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The Hollywood Standard The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style 2005 publication.
The simple format rules found in this book - which you can learn in an hour - come from Hollywood's top expert on script format and will guarantee that your script makes a winning first impression. Intended to be kept at a screenwriter's fingertips. The Hollywood Standard gives you what even the best script software can't clear, concise instructions and hundreds of examples to take the guesswork out of a multitude of formatting questions that perplex even seasoned screenwriters, waste their time, and steal their confidence.
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First published March 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 3, 2016
This was one of a few instructional non-fiction books on my list and it was an invaluable resource in re-educating myself about writing screenplays, The guide is easy to get through, laid out well, includes several relevant examples, and (perhaps best of all) is made to lay flat and is sized perfectly to put your printed pages beside the examples. This gives you a great way to compare and contrast, edit your work, and see where there’s room for improvement. If you’re looking to get into writing screenplays, this book is a must have.
July 28, 2016
A clear, concise and hugely helpful guide to formatting. Nuff said.
June 8, 2009
This is exactly what I wanted. How to format a screenplay.
January 28, 2015
Awesome book for anyone wanting to learn how to write screenplays. This is not about story or acts, it's simply about the right formatting.
Read
August 11, 2011More a textbook really. Not really meant to be read cover to cover... but very handy to have beside your writing desk.
Why would anyone need a book about Script Formatting if they own Final Draft? It’s a question that Christopher Riley has obviously been asked often because he makes a point of addressing it directly in the introduction to this edition of his popular book. “Standard format is about infinitely more than margins. It’s knowing when to add a shot heading and when to leave one out. It’s knowing how to get out of a POV shot and how to set up a montage. It’s knowing what to capitalize and how to control pacing and what belongs in parenthetical character direction and whether those automatic (cont’d)s beside dialogue should be turned on or off.”
But perhaps the best sign that this book is really very useful is on http://johnaugust.com where the incredibly successful scriptwriter announced that he would stop answering questions about formatting because “The Hollywood Standard” was so “refreshingly straightforward and anticipates most of the situations screenwriters are likely to face.”
Aside from useful advice about how to handle txt messages in a script, and other abnormal formatting situations, Riley’s book is at its most useful when describing how to format your script to make life easier for script readers (and therefore your script more likely to be liked). I particularly liked the details of how to break up long sequences of action without dialogue so that they don’t seem too dense on the page.
A warning however: this book is very, very dry. Riley has attempted to sprinkle humour throughout, but it really is an impossible task to make margins and headings interesting. That said, I’m pleased I read it from cover to cover as I would have missed many of the most interesting bits of advice if I’d just used it as a reference book. The book now lives beside my writing desk, to be referred to when I’m doing the final polish and spell-check of a script before sending it out.
Why would anyone need a book about Script Formatting if they own Final Draft? It’s a question that Christopher Riley has obviously been asked often because he makes a point of addressing it directly in the introduction to this edition of his popular book. “Standard format is about infinitely more than margins. It’s knowing when to add a shot heading and when to leave one out. It’s knowing how to get out of a POV shot and how to set up a montage. It’s knowing what to capitalize and how to control pacing and what belongs in parenthetical character direction and whether those automatic (cont’d)s beside dialogue should be turned on or off.”
But perhaps the best sign that this book is really very useful is on http://johnaugust.com where the incredibly successful scriptwriter announced that he would stop answering questions about formatting because “The Hollywood Standard” was so “refreshingly straightforward and anticipates most of the situations screenwriters are likely to face.”
Aside from useful advice about how to handle txt messages in a script, and other abnormal formatting situations, Riley’s book is at its most useful when describing how to format your script to make life easier for script readers (and therefore your script more likely to be liked). I particularly liked the details of how to break up long sequences of action without dialogue so that they don’t seem too dense on the page.
A warning however: this book is very, very dry. Riley has attempted to sprinkle humour throughout, but it really is an impossible task to make margins and headings interesting. That said, I’m pleased I read it from cover to cover as I would have missed many of the most interesting bits of advice if I’d just used it as a reference book. The book now lives beside my writing desk, to be referred to when I’m doing the final polish and spell-check of a script before sending it out.
