Screenplay Format Example
The fastest way to learn screenplay format is to see a correct example and read what each line is doing. Below is a fully-formatted page, then the same content broken down element by element. For the rules behind the example, see the complete screenplay format guide.
A Full Formatted Page
Every element type appears here, formatted the way a reader expects to see it:
Annotated, Element by Element
- FADE IN: — the conventional opening, flush left, in caps.
- INT. SUBWAY CAR — NIGHT — the scene heading: interior/exterior, location, time of day, all caps, flush left.
- Action — sentence case, full width, present tense. Character names are capitalised the first time they appear (DELL, COMMUTER).
- DELL — the character cue, caps, centred over the dialogue.
- (quietly, into radio) — a parenthetical, lowercase, only when the delivery isn't obvious.
- DELL (CONT'D) — the (CONT’D) extension marks the same character speaking again after an action beat.
- SMASH CUT TO: — a transition, caps, flush right.
Dialogue & Parenthetical Example
A closer look at how a back-and-forth exchange is formatted — cues centred, dialogue indented, one blank line between speakers:
What to Notice
- Caps do specific jobs: scene headings, character cues, transitions, and first-appearance names — nothing else.
- Action describes only what's seen and heard. No inner thoughts, no “he remembers”.
- Parentheticals are short and rare. If a line needs a paragraph of explanation, rewrite the line.
- There's white space everywhere. A wall of text is a red flag — readers want air.
Copy This Into a Tool
Type any of the examples above into Ensemble and watch the formatting fall into place automatically — scene headings detected, cues centred, transitions pushed right. It's free and runs in your browser, no download. For a blank starting point with the rules attached, grab the screenplay format template.
Start Writing →