Proper Script Format

Script format is very particular. Proper screenplay format is:

12 pt. Courier (or Courier New) font.
1.5 inch margin on the left side.
1 inch margin on the right side.
Dialogue margins an additional 1.5 inches in from each side.
No special text (eg - bold, italics, underlining). If you choose to break this rule, do not do so more than three times in a single screenplay.

FADE IN: starts your script.
FADE OUT. ends your script.
Slug lines are as follows: INT. TOM'S HOUSE - DAY or EXT. BACKYARD (FLASHBACK) - NIGHT
Character names in CAPS, just above dialogue (no space in between).
When dialogue runs onto the next page, repeat the character name and use (CONT'D).
Do not include CONTINUED, MORE or CUT TO at the bottom of every page.
Do not number scenes. This is for shooting scripts only.
Do not use camera directions (CLOSEUP, POV) unless absolutely essential to comprehending the story. If used, do so extremely sparingly.
Never reference the camera directly (eg - the camera pans left or the camera tracks her hand down to his thigh).
Only include what can be seen and heard.
Do not use the phrases "we see" or "we hear". Everything on the page is what we see and hear.

I know this format may seem ridiculously particular, but there is a method to the madness. Formatting standards were created for the purpose of script timing. When a script is put into production the schedule is planned with the assumption that one page of a screenplay will translate to approximately one minute of screen time. If, for example, your margins are off, a 120 page screenplay can easily be 140 pages when properly formatted. That amounts to anywhere from 5-10 additional days of filming. Proper script format is essential for creating a reliable schedule and budget.
A second, equally important reason to adhere to proper script format is that in Hollywood, anything else is unprofessional. Any deviation from formatting standards will immediately label you as an amateur and usually land your script in the trash. It may sound ridiculous, but it’s true.