When multiple characters are speaking the same dialogue simultaneously (as opposed to [two characters speaking different dialogue at the same time](https://screenwriting.io/how-do-you-format-two-characters-talking-at-once/)), you will usually handle it with slashes. HOSTESS/WAITER/CHEF Welcome to Jurassic Pork! There are times where alternatives are also acceptable. If there is a singular label that clearly expresses who is speaking, for instance, […]
What is a treatment?
A treatment is essentially a prose version of your screenplay, although its exact definition can vary from person to person. Usually, treatments differ from outlines in that they look more like short stories where outlines look more like breakdowns or bulleted lists, but this is a bit of a generalization. Most feature treatments are around […]
How do you format two characters talking at once?
When two characters are talking at the same time, it is referred to as “dual dialogue,” and the two speakers’ text blocks go side-by-side. Most screenwriting programs have an option for this. In [Final Draft 8](https://screenwriting.io/what-is-final-draft/), for instance, if you type the dialogues normally with one below the other, highlight both, and select Format –> […]
How do I deal with a group of characters?
When you have a group of characters that are together throughout a majority of a movie, or even just a bunch of consecutive scenes, it’s fine to refer to them collectively: “The four of them walk to the building.” If intervening scenes don’t feature the group, it’s a good idea to mention the characters each […]
In dialogue, how do you express that one character is interrupting another?
As with all formatting advice, the idea is to clearly express your vision without interrupting the flow of the screenplay. One easy way to show one character interrupting another is to use double-dashes or an ellipsis to indicate the first character’s dialogue is being interrupted. SETH How about -- ERIN No. Both doble-dashes and ellipses […]
What is the proper way to use parentheticals?
Parentheticals (also called “wrylies” or “actor’s direction”) are used to clear up confusion about a line that could be read multiple ways: COACH FOX (sarcastically) Nice throw, Kyle. They can also be used to indicate who a speaker is addressing: COACH FOX (to Tebow) Get in there already! You will sometimes see them used to […]