Screenwriting : Need help by Rafsan Mahmud

new courier.....best of luck! :)

Thank you Mr. Jeremy

Rafsan, Using Word to write your screenplay will be headache inducing :). I recommend downloading Celtx, which is a free screenwriting software with auto formatting. Cheers!

Actually the biggest headache comes from all the people telling you not to use Word.

Yo Radsan definitely suggest to use a program other than Word to write your screenplay, you be much more satisfied. Love to message and talk about you perspective on filmmaking and screenwriting and we can talk about screenwriting software and just writing in general!

If you're going to go to all the trouble of setting up a template in Word, use Courier New 12 point. If you want to save yourself an awful lot of trouble, use software.

here is a link for an excellent screenwriting program that is FREE. https://www.celtx.com/

I'm used to Word. 10 minutes on Celtx and I was ready to throw my computer out the window. People shouldn't universalize their own experiences.

Your own experiences are fine. It's assuming that everyone else will have the same experience is not. You did not do this, but other people frequently do when discussing Word.

Thanks to all. This means a lot to me.

download final draft font, it's from the Final Draft software,the industry standard for writing screenplays, but the font is free http://kb.finaldraft.com/article/1001/5328/

Buy the software. its $150 that will save you 100 hours of time and aggravation.

why pay when Celtx works just as well and for free? Especially if you are just beginning...

Final Draft, is the only way to go. Celtx has to many issues. If you have an iPad, the app is $30. If you're using a desktop, or laptop, pay the money. It's worth it in the long run. As a writer you want the best tools. The same as a soldier needs a superior weapon. A carpenter needs superior tools. Get the best software on the market. It's WELL worth it.

The font is Courier New 12. The reason screenplays are in Courier is because all the letters are the same width - it relates to how each page means one minute of screen time.

That's not right, Jason. The reason why it's Courier New 12 is because it's the font that most closely resembles the font of a typewriter.

Courier 12 or Courier New 12.

The reason pros suggest avoiding Word is that when you need to repaginate during rewrites, to add scenes or details (or remove them), all the dialogue and formatting will be out of whack and require hours of unnecessary work to clean it up. Formatting is seen as unimportant by some (it's really vastly more complex than font and tab positions), but if you've ever done breakdowns you know why it's so important. Screenplays aren't just stories; they're production blueprints and need to be used in very specific ways by a lot of people.

Final Draft is great, that is what I use. Would also check WriterDuet, they have a free version and real time collaboration www.writerduet.com. I agree w most writers on this topic, I would avoid using Word so you can spend that valuable time on writing, not fixing/re-formatting/template building.

Using Celtx works out good, at least for me.

Just buy screenwriting software. Anything is better than using Word for that! Another good piece of software is Movie Draft, and it is only $40, though I use Scrivener and finish in Final Draft. If no one knows about Scrivener, look it up - it is the best writing tool out there and can do anything.

Exactly how it is for me Dan. PDF might be okay when I show the director/producer an early draft, but when it's done, it's Final Draft only.

Hello Rafsan, I posted a basic .docx template in my logline section: https://www.stage32.com/profile/189892/Screenplay/Word-screenplay-template You can download it with the [View screenplay] link. All the best. I use various screenwriting sofware. Final Draft is a very good choice for technical setting (margins, format...). One of the things our American friends don't understand is that we, non native English-speaking people, need to make our work proofread before being sent. And very often, our proofreaders (profesional translators...) have no use of screenwriting sofware. So we must give them a text file (.rtf, .doc, .odt...)... and format settings are lost in the process.

Thank you . It means a lot me.

If you have not "Courier" font, you can use "Courier New" but it is a proportional font. You can download "Courier" with various free software, e.g. PDF Creator.

Hello Rafsan, I corrected some typos in the template.

I don't recommend you use a Word processor. There is software especially made for writing scripts. Look up Final Draft, Script Magic, Adobe Story and there are a few others I can't think of right now. But you can find deals on software on Craig's list and a couple of other places. A word processor is the wrong thing to use if you want to write a script. I did it for a while and am so glad to have scriptwriting software.