February 2, 2015
A great guide for screenwriters on formatting and basics. It has examples that lay everything out for you as if you're looking at a page of a script, and a handy glossary and index to help you find exactly what you're looking for. I'd still recommend reading a lot of scripts to see how things are changing and being done, but this is great tool to get you started. Definitely useful to keep near the desk if you're a screenwriter, and even taught me a few things I hadn't thought to ask/research.
March 5, 2016
This book is exactly what every screenwriter needs to have beside his/her computer. Riley answers almost every question imaginable in here with regard to format. People like Fields, Snyder, and McKee put you on the right track for character development and breaking up acts, but Riley teaches about all the nuances for formatting shot headings, directions, dialogue, and transitions. It's a must read in my opinion for anyone serious about screenwriting.
July 13, 2012
Christopher Riley clearly articulates the formatting standards of Hollywood, while still managing to captivate your interest. Both informative and entertaining. Don't write your script without first reading this book.
December 17, 2012
Perfect guide for the new screenwriter. Step by step instructions, real life examples, and a little humor to spice things up. Some of the material is slightly dated, but not enough to inhibit the book's usefulness. I highly recommend it!
October 16, 2013
Although there is a lot of great information, most of it is either old, or presented in a confusing way.
November 14, 2013
Very helpful. A lifesaver. Now permanently on my bookshelf between my Bible and Syd Field's Screenplay.
December 17, 2013
A simplistic breakdown of screenplays... Straightforward textbook for independent filmmakers and screenwriters
December 24, 2014
A definitive guide for screenplay formatting.
March 14, 2017
Fantastic! A must-have for aspiring or veteran screenwriters.
January 15, 2024
Does exactly what it says on the cover. Every screenwriter should read this and own a copy.
That sits on their desk.
Next to the 6 empty cups of coffee.
Seriously.
That sits on their desk.
Next to the 6 empty cups of coffee.
Seriously.
April 13, 2018
Very helpful. Gets to the important parts early, and provides examples throughout. NGL, it takes practice to learn to write this way compared to writing other types of work--novels, short stories, essays. This is a technique, and it differs by deliverable--screenplay, stageplay, TV show--but this book will help you learn the essentials of style so that your work isn't thrown away ("recycled into Starbucks coffee cups") just because it's incoherently or badly formatted and laid out.
October 2, 2018
When I first started writing all I had was this and Blake Snyder’s book. As it turns out, early in my career, these were the only books I needed. This book gives you everything you need to format correctly. Once you get beyond the draft stage you’ll have the benefit of others in the process who can help with the technical details you may be missing. As it turns out though you don’t need a lot of those technical details.
October 25, 2019
If you find yourself in need of a book that covers things that David Trottier does not... then this is the book you need. How to do a production draft because you're producing it yourself? Yep. This is your book! Multi-cam? It's got that too! Definitely check this book out!
June 14, 2021
Neatly arranged, clearly written, no-bells-n-whistles, this book means what it says and says what it means, and that's like finding a unicorn. Gimmicks don't get writing done; but knowing how to format things and doing the writing does -- and Riley gives you the tools for both.
September 6, 2023
I have a love for writing and this book even furthered that. The information I learned in this book I took with me through college and through my past and present jobs!!! If your thinking about videography at any level! Read this book! You never know when these skills will come in handy!
August 26, 2018
The most useful book for screenwriters. Formatting is extremely important for a screenplay, this book has all the information a screenwriter needs to properly format their work.
February 20, 2020
This is well-written and is a very clear guide to the format and style of screenwriting.
May 13, 2020
The best resource out there for properly formatting your screenplay.
November 6, 2020
One interesting books on script formatting
January 16, 2025
Great book for first time script writers to learn the syntax
May 29, 2025
Don't listen to Bob Condor.
January 17, 2022
Great source of examples and information for formatting screenplays. Love that the pages are the size of an actual script page. It's very accessible and easy to use. Recommended for people getting into screenwriting with questions about formatting.
August 22, 2021
“The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style” Es un libro escrito por Christopher Riley donde vemos una recopilación de reglas y consejos a la hora de escribir un guion literario, técnico, guiones para cine o series de tv.
