Screenplay format is the easiest element in screenwriting to master. Studying and referencing Cole & Haag’s “Standard Script Formats” and David Trottier’s “The Screenwriter’s Bible” is an easy solution. In addition, referencing and comparing screenwriting elements in both reference guides will give you a broad understanding of the original industry standard(s), and the more current, in vogue adaptation of accepted format(s). The latter reference resource being the more current publication.

As easy as it is, there’s no excuse to fail at the most rudimentary level—screenplay format. How can one expect an industry professional to read on and have the slightest hope that the Screenwriter has mastered the apex, the pinnacle, the Holy Grail: story structure—when they blatantly exhibit their lack of knowledge in screenplay format?

If you’re writing a script to sell, it should be formatted as a “reading script”. This format should not include: scene numbers, lengthy setups, or directorial elements such as camera angles or shots, etc. A “reading" or" submission script” should focus solely on great visual storytelling. It should flow with a pace that makes the reader want to turn the page, as in a great novel.

In a “shooting script”, screenplay format must be technically perfect in order to serve as the filmmaking team’s blueprint to move men, money and materials. Technically, the shooting script must be outstanding, given that today’s budgets and complexity are equal to the cost and construction of a large, high-rise office building.