A script is a pre-production document for any media product that contains moving images or dialogue. It is the written plan that performers and crew follow, so everyone knows what is said, what happens and how it should be captured.
The main content is the dialogue: the exact words a performer will say. Around it, the script names the characters in each scene, so casting and actor availability can be planned, and the locations, so the production manager can book each place in advance and everyone knows where to turn up on the day.
Directions, also called stage directions, tell actors and crew what to do: where to move, how to react, which actions to perform and how a line should be delivered. The script also supplies production information: which shots to frame, how the camera should move, and which sound effects to cue. In a short animation about a lost dog, for example, the script might call for a close up on its collar and a sound effect of passing traffic, telling the animator and sound designer exactly what to build.
Before production, a script can form part of a pitch, helping to persuade decision-makers to fund the product. Actors may also read a draft aloud in a table read to test timing, tone and whether the dialogue works before anything is filmed or recorded.
Scripts are appropriate for film, television, animation, and computer games that use video sequences, storytelling or character interaction. They also suit radio broadcasts, jingles, podcasts, audio documentaries, and video or radio advertisements, because each one depends on spoken words.
A script is not needed where there are no moving images or dialogue, such as a static print poster or non-narrative interface screens. There is nothing for a performer to say and no action to direct.
Products with no pictures need words and sounds but no camera information:
| Product | What its script provides |
|---|---|
| Film or television scene | Dialogue, directions, the shots and camera moves to use, plus sound effects |
| Radio advert or podcast | Dialogue and sounds only; camera shots are not needed because nothing is filmed |
A script is a working document for the whole production team, not only the people who speak. Most production staff use it at some point, including actors, narrators, the director, camera operators, audio technicians, sound and video editors, producers and continuity staff who check that details such as costume or props stay consistent between takes. Each user reads the same pages for a different reason.
| User | What they take from the script |
|---|---|
| Actors and narrators | Their dialogue and the emotion or delivery needed for each line |
| Director | The whole script, used throughout production to guide creative decisions and brief other staff |
| Camera operators | Notes on shots and framing so they know what to capture |
| Audio technicians and sound editors | Sound effects, music and dialogue information to record and mix |
| Storyboard artist | Creates a storyboard from the scenes and action |
| Lighting crew | Time of day and weather details that decide lighting and exterior shooting conditions |
The script also identifies props. If a scene describes someone unfolding a paper map by lantern light, the props team knows to source both before the shoot day.
One scene can serve several users at once. A school corridor scene set at night tells the actors the mood is tense and wary, tells the lighting crew to rig flickering strip lights as working lights in shot, and warns the director that the shoot must be scheduled after the building closes to students. Because every department works from one document, a clear script keeps the production joined up.
In advertising, the script is shared with the client and reviewed against the brief before production begins. Changing a line at this stage is cheap and quick; changing it after filming is expensive. A client who asked for a friendly 30-second advert can spot that the tone has drifted before production costs build up.
A radio advertisement script is used mainly by voice actors, who need the words, pauses and tone, and by sound editors, who plan music and effects. No camera or lighting information is needed because nothing is seen.
A script uses standard layout conventions so everyone can find information quickly: performers can locate their parts, while the production crew can check the details they need for each scene. Following the same pattern every time makes a script easier to read and reduces confusion during production.
The cover page sits at the front and identifies the script. It includes the title, the scriptwriter or author, the date and a draft number. The draft number matters because scripts change; it shows which version someone is holding. A cover page may also include contact information, such as an email address, so questions can be sent to the right person.
A script is divided into scenes. Each scene begins with a heading written on the left in capital letters. The heading starts with INT for an interior location, meaning inside, or EXT for an exterior location, meaning outside, followed by the location.
A scene heading, also called a slugline, shows where and when the scene takes place. It often gives the INT or EXT label, the location and the time of day, all in capital letters. For example:
EXT. SKATE PARK - EVENING
This tells the reader the scene is outside, at a skate park, in the evening. The time of day is included because a scene can happen in the morning, afternoon or night, so the heading records when it happens without the reader searching the rest of the script. Writing the heading in capitals and aligning it to the left makes each new scene stand out, so a particular scene can be found quickly.
