Getting Started with Ensemble

Ensemble is a screenplay editor that runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to download or install. You can start writing right away, no account required, and your work is saved automatically to your device.

Creating Your First Script

When you open Ensemble for the first time, you will see the project dashboard. Click New Script, give it a title (you can change this later), and you will be taken straight into the editor.

If you are not signed in, your script lives in your browser's local storage. You can close the tab, come back later, and pick up where you left off. But local scripts are tied to your browser and device. To sync across devices, share with collaborators, or export to PDF, you will need to create an account.

The Editor

The Ensemble editor is a WYSIWYG canvas. Your screenplay appears exactly as it would on a printed page: standard Courier font, correct margins, proper element spacing. The page dimensions match US Letter format, and a page counter in the toolbar shows how long your script is.

The toolbar shows your current element type (Scene Heading, Action, Character, Dialogue, etc.). You can click the element selector to switch types, but most of the time Ensemble detects the correct element automatically based on context.

As your screenplay grows beyond a single page, Ensemble renders page breaks in real time. Each page holds 55 lines, matching the standard screenplay page that roughly equals one minute of screen time.

Formatting Elements

Screenplay formatting follows strict conventions. Here is how each element works:

Scene Headings - Start a line with INT. or EXT. and Ensemble recognizes it as a scene heading. It gets rendered in uppercase, bold, at the correct margin.

Action - After you press Enter on a scene heading, Ensemble switches to Action automatically. Action lines describe what the audience sees and hears, spanning the full width of the page.

Character - Type a character's name in uppercase and Ensemble centers it above the dialogue margin. Press Enter and the editor switches to Dialogue.

Dialogue - Dialogue appears with narrower margins than action. Press Enter and Ensemble returns to Action.

Parenthetical - Brief acting directions between a character cue and their dialogue, like (whispering) or (into phone). They appear in a narrower column than dialogue.

Transition - Transitions like CUT TO: or FADE OUT. are right-aligned and uppercase.

Here is an example of how a short scene looks inside Ensemble:

Saving Your Work

Ensemble saves your work automatically as you type. Every change is persisted to your browser's localStorage within seconds. There is no save button.

If you are signed in, your script also syncs to Ensemble's cloud servers roughly every five seconds. Switch to a different computer, sign in, and your scripts are there.

Creating an Account

Click Sign Up in the top navigation, enter your email and choose a password. Once registered, you are signed in immediately.

A free account gives you cloud sync, sharing, and collaboration, all up to five pages per script. To remove the page limit and unlock PDF export, upgrade to Pro for $9.99/month.

If you already wrote a script anonymously before creating an account, it will remain available in your browser's local storage. You can continue working on it once signed in.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Ensemble supports these keyboard shortcuts:

• Enter - New line. Ensemble auto-selects the next element type.
• Tab - Cycle forward through element types (Action to Character to Dialogue, etc.).
• Shift + Tab - Cycle backward through element types.
• Cmd/Ctrl + A - Select all text.
• Cmd/Ctrl + Z - Undo.
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z - Redo.
• Cmd/Ctrl + C / V / X - Copy, paste, cut.