Como todo libro teórico de este tipo es importante señalar que estas reglas y sugerencias van hacia un estilo de formato de guion literario de Hollywood, más específico, para guiones de películas por esto mismo no significa que es la guía definitiva y que funciona para todos los casos.
Aunque el libro y las reglas están en inglés, la mayoría de estas reglas y recomendaciones funcionan para una versión de guion literario en español.
Como otros libros en los que se enfocan en cosas técnicas del guion, en este puedes encontrar desde las dudas clásicas de formato hasta ejemplo muy específicos. Eso significa que si lo que buscas es teoría de la escritura entonces no te servirá mucho.
Mi parte favorita es lo bien ordenado que está todo, así que funciona perfecto para futuras consultas.
Mi recomendación es leerlo, pero también leer otros libros de formato y sobre todo leer guiones. Al final todos estos libros no son tan distintos, pero al menos tendrás distintas formas de contar tu historia y tu guion será más fácil de leer.
Lo recomiendo si:
-Escribes guiones literarios y quieres pulir tu técnica.
-Escribes guiones literarios y quieres tener un libro que consultar cuando tengas dudas específicas.
-Estás confundido en cuanto a las reglas de la escritura de guion literario porque siempre cada libro (o maestro) de guion te dice de una manera distinta como se escribe algo. Este libro aclarará algunas cosas.
-Te gusta escribir y te interesa hacer guiones para productos audiovisuales.
Este libro no necesariamente te hará un mejor escritor, pero si te dará más herramientas para hacer un mejor guion... ahora ya ponte escribir, tú que estás leyendo esto xdxdxd.
Como todo libro teórico de este tipo es importante señalar que estas reglas y sugerencias van hacia un estilo de formato de guion literario de Hollywood, más específico, para guiones de películas por esto mismo no significa que es la guía definitiva y que funciona para todos los casos.
Aunque el libro y las reglas están en inglés, la mayoría de estas reglas y recomendaciones funcionan para una versión de guion literario en español.
Como otros libros en los que se enfocan en cosas técnicas del guion, en este puedes encontrar desde las dudas clásicas de formato hasta ejemplo muy específicos. Eso significa que si lo que buscas es teoría de la escritura entonces no te servirá mucho.
Mi parte favorita es lo bien ordenado que está todo, así que funciona perfecto para futuras consultas.
Mi recomendación es leerlo, pero también leer otros libros de formato y sobre todo leer guiones. Al final todos estos libros no son tan distintos, pero al menos tendrás distintas formas de contar tu historia y tu guion será más fácil de leer.
Lo recomiendo si:
-Escribes guiones literarios y quieres pulir tu técnica.
-Escribes guiones literarios y quieres tener un libro que consultar cuando tengas dudas específicas.
-Estás confundido en cuanto a las reglas de la escritura de guion literario porque siempre cada libro (o maestro) de guion te dice de una manera distinta como se escribe algo. Este libro aclarará algunas cosas.
-Te gusta escribir y te interesa hacer guiones para productos audiovisuales.
Este libro no necesariamente te hará un mejor escritor, pero si te dará más herramientas para hacer un mejor guion... ahora ya ponte escribir, tú que estás leyendo esto xdxdxd.
December 25, 2017
screenwriting 101
as a novelist, screenwriting is formatted in a very new way for me. however, this book does a fantastic job at going into detail about the format and ways to make a script the best that it can possibly be.
as a novelist, screenwriting is formatted in a very new way for me. however, this book does a fantastic job at going into detail about the format and ways to make a script the best that it can possibly be.
December 7, 2021
Bread and butter.
I will say there are a few pieces of advice that truly are more stylistic than the book would suggest. Namely the way parentheticals are used. It's probably not a *bad* idea to structure it the way it's laid out here at all, but the books "DO THIS, NOT THIS" format gets a little wonky.
It's handy. Seems like most screenwriting classes are going to prefer you own this book, so you might as well own this book.
I will say there are a few pieces of advice that truly are more stylistic than the book would suggest. Namely the way parentheticals are used. It's probably not a *bad* idea to structure it the way it's laid out here at all, but the books "DO THIS, NOT THIS" format gets a little wonky.
It's handy. Seems like most screenwriting classes are going to prefer you own this book, so you might as well own this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews