What are the main screenwriting elements?

The Scene Heading

Scene headings, also known as slug lines, explain the “when” and “where” to the reader. It is written all in capital letters and is included each time the story moves to a different place.

Example: EXT. BUSY NEW YORK COFFEE SHOP – MORNING

In the above example “EXT.” means it’s an exterior location. The next part describes the general location and the time of day.

From this scene heading we can conclude the camera is outside.

Also, never end a page using a scene heading. Make sure to move the heading to the next page.

Subheading

Subheadings, also called subheaders, are simply used to make the screenwriter’s life easier when a scene takes place all at one location. For example, if the scene were in just one house, it will become cumbersome to keep writing things like “MAGGIE’S HOUSE – EVENING – BEDROOM” but changing the room every time. Therefore, in scenes like this, subheadings are used.

Example: Simply write “BEDROOM”, “KITCHEN”, “BATHROOM”, etc. in place of the entire scene heading.

Action Lines

Action lines follow the scene heading and set the scene for the reader. This should be as short and as concise as possible. The purpose of action lines are to show the actions happening in the scene, describe the location and also describe the characters when we first get introduced to them.

A great rule of thumb to keep in mind is that each action line represents a single camera shot. So unless you have a long drawn out action sequence, it’s better to keep them to no more than three to four lines at most.

Example: If the scene heading was the same as above, a busy New York coffee shop, the action lines could read as follows, “The camera pans down on Sarah who is trying to leave the shop in a hurry but bumps into a handsome man on her way out and drops her drink to the floor.”

Also, screenplays are written in present tense so you’ll want to avoid writing sentences like Corey is laying on the couch or Johnny is running in the park. Instead, make sure to use more of an active voice in present tense such as Corey slumps over on the couch or Johnny sprints through the park. This will give the reader a more clear visual of the action that is taking place.

Character

When you introduce a character for the first time, you should write their name in capitals, reference their age, and explain some brief details about them and their personality in order to introduce them to the reader. This is usually done after the scene heading when a new character is presented.

Example: MICHAEL (32), disheveled clothes and messy hair. Looks tired and agitated. Has a cell phone in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

The Dialogue

Dialogue is written underneath each character that is speaking it. It is the backbone of a screenplay and should take a lot of thought and consideration. Think about your character and how they are. Imagine there were no character headings above the dialogue, would the reader be able to tell who was talking? Try to think about that as you’re writing. Each character should be unique and display their personality in their dialogue.

Using Parentheticals with Dialogue

Parentheticals with dialogue allow for an action to be written into the wording. Think about it as being used by the actor on how to read the dialogue. Using parentheticals with dialogue can allow you to input small actions or change the mood of the scene with just a few words and without having to move to an action line.

Example:

SARAH

(spills her coffee)

Well, that was the last thing I needed today!

(turns to Michael, sighs)

Wake me up when today is over.

Transitions

Transitions allow a writer to quickly move from one scene to another. They aren’t as common as they used to be but there are still two that are still often seen, these are “CUT TO:” and “FADE TO:”. This is just a direction for the visual transition of a scene.

Example:

MAGGIE’S HOUSE – EVENING – BEDROOM

We open in a dark room, with only a lamp to light the bedside. Maggie sits in the dark, reading a mysterious book with no cover.

CUT TO:

MAGGIE’S HOUSE – EVENING – EXTERIOR

Insert

When you use the INSERT element (which is sometimes referred to as a CUTAWAY) it’s because you are trying to bring something small into full frame for the audience to see. You’ll use this when you are trying to highlight something of importance.

INT. SILVER PORSCHE – NIGHT

Sammy pulls over to the side of the dirt road. He struggles to pull himself together, until something in the passenger seat catches his attention — a cell phone that flashes.

INSERT – CELL PHONE that’s stained with blood and an incoming text from Martha.

He gazes down at his hands and sees — even more blood.

In the above scene we’re inside of a Porsche and when the character looks at his phone we get a clear look at his bloody cell phone and whoever it is texting him. We basically are seeing what he sees at this moment.

Shots & POV

Shots describe to a reader how the focal length has changed within a scene. This is most often used to denote a certain character’s point of view or a particular scene-setting. This is one of those things where you should try to avoid as much as possible as a screenwriter, because it’s going to be up to the director and the director of photography to plan out how they want to shoot any given scene.

When it is used, it should be formatted as a subheading.

Example:

MAGGIE’S HOUSE – EVENING – BEDROOM

We open in a dark room, with only a lamp to light the bedside. Maggie sits in the dark, reading a mysterious book with no cover.

MAGGIE’S POV

Maggie looks down at the worn pages of a photo album.

Other examples of shots are: