TV Script Writing Format & Terms
Here are a few terms and important key elements to any television or film script:
TEASER: a teaser is usually the hook or inciting incident that appears just before the first commercial break and/or the main title sequence for the episode.
Each new scene is indicated by a SLUG LINE. This lets the director, actors, and tech crew know where you have set the scene and what time of day or lighting is needed for the scene. Each time you change location you need a new SLUG LINE. Slug lines include: INT or EXT (interior or exterior), location, and morning, day, afternoon, evening, dusk, or night. See script format for more details.
An ACTION BLOCK is where you can fill in details for your location, and explain what your characters are doing. Action is always written in present tense, and follows standard rules of capitalization and punctuation (i.e., no fragments here, folks! Proofread!) Any time a character is named, use ALL CAPS to indicate the character is in the scene. If you have groups of people like CROWDS or PEOPLE or CHILDREN, etc. these are also set in ALL CAPS. This is done for the benefit of the actors and director. The action block is left justified.
Dialogue is indented like film scripts, with the name of the character in CAPS at 3.0" and the dialogue at 2.0". Scripts are usually set in Courier font.
TAG: A tag is the last quick scene in a television show, just before or during the credits roll.
In a television script start new ACTS with a new page. Indicate ACT ONE, ACT TWO, and ACT THREE all in caps, skip 3 lines, then begin your first SLUG LINE. When you have finished act one, move down three spaces after your last dialogue or action block, and CENTER the words END ACT ONE.
Every scene always starts at the top of a new page, and your ACTS, TEASER and TAG should always end with a clear END ACT, END TEASER or END TAG.
SOUNDS and SFX (special effects) are indicated in ALL CAPS.
Please review the correct format, as scripts will be graded on using the proper standard format. See link above or to the side on the link page for further help.
TEASER: a teaser is usually the hook or inciting incident that appears just before the first commercial break and/or the main title sequence for the episode.
Each new scene is indicated by a SLUG LINE. This lets the director, actors, and tech crew know where you have set the scene and what time of day or lighting is needed for the scene. Each time you change location you need a new SLUG LINE. Slug lines include: INT or EXT (interior or exterior), location, and morning, day, afternoon, evening, dusk, or night. See script format for more details.
An ACTION BLOCK is where you can fill in details for your location, and explain what your characters are doing. Action is always written in present tense, and follows standard rules of capitalization and punctuation (i.e., no fragments here, folks! Proofread!) Any time a character is named, use ALL CAPS to indicate the character is in the scene. If you have groups of people like CROWDS or PEOPLE or CHILDREN, etc. these are also set in ALL CAPS. This is done for the benefit of the actors and director. The action block is left justified.
Dialogue is indented like film scripts, with the name of the character in CAPS at 3.0" and the dialogue at 2.0". Scripts are usually set in Courier font.
TAG: A tag is the last quick scene in a television show, just before or during the credits roll.
In a television script start new ACTS with a new page. Indicate ACT ONE, ACT TWO, and ACT THREE all in caps, skip 3 lines, then begin your first SLUG LINE. When you have finished act one, move down three spaces after your last dialogue or action block, and CENTER the words END ACT ONE.
Every scene always starts at the top of a new page, and your ACTS, TEASER and TAG should always end with a clear END ACT, END TEASER or END TAG.
SOUNDS and SFX (special effects) are indicated in ALL CAPS.
Please review the correct format, as scripts will be graded on using the proper standard format. See link above or to the side on the link page for further help.
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