Inside each scene, a scene description explains what the place looks like and what is happening. Write it in the present tense and keep it concise and visual, including only what can be seen or heard. 'A metal watering can lies on its side, water spreading across the floor' helps the crew picture the shot; 'Mara remembers last summer' does not, because it cannot be filmed.
Put character names in capitals above their dialogue, and keep names and dialogue aligned consistently — for example, every name starts at the same indent with its lines underneath. Dialogue is written in normal sentence case, not capitals, so it is easier to read aloud. Below the character name, add a parenthetical or action note when you need to say how a line is delivered, such as (under their breath) or (voice rising).
Directions describe action and interaction — who moves, who turns to face whom, what someone picks up. They can also show delivery through facial expression, emotion, intonation and volume. A direction might read Ruby steps between Mara and the door, or a parenthetical might read (angry, almost shouting). Directions are not spoken aloud.
V.O. after a name marks a voice-over: the character is heard but not in shot, and the line may be recorded separately. O.S. after a name marks off-screen speech: someone in the scene speaks from outside the frame, such as from the next room.
For example:
A metal watering can lies on its side, water spreading across the floor.
MARA
(cold, quiet)
Who left the tap running?
RUBY (O.S.)
Not me. I've been in the shed.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
By morning, the greenhouse was full of steam.
A script also carries technical information for the production crew, alongside the dialogue and directions. This includes sounds, shot types, camera movements and transitions, so each team knows what to prepare and capture.
Sound notes tell the sound team what to prepare. Background music might be written as MUSIC: upbeat guitar, and sound effects as SFX: skateboard wheels on concrete. These notes appear next to the action they belong to, so sound can be matched to picture.
Shot types are often abbreviated and written in capital letters, including LS (long shot), MS (mid shot), CU (close up), ECU (extreme close up) and ELS (extreme long shot). A long shot is often used as an establishing shot because it shows the whole setting before the action begins. Camera movements are also described: track and dolly (moving with the subject), pan (turning left or right), tilt (pointing up or down), push in (moving closer) and pull back (moving away). Shots and movements are aligned to the left so the crew can scan down the page and find each technical instruction quickly.
Transitions such as CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO and FADE TO BLACK are written in capital letters and aligned to the left. This keeps them separate from the dialogue and makes scene changes easy to spot. For example, a skate park advert script might list these technical directions, aligned left:
ELS of skate park at sunriseTRACK AND DOLLY following a skaterCU of wheels hitting a rampCUT TOMS of skater smilingThe camera operator and editor can follow this list without reading the dialogue.
The best hardware depends on the document you are making and the situation you are making it in. A keyboard, a pointing device and a display are the common set for almost every digital pre-production document, because together they let you type, select and see what you are creating.
For a script, the keyboard does the main job: you type dialogue, character names and stage directions. The display lets you view the script and check its layout, such as whether scene headings line up on the left. A mouse is used to select, cut and paste sections when a scene needs moving. Writing a two-minute radio advert script, you would type it, then drag the mouse to move the closing lines so the advert ends on the price.
A graphics tablet is not a good choice for a script, because a script is a typed document. A stylus is clumsy for placing a cursor between two words, while a mouse selects and moves text precisely.
For a visualisation diagram, the keyboard is used for text and annotation labels, a mouse selects and moves objects around the design, a graphics tablet is used for sketching the layout, and the display shows the work in progress. A visualisation diagram of an arcade game's start screen needs both sketched graphics and typed notes explaining which button does what.
| Document | Main job | Hardware that suits it |
|---|---|---|
| Script | Typing and editing text | Keyboard, mouse, display |
| Visualisation diagram | Sketching plus annotation | Keyboard, mouse, graphics tablet, display |
A trackpad or trackball does the same job as a mouse, and a touchscreen used with a stylus acts as both graphics tablet and display, because the drawing goes straight onto the screen. That is why scripts, storyboards and visualisation diagrams often share the same hardware, with a graphics tablet or stylus added for the drawn ones.
Match the hardware to the job: typed documents need a keyboard and pointing device, drawn or laid-out ones may need a stylus as well, and a paper sketch must be digitised before it can be shared.
Mind maps, mood boards and scripts can each be made with more than one type of software, depending on whether the document is mostly text, drawing or images.
