARD BY THE CHARACTERS, ARE CAPITALIZED; FOR EXAMPLE, A HORSE’S HOOFS OFF THE SCREEN ARE NOTED:

"A horse’s hoofs THUNDER."

5    (V.O.) INDICATES A CHARACTER IS DOING A "VOICE OVER" WHERE THEY ARE THINKING TO THEMSELVES IN THEIR OWN "INNER VOICE", OR SOMEONE IS HEARD TALKING OVER THE OTHER END OF A TELEPHONE LINE, OR OVERHEARD BEHIND A SCREEN, OR SOMEONE'S VOICE IS HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND OR THEY ARE OFF THE SCREEN, OR SOMEONE IS READING A LETTER TO THEMSELVES.

6    "DISSOLVE TO:" USUALLY INDICATES A SHIFT IN TIME EITHER BACKWARD OR FORWARD, OR A REVERIE, MEMORY, FLASHBACK.  "MATCH DISSOLVE" WILL HAVE A COMMON VISUAL OR AUDIBLE ELEMENT IN SCENE TRANSITION, SUCH AS YOUNG HANDS TURNING INTO OLD HANDS.  "FADE TO:" IS ALSO USED FOR TIME AND LOCATION TRANSITIONS.

7    "POV" INDICATES THE "POINT OF VIEW" FROM WHICH THE AUDIENCE IS INTENDED TO OBSERVE THE ACTION.

     8    “INSERT” IS USED TO BRING SOMETHING SPECIAL INTO FULL SCREEN VIEW, LIKE A LETTER, HEADLINE, COIN POUCH, A SIGN, ETC.