Colored pages are used in film and television to keep track of revisions to a script as it goes into production. Spec screenplays and screenplays in development won’t have colored pages. It’s generally only once the script is locked for scheduling and budgeting that colored pages are used. Revision order is tracked on the script’s […]
Can I use real people in my screenplay?
It is not uncommon to see a screenplay refer to a real person or use a real person as a character, but we recommend you tread lightly, as it could be considered libel. In general, it’s okay to refer to a person in his or her known capacity, ie, “…like when Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook!” […]
Can I use “CUT TO:” when moving between scenes? Do I have to?
“CUT TO:” can be a useful transition when you need to be extra-clear we’re moving to a new place and/or time. However, with the presence of scene headers, it is by no means necessary, and in modern screenplays it is often not used at all. In a 2003 blog post, John August names three situations […]
Are PDF scripts editable?
If you have a Mac, the easiest way to edit your PDF scripts is to use Highland. A major reason we recommend you send your script out as a PDF is that PDF scripts are not easily editable. And while that is usually an asset, it is an obvious problem if you need to edit […]
What is Fountain?
Fountain is a simple markup language for writing screenplays in plain text. With Fountain, you can write a screenplay in any text editor without worrying about spacing and margins and indentation. Once you put it through a conversion utility like Highland, it will come out in proper screenplay format. So this: JIRO (O.S.) Something smells […]
What format should my script be in when I send it out?
Generally, it’s best to send your scripts out as PDFs. PDFs are simple, not writeable or editable (unless you have Highland), and universally readable. With other formats, you run risks. For example, if you were to send your script out in FDX, it’s possible the recipient wouldn’t have Final Draft and wouldn’t be able to […]