Each new scene in a movie begins with a slug line. Written in all capital letters, the slug line is positioned on the far left margin of the script and includes basic setting information. For example, a scene in a living room would begin like this: INT. LIVING ROOM -- DAY. "INT." stands for interior and "EXT." stands for exterior. The end of the slug line always indicates whether it is day or night. Avoid using descriptions like "dawn" or "dusk," and don't include specific times.
Action lines are everything visual that happens in the script. Only write things that can be seen on the movie screen. For example, "Jace plays on the water slide" is appropriate, but "Jace thinks the water slide is the best thing ever" is not. The latter can't be shown onscreen, so it should not be an action line. Action lines are always written in present tense without using "is" or "-ing." For example, replace "He is running across the lawn" with "He runs across the lawn." After writing a rough draft, do a read-through and eliminate any instances of "is" or "-ing." Limit action lines to four lines before breaking with a space.
When first introducing a character in the script, put the name in caps, and use only one name to refer to that character in the script, unless another character uses a nickname in dialogue. For example, "Danny eats pizza. Dan watches TV. Daniel dances," should all be corrected to "Danny." Extra characters who have interactions in the scene should be more descriptive than MAN 1. For example, replace MAN 1 with LOUD MAN, ANNOYING MAN, RUDE MAN, CRAZY MAN or whatever adjective fits the part.
Dialogue for characters is always centered on the page. The character's name should appear in caps with the dialogue entered underneath. It's fine to add descriptive action terms to the dialogue like "whispers" or "yells," but the context of the scene should make the dialogue come alive and actors prefer to put their own spin on it anyway. If there is a pause in the dialogue, use an ellipsis. For example, "I'm...pregnant." Stopped or interrupted speech is indicated by an em-dash.
Every script should follow specific formatting guidelines. Scripts should be formatted in the "Courier New" font. All action and slug lines are aligned to the left margin, while the dialogue is centered. Page numbering starts with page 2 and numbers appear in the upper lefthand corner. The title page of the script should feature the title at the center, a byline directly underneath it and contact information in the bottom lefthand corner.