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How to Write a Literary Script

The document outlines the structure and elements of a literary script, which serves as the foundation for a movie by detailing actions, dialogues, and scene descriptions. It emphasizes the importance of writing in the present tense, using a specific format for headers, actions, and dialogues, and provides guidelines for introducing characters and handling flashbacks. Additionally, it discusses the use of annotations and the distinction between voice-over and off-screen dialogue.

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12 views7 pages

How to Write a Literary Script

The document outlines the structure and elements of a literary script, which serves as the foundation for a movie by detailing actions, dialogues, and scene descriptions. It emphasizes the importance of writing in the present tense, using a specific format for headers, actions, and dialogues, and provides guidelines for introducing characters and handling flashbacks. Additionally, it discusses the use of annotations and the distinction between voice-over and off-screen dialogue.

Translated by

ScribdTranslations
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Aliterary scriptit is a document that contains a

historydesigned to be narrated inimages and


soundIt is the first step to carry out a
movie.

In theliterary scriptthe details are outlinedactionsand the


dialogues of the characters, accompanying them with
general descriptions of the scenarios, and
annotationsfor the actors.

History is written in a way that becomes visible.


and to be understood. But without giving technical indications.
for the making of the film or about the
camera work, except in very exceptional cases.
This would correspond to the technical script.

Theliterary scriptsthey are divided into scenes or


sequences.

They have aown formatthat allows the director,


the actors and all the technical team can read it
easily and know how and where it develops
history.

Onescene (or mechanical sequence)it's simply a


fragment of a story that takes place in the same space
and/or time.

This means that when we change the scenario,


or if there is a temporal ellipsis within the same
scene, we will change the scene.

They are always written in theCourier New, to


size 12.

Both the headers and the description of the


action, they have a left margin of 4.3cm. All
the elements always take as reference the
left margin. Thanks to this standard, a
the page of the literary script usually corresponds
approximately one minute of movie in the
screen.

Parts:

Header:

It is written in uppercase, and describes whether it is interior or


exterior, the name of the decor, and whether it is night or
day. It could also include whether it is sunset or
dawn

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

EXT. BEACH – DAY

EXT. CARLOS'S HOUSE/TERRACE - DUSK

If the action took place in a moving car


along the road, and we want to show that we see the
interior, but also the exterior, we could
use the following formula.

EXT-INT. CARLOS'S CAR - DAY

And if, for example, within a house they are going to appear
different decorations, we can use this formula.

EXT. CARLOS' HOUSE/TERRACE - DUSK


INT. CARLOS'S HOUSE/KITCHEN - NIGHT
INT. CARLOS'S HOUSE/BEDROOM - DAY

Así utilizamos siempre la misma estructura, y es más


easy to read.

IMPORTANT:All the scenes that begin with a


header, must contain action or dialogue. No
It makes sense to add a header that is followed by
from another header.
Even if it's just a brief descriptive line or
a dialogue, the header places us, but does not narrate
nothing by itself.

Action:

The action briefly describesthe decor and the


actionsthat are taking [Link] in the present and
in third person.

This is very important. In a script, things do not


can happen neither in the past nor in the future. Only us
we dedicate ourselves to describing what we see, and always in
present time.

Another important thing is that the style must be


simple, without frills, and without many resources
literary.

This does not mean that we write like robots.

Each screenwriter develops their own style when it comes to


to describe the actions. Some are more
aseptic, and others allow for much more descriptions
longer.

But in general, it is recommended to be quite


terse when describing.

How to introduce a character in a literary script


The first time a character appears, it can be
indicate your age in parentheses and a brief
description.

For example: PACO (38), a tall and lanky young man,


with glasses and a suit.

Although we can also do it in one way


dear, in prose form.
For example. PACO, about 30 years old, tall and
awkward, plastic glasses and suit...

Either of the two forms is valid.

How to make a flashback in a literary script

If we need the action to be transferred to the


In the past, no problem. We can indicate it in the
header. For example:

INT. CHILD'S ROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)

But the action is always written in the present, not it


you forget.

We could also, for example, add a title.


superimposed that says '2 years before' or '2 years'
after.

OVERPRINTED: 2 YEARS LATER.

Although many times it is not necessary to put any


title to make it clear that the action takes place
in the past or in the future.

It is as if the screenwriter were a direct witness of the


movie and was broadcasting it live
real.

And that's why it doesn't make sense to use the past or


the future.

It's not a novel. It's a movie. And we can only


describe what can be seen and heard.

Moreover, the viewer is smarter than what


we thought. Never forget it.

Dialogue
If write in one position centered, for
differentiate it from the action. First, it is indicated the
CHARACTER NAME IN UPPER CASE (taking as
refer to the left edge of the page, at 10.4
cm).

And below, the dialogue is written, with


a left margin of 6.8 cm, and a right margin
of 6.1 cm.

If a character speaks, then we describe an action,


and then the same character speaks again, it
we will indicate by placing next to the name, between
parenthesis (CONT.). That is, it continues speaking.

Differences between voice-over and voice over


What happens when you hear a dialogue from someone
What are we not seeing on screen?

When it is a dialogue of someone we do not see, but


the character on screen can hear it, just like
we will indicate(OFF). For
for example, when a person speaks from another
room. That is to say, the person who speaks forms
part of the history.

However, if it is a voice-over of a
third-person narrator, we will indicate (V.O.),
what's comingVoice Over.

Well, and this regarding the form. But let's talk


also a little of the content.

Annotations

It is not advisable to abuse them, but if we need it,


we can make a remark about that dialogue.
They are placed under the character's name, and before
from the dialogue, or in a line between the lines of
dialogue, but never at the end. They align at 8.6cm from
left edge of the page, and the first letter must
ir en minúsculas, y la última sin un punto final

We only resort to them if they are essential for


that it is understood.

If not, we will overlook it, as it mainly depends on


of the director and the actor to interpret the motivation and
the tone of those dialogues.

That is to say, it is a tool, but only for


concrete moments. It is not for all dialogues.

For example, Alfonso Cuarón in the script of Romalo


used at a certain moment so that we know
that this dialogue is spoken in Mixtec, which is a
language spoken by the character Cleo.

CLEO

(in Mixtec)

Hurry up, sis!

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