Create a Screenplay
To make writing a screenplay easier without paying $250 for screenwriting software, here are instructions to create a screenplay template for Microsoft Word 2000. You must have Microsoft Word 2000 to use these instructions. However, with ample knowledge of other Word versions, you may be able to adapt these instructions to them.
USING THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
After opening Microsoft Word 2000:
CREATING STYLES
1. Click < File – New > A blank page will open.
2. Click < Format – Paragraph > A box will appear.
3. On the “Indents and Spacing” tab, click on the drop box arrow labeled “Alignment” and scroll down to click on “centered.” Click OK and the box will close, leaving the cursor blinking in the middle of the line.
4. Click < Format – Font > A box will appear.
5. On the “Font” tab, change the font to Courier New and change the font size to 12 point. Click OK to close the box.
All screenplays must be written in Courier 12 pt. if it is to be read by professionals in the film industry.
6. Click < Format – Style > A box will appear.
7. Click on “New…” and another box will appear.
8. Under the Name label, type “Section Title” and click on the box next to “Add to Template.” Click OK to close the box.
The section title goes at the beginning of each section, or act, of your screenplay. Not All need them.
9. Click on “Apply” to close the other box.
10. On the page, click on ENTER.
11. Click < Format – Paragraph > A box will appear.
12. On the “Indents and Spacing” tab, click on the drop box arrow labeled “Alignment” and scroll down to click on “left.” Click OK and the box will close.
13. Click < Format – Style > A box will appear.
14. Click on “New…” and another box will appear.
15. Under the Name label, type “Action” and click on the box next to “Add to Template.” Click OK to close the box.
The action style of your template will double as the format for your setting line. All you have to do is put the CAPS LOCK on while you type your setting line. Follow it with a blank line and your action, which is what is happening in the scene.
16. Click on “Apply” to close the other box.
17. Click ENTER to go to the next line.
18. Click < Format – Paragraph > A box will appear.
19. In the Left Indentation box type 2.5 and Click OK to close the box.
20. Click < Format – Style > A box will appear.
21. Click on “New…” and another box will appear.
22. Under the Name label, type “NAME” and click on the box next to “Add to Template.” Click OK to close the box.
Name is for the character who is speaking and will be followed by dialogue. It should be 30 picas wide. Be sure when writing the screenplay that you type the character’s name in all caps under this style.
23. Click on “Apply” to close the other box.
24. Click on ENTER.
25. On the next line, reset the left indentation to 1.19” and the right indentation to 1.3” and click OK.
26. Click < Format – Style > A box will appear.
27. Click on “New…” and another box will appear.
28. Under the Name label, type “Dialogue” and click on the box next to “Add to Template.” Click OK to close the box.
Dialogue is what the character says. It should be 60 picas wide. To add a directive in your script (how the character says it), type it in parenthesis on the first line of dialogue, indented three spaces.
29. Click on “Apply” to close the other box.
SAVING
NOTE: The program should automatically save a document template in it’s hard drive directory. To save it there, just click on “save”. If you want to save it elsewhere, click on the drop box labeled “Save in:” and scroll to the appropriate drive.
30. Click < File – Save As.. > A box will appear.
31. Name the document “Screenplay” and click on the arrow next to the drop box below it. Scroll to and click on “Document Template”. The box should close when it’s done saving.
32. Click on < File – Close > The page will disappear.
USING THE TEMPLATE
33. Click on < File – New > A box will appear.
34. Find the template and double-click on it. A new page will appear.
35. You now have the basic components of a screenplay, and can begin using the template to write.
Template in MS Word
By: Joey
If a command is to scroll the toolbar, you will see it appear like this: < Insert – Break >, followed by the result of completing the command. That means to right-click on “Insert” in the toolbar, scroll down to “Break” and right-click.