Hello Dillon, You're wright of course. But there are lots of good reasons not to use a screenwriting software, either you're American or not: - Everyone has not $150 to invest, - Everyone is not interested in Hollywood market (the others are not as picky or do not accept Hollywood format), - If you have to spread your work as a text file (.rtf, .odt, .doc ...) for collaboration, translation, correction, etc. you loose the formatting and everything that is not text (index cards, script notes ...) with every rewrite! - etc. So for many people, it's much more convenient to use Word or Open Office than Final Draft. Please remember: everyone is not american, or is not fortunate enough to buy FD. I personally know more good storytellers who cannot use FD than FD owners who can write a good story.

I can't upload a .odt template, but you can open the .docx one with Open Office. Styles and margins are OK, but paging is not. Please improve and share it. All the best. JM

I used to use word to write scripts. And all I know is American format. I didn't know there was another one. But you don't need $150. You can find deals on Craig's list and other kinds of sites. Jean do you use software or a word processor? All I was saying is that the software makes it easy to write. for years I plugged along pressing the tab button and messing around with the format which a young person may not even know what is right or not. I'm not promoting Final draft but that is what I use and there are others like Movie Magic. They come with free trials. Go to the website and try it free for a month. It is much easier to use than a word doc. Otherwise you can work your butt off forever.

Hello Dillon, E.G. French readers prefer more legible fonts, like Times New Roman or Arial, etc. Page format is A4, margins are more flexible, "(More) + (Cont'd)" is unknown, as well as most of Hollywood's nitpicking rules, and no one would underrate a script due to their use, because what is rated first is the compelling of the story. I use FD since version 8. I also use Movie Outline 3 and Save the Cat!. I can use sofware because I just need proofreading and I met american and english screenwriters who give me a little help for this. Earlier, I used Word for years because I had to make my work proofreaded by translators -- who have absolutely no use of a screenwriting software; and this is with Word that I got my first award. It's very difficult to find any screenwriting software from outside the US, either on Craigslist or elsewhere, even eBay. You can get free or cheap downloads everywhere... then pay to register or use a pirated version. $150 is already a promotional price. Celt'X is a good alternative for English speaking people but ultimately, everyone who needs a translator has no choice: he must use Word or an open source text editor.

Screenwriting software is not a case of being American or not being American. I'm not American and I use screenwriting software because my scripts are used in America, Australia and the UK. I even have a French Client that I proof read for and he sends me his fdx draft. You think Courier New is less legible? Really? Margins are adjustable in FD and I don't even know why you brought up the A4 point. That is merely the size of paper you print on and has nothing to do with the software.

new courier... and i use word with no macros... i do all the formatting manually... it is great for editing content. you edit ten times more when you format manually.

Uh, uh. So you can translate screenplays from French of course Pierre. No doubt you can also translate screenplays from Finish, Greek, Moroccan, Russian, Burundian, Serbian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Portugese, etc. ... Great! Nice Guy! Thanks for these billions of people who don't live in English or French speaking countries. But there is still a problem: FD interface exists only in English. What a pitty! Are Courier style fonts less legible than Times New Roman or Arial style fonts? Personnaly I don't know because I never see Courier fonts used elsewhere than on Hollywood formatted screenplays or official documents in old time thriller movies. Maybe, maybe not (weasel words). We should ask RB why Stage 32 is not displayed in Courier style font. I presume there is a good reason why screenplays are written in Courier style fonts. No doubt that a good script consultant can tell us this reason.

Firstly, apologies to Rafsan that your thread seems to have been highjacked because someone wants to argue their case. Jean-Marie, I don't translate from French and I never made that claim. My French client writes in English. If you have a problem that the interface of screenwriting software is not presented in other languages, write to them, don't complain to me, though I do feel sorry for "these billions of people who don't live in English or French speaking countries" who are yearning to write their stories in screenplay format but can't. You're now saying you have no idea if Courier is less legible than other fonts but you're the one who claimed the other fonts are more legible so make up your mind. If you think there is such an enormous market for screenwriting software in different languages then go ahead and create one. Obviously these programs are designed to cater for the majority of users and they would be English speaking. You've got a chip on your shoulder, Jean-Marie and obviously you didn't like my previous post in this thread. I don't care, take it somewhere else. Again, apologies to Rafsan and rest assured, that's all the interruption you'll get from me in this thread.

So Rafsan, we can now return to what your problem is, and as it was said before, the answer is: if you want your script to be read in an English speaking country, COURIER NEW which you should have with your Word version, COURIER you'll have if you download PDF CREATOR, size 12 point. No need of anything else. Congratulations.

Happy New Year!