First, the font: use Courier at 12pt., and nothing else. Do not use Times New Roman, Arial, Helvitica, nor any other font. Do not even use a different "typewriter" style font. Do not use 10pt. type faces, nor 14pt., nor any size other than 12pt. It's Courier 12 and that's the deal.

Here's the bad news for Windows users: depending on the operating system version you use, you may only have access to Courier New or another nonstandard version of Courier that's taller than the proper font. Using these incorrect fonts -- they're not just different, they're wrong -- will add to the height of your lines, and can add to the length of your screenplay. And, just like using any other incorrect font, stretched out versions of Courier can mark your screenplay as the work of an amateur.

Luckily, the fix is easy: download and install the free Final Draft viewer, which installs the Final Draft Courier font. Use that font to write your screenplays. (Better yet, purchase Final Draft, the best screen writing software bar none. It will ensure your formatting is letter perfect every time.)

Moving on to the page layout, your margins should be 1.0 inches on the right and 1.5 inches on the left (to allow for three-hole punching).

The title page should have the title, preferably in ALL CAPS and optionally underlined, centered on the page. Leave a blank line under the title, then center the word "by" under that. On the next line type the author's name, also centered. The title page should also have your address in the bottom left corner (and left justified). Do not include a date, nor a revision/draft number. You can, and should include both a telephone number and email address as part of your address and contact info. It's permissable to type your address and contact info in the bottom right corner instead, but still left justified.

Your screenplay proper begins with "FADE IN:" (without the quotes) left justified before the first slug line (see below for slug line description). Many people type the FADE IN: as a "transition line" (ie. like a "CUT TO:" line) instead, which means to indent it 6.5". Either format is acceptable.

Starting with the second page, each page should have a header which includes the page number in the top right corner a half-inch from the top. Do not include such a header on the first page of the script. It is acceptable just to include the page number. It is also acceptable to follow "manuscript format" and include the author's last name and a key word or words from the title (ie. "VANSTON / TROUBLE / 17" might have appeared at the top of Carrington Vanston's script for the short film Here Comes Trouble). This manuscript format allows for quicker re-assembly of your script if the pages are dropped or scattered. Do not include any other material in the header, however (ie. no date, etc.).

All scenes begin with a "slug line" which appears in a form such as the following: INT. BOB'S STORE -DAY or EXT. PUBLIC PARK -NIGHT. (Do not type that period at the end.) Note that slug lines are in ALL CAPS and start with either "INT." or "EXT." to denote interior or exterior, followed by the name of the location, and concluding with a hyphen (or n-dash) and the word "DAY" or "NIGHT" to denote the rough time of day. Do not substitute more precise values, such as EXT. PUBLIC PARK -DUSK or DOORWAY. BOB'S STORE -8:35PM, and do not supply the slug line items in any other order. If the time is important, work it into dialogue or supply it in a descriptive passage. Slug lines are not to be underlined in a selling script. The most common mistakes with slug lines are: using two dashes (as in INT. BOB'S STORE --DAY, which is sometimes acceptable but don't chance it); putting the NIGHT or DAY first and the INT. or EXT. at the end; or substituting some more specific value for DAY or NIGHT.

Place a transition line between each scene, indented 6.5". These are also called "cut to" lines because they typically just contain the words "CUT TO:" (without the quotes). Unless it is absolutely essential to the meaning of the transition, it's best not to put anything except "CUT TO:" on your transition lines. Remember, the visual and editing choices are made by the director, the cinematographer and the editor, not the writer. If you can't resist, other (sometimes) acceptable transition phrases include: "FADE TO:" and "DISOLVE TO:".

Descriptive passages are 60 characters wide, which equates to 6 inches of Courier 12. This matches the space between your 1.5 inch and 1.0 inch margins on a standard 8.5 inch wide sheet of paper. As with all text in your screenplay, descriptive passages are not right justified.

The first instance of a character name within descriptive passages is always in ALL CAPS. Subsequent appearances are in Initial Caps.

Character names are included on their own line (in ALL CAPS and indented 3.5 inches from page left) preceding any passage of dialogue to be spoken by that character. A common mistake is to center character name lines instead of indenting 3.5" and left justifying.

Dialogue passages are 35 characters wide (3.5 inches of Courier 12) and are indented 2.5 inches from page left (set your margins stops at 2.5" on the left and 6" on the right). Again, left justify this text.

Wrylines, or parentheticals, can appear between the character name line and the dialogue line(s). These wrylines are indented 3 inches from page left and are enclosed in parenthesis.

When characters speak but are not actually part of a scene, write (v.o.) after their name. The v.o. stands for "voice over." For instance, you'd use (v.o.) for a film noir style voice over, or the voice of a film's narrator.

When speaking characters are unseen but are still part of the scene, write (o.s.) or (o.c.) after their name. This stands for "off screen" or "off camera," respectively. For instance, you'd use (o.s.) for a character heard from behind a door, shouting from a different room, or otherwise obscured by physical barriers or angles.

When characters are heard over a telephone or a similar device (such as a computer speaker), put (filter) after their name.

When a character speaks, followed by a descriptive passage, and then that same character speaks again place (cont.) after the subsequent instance(s) of the character name. If dialogue spills over a page break, put a (MORE) on the line directly after the last line of speech on the first page (indented 3.5" like a character name) and then repeat the character name on the new page with a (cont'd) after the name.

Never include blank pages, scene numbers, a character list (dramatis personae), a "(con't)" note on the bottom of pages where scenes continue on the following page, nor an indication of where you think the Title Sequence or credits should be. These are things for shooting scripts, and often not even then.

The very last line of your script should be "FADE OUT." (without the quotes, but with the period) indented 6.5" the same way you've indented your transition lines (ie. the "CUT TO:" lines).

A lot to absorb, no? You can save yourself all that trouble if you pick up a copy of Final Draft, which is what I use. Trust me, it's amazing.