Formatting

Screenplay formatting

Screencake selects screenplay elements as you type. These rules control element selection, page layout, and printed output.

Automatic element selection Link to Automatic element selection#

  • Scene heading: start a line with INT. or EXT.
  • Character cue: type a short line in capitals, then press Enter. Dialogue follows.
  • Parenthetical: start with an opening parenthesis inside dialogue.
  • Transition: end a line with TO:.

To change the element, press Tab or a shortcut from ⌘1 through ⌘7. The text does not change.

Each element has a standard indent. Manual tab stops are not necessary.

Page size and margins Link to Page size and margins#

Select US Letter or A4 in Script settings. The two formats use 12pt Courier and standard screenplay indents.

  • Margins: 1.5in on the left, 1in on the other sides.
  • Lines per page: 54 on Letter, 58 on A4.
  • Transitions: right-aligned, except FADE IN:, which stays left in the editor, PDF, and Word.

Page counts Link to Page counts#

The editor and PDF use the same page layout. The toolbar, report, and printed script show the same page count.

Page breaks update as you type. Screencake adds (MORE) and (CONT'D) where needed and keeps scene headings with the text that follows them.

A page-format change recalculates page breaks for all collaborators. You cannot change the page format while pages are locked.

Dual dialogue Link to Dual dialogue#

Use dual dialogue for two characters speaking at once.

  1. Put the cursor in either of two successive speeches.
  2. Press ⌘⌥D, or select Dual dialogue in the element menu.
  3. Press ⌘⌥D again to show the speeches one after the other.

Enter and Tab work inside each column. The two speakers count in reports, and the layout carries into each export.

Dialogue and page breaks Link to Dialogue and page breaks#

When dialogue continues on the next page, Screencake adds (MORE) and (CONT'D). Scene headings stay with their scene text. Dual dialogue moves to the next page as one block.