A step outline is a tip to use at the beginning of your writing process to help a writer organize thoughts. Write each step underlined, as in step 1. Follow with a sentence that explains the film such as, "A montage of black and white photographs introduces Sophie (our heroine), a high school girl raising her three brothers." Each step is about what forms your story. Continue until you have outlined your entire film. There is no limit to the amount of steps you can use.
A good tip is to use scriptwriting software for format. Most agents, directors and producers will throw your script away if it is not formatted to industry standard. If you do not have access to software, format your script using 8-1/2-by-11 paper. A page number should be located in the top right corner, beginning with page 2. You shouldn't number the title page or the first page of your script. Top and bottom margins are from half an inch to 1 inch, with left margins from 1.2 to 1.6 inches and right margins from half an inch to 1 inch. Twelve-point Courier Final Draft is the only acceptable, professional-style font for a script and type size; using any other font will make you look like an amateur.
A tip for scene headings is: do not number them, except in a production draft. Once you get a green light and have a production under way, you can number the scenes. Also, do not put in times except in production draft. This can seem pretentious to the people you are sending your script to, plus it's not of value to you or anyone reading it until it reaches a production stage. Each scene heading should begin "Exterior" or "Interior" and appear "Ext./Int." They should contain the location, then day or night, appearing as so: "Int. College-Day."
A tip for writing stage directions is to simply describe what will appear on screen. Keep stage directions to an absolute minimum, because you are not writing literature. Avoid the use of "we see." "We see a train approaching" can be written more effectively as, "A train approaches the platform." Avoid describing the characters' internal feelings; remember: show, don't tell.
Tips for writing dialogue are simple. Always center the character's name. The character name should be in all capital letters. The dialogue is centered between inner margins. The dialogue is not underlined or justified within the margins. Dialogue format examples can be found on a scriptwriting software program or on the Internet. Most industry professionals recommend using scriptwriting software because the Internet is sometimes unreliable.