If all goes well, your first draft will be the worst version you produce! Even the best scripts in Hollywood history went through dozens and dozens of revisions to get them to their now-beloved places. It’s about distinguishing between the “objectively useful” and the “personally preferred” elements of your script, or the elements that genuinely appeal to your audience and serve an active function in your narrative versus the moments, jokes, or interactions that you like or are proud of.ĭon’t be precious about your first draft! No matter how much you personally enjoy it or how proud of it you may be, accept that it can be even better.
#Celtx script format full
Surely your script is full of good ideas, but the best ideas come from revising, refining, and building on those initial thoughts. Taking a break after completing your first draft plays a vital role in this crucial effort: eliminating your own bias. This comes naturally to no one, but the more seasoned you become as a screenwriter, the better you’ll be at separating yourself from your own first draft. Do yourself a favor and think about anything else for a little while.
It’s challenging, and perhaps not the most intuitive first-step in the editing process, but like any healthy relationship to proposer long-term, you and your script need some time and space. that have too much personal value and not enough audience or story value. When you’re too close for too long, you become blind to the flaws and married to certain plot points, interactions, jokes, etc. Give yourself at least a week or two to reset your brain and allow it to do anything except obsessively think about the script you’ve been pouring over for weeks, months, or years.Īt a certain point, the creative brain needs a recalibration to think clearly again. Go on a long hike through the woods, or go camping. Just as you’ve told your characters to do, take a beat. Only a little separation can afford you that clarity. With all due respect, you’ve been too close to your script for too long! A little time and space is essential to help you see your story objectively, and for its flaws (sorry, but no matter who you are, your script does have flaws) to come to light in a way that wasn’t possible before. (Take a much deeper look at screenplay formatting rules on our in-depth blog)
#Celtx script format professional
Voila! Your script just went from messy Word doc to professional and industry-standard screenplay with those few rules.
Dialogue speaker names are in ALL CAPS 3.7 inches from the left side of the page.These should always be followed by a period. Pages should be numbered in the top right corner, exactly 0.5 inches from the top of the page and flush to the right margin (the only exception here is the Title Page and the first page of your screenplay, neither of which are numbered).Approximately 55 lines per page on 8.5 x 11” standard paper (but should be adjusted proportionally if printed on smaller paper).12-point Courier font (to create the perfect 1 page = 1 minute ratio).Follow these guidelines closely (or, better yet, use a screenwriting software, like Celtx, that automates all of this work for you.
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