A mind map can be hand drawn with pens, pencils and paper, which is quick and needs no equipment. Or it can be made digitally using mind mapping software, presentation software or desktop publishing software. Mind mapping software is built for the job: you add a branch and it moves the rest to fit, which paper cannot do automatically. Presentation software works because a slide can hold branches built from shapes, text boxes and connector lines.
For example, planning a school talent show: a central idea with branches for acts, stage times and ticket sales is easy to sketch on paper, but on screen you can drag branches around and insert photographs of the venue straight in.
A physical mood board uses real materials on a surface, such as printed photographs, magazine cuttings and coloured paper shapes glued onto a large sheet of card, so you can compare how the printed colours look together. A digital mood board on a computer or tablet can be made with image editing software, presentation software, desktop publishing software or specialised mood board software, which can arrange images in a grid and let a team comment on a shared board.
A script is nearly all text, so it is made with a word processor or a dedicated script editor. A word processor is often used because it lets you easily go back and edit text: you can cut, paste, comment and check spelling as the story changes. A dedicated script editor adds advanced features such as layout tools that set out scene headings and dialogue in the correct format, and character identification, which recognises names in the dialogue and keeps them consistent. That makes it faster for a long script, though a word processor is enough for a short one.
Digitisation is turning a paper or board document into a digital file so it can be shared with others. For example, a handwritten recipe from a food technology lesson could be photographed and emailed home instead of the paper being lost.
Scanners and digital cameras mainly digitise existing documents; they do not create a new document from scratch.
A flat-bed scanner has a glass surface where you lay the page flat. Some scanners are built into another device, so you may already have one. A sheet feeder pulls through and scans many pages automatically, saving time. A scanner lights the page evenly, so you avoid shadows or poor lighting, and it can capture images and photographs at high resolution.
A digital camera is a quick way to digitise a document. A professional camera gives more control over image quality, aperture and focus, while a camera already to hand may be good enough for a simple note. A camera beats a scanner when the item is very large, three-dimensional, textured or cannot be scanned easily. For example, a scale model of a stage set can be photographed from several angles so the director can see each scene from the audience; a flat scan could not show that.
A graphics tablet is a flat pad used with a stylus. Whatever you draw on the pad appears on screen, so a game character can be created and saved as a digital file straight away. You can also place a pencil sketch on the tablet and draw over its lines with the stylus, turning the paper drawing into a digital file. Scripts are rarely handwritten, so a script is unlikely to need digitising; it is normally typed and saved digitally from the start.
Digital documents are generally easier to share than physical ones. A physical document can still be digitised with a scanner, digital camera or graphics tablet before it is shared.
An effective script is one a whole production team could pick up and work from without asking questions. It follows the same layout conventions all the way through, and every scene contains everything that scene needs: its characters, dialogue, locations, directions, camera shots, camera movements and sounds. Nothing is left for anyone to guess.
A well-written script splits its content into three kinds of information - directions, speech and technical notes - so each reader can go straight to the part that belongs to their job.
| User | What they take from the script |
|---|---|
| Actors | Their dialogue, plus the emotion, facial expression and intonation for each line |
| Camera crew | The shot types and camera movements needed for each moment |
| Lighting crew | The location and time of day, so lighting can be planned and set up |
| Sound editors | Music, sound effects and other audio cues |
To improve a script, first name what it already does well, then find a gap and suggest the change that fills it - and always say which user the change helps. Take a scene set in a school corridor where the line is clear, but the scene gives the crew little to work with: JAMAL: We should go back. Adding a direction such as (nervously, eyes wide) gives the actor the emotion, intonation and facial expression to perform. Adding - LATE AFTERNOON to the setting tells the lighting crew to plan for fading, low light. Adding the sound of a door slamming somewhere behind them tells the sound editor exactly what to record. Each change is tiny, but each one stops a crew member having to invent an answer.
Improvements should make the script work better as a document, not add extra plot or new characters - a longer story is not the same as a clearer script.
Using the same conventions consistently reduces confusion: because directions, speech and technical notes each sit in a predictable place, parts are quick to find, changes of setting stand out as someone scans down the page, and the director can give clearer guidance to the team.