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The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > The Screenwriting Thread: Without Us You Would Be Staring at A Blank Screen
 
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shdwdmg
May 16, 2008

The_Doctor posted:

It's one of the first things you're taught in any screenwriting class. "THIS IS HOW FORMATTING WORKS" Also, any decent screenwriting book will give you pointers on how it should look. But yes, we're also told that studios will disregard a script if it isn't industry standard. So, proper headings, proper action/dialogue formatting, proper layout on the page, proper font.

And then you look at the screenplay of any major film and see that it doesn't follow a lot of the rules you're taught, and you slightly rage inside.

Final Draft is definitely the way to go though. It's almost psychic in what it does with regards to being helpful.

Read the Script for Misery. The screenwriter doesn't use slug lines, just cut to: over and over again. What's scary is that it works.

Being that I'm about to graduate in 50 some days from film school, I follow MOST formating rules, but I will break ones for style in order to engage readers.

* # ¿ Mar 18, 2011 20:16
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The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > The Screenwriting Thread: Without Us You Would Be Staring at A Blank Screen