What do you think?
Rate this book
ScriptBully Books #2
Screenplay Format Made (Stupidly) Easy
Want to learn screenplay format without spending hours and hours poring over books that read more like an insurance manual than a format guide?
Want a screenplay template guide that will show how you to do cool things like a CROSS DISSOLVE or an INTERCUT or an ANGLE ON without looking like a total newbie?
Want some clear screenplay examples that don’t sound like they came from the 80s?
Screenplay format ain’t rocket science, but it can be confusing. (Especially if you’re relatively new to the craft of screenwriting.)
That’s why I put together this book.
I was tired of screenplay format tomes that sounded like employee handbooks, and didn’t have any cool tricks in them.
I was tired of looking at books that were using terms and techniques that were passé and dated when Mel Gibson was still a bankable movie star.
Because for all the terms, and there are a lot of them, screenplay format is really still all about telling the reader:
1. Where we are
2. What’s going on
3. What people are saying
4. What we should look at
And, yes, it's true. Software such as Final Draft or Movie Magic will keep your margins intact and your spacing accurate.
But software WON'T tell you how to set up a shot heading on a spaceship.
Or how to control pacing in your action-movie car chase.
Or the right way to use parentheticals.(Answer: Sparingly, if at all.)
A lot of screenwriters think just turning in a script in the FDR (Final Draft) format is enough to show they belong in the industry.
But one errant use of “WE PULL BACK TO SEE” or the “CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL” can brand you as an amateur quicker than a Walker, Texas Ranger DVD collection.
Good screenplay format isn’t just about following rules. It’s about making things easier on the reader. (And don’t you think the reader suffers enough, having to slog through endless “vampire romance” specs.)
So as you learn the proper uses of ANGLE ON or DISSOLVES or MOVING WITH, remember it’s not about the dials on the amplifier.
It’s about the music it makes.
There’s a lot of technical stuff (ie: crap) as it relates to screenplay format. From secondary shot headings to reverse angles to intercut conversation, a well-meaning writer could spend months, if not years, trying to master it.
Don’t.
Just learn the basics, or at least enough to make you not look like a total imbecile, and then keep writing.
And that’s what this book can hopefully do.
It’ll show how to put camera moves in your screenplay without sounding like a total tool, and which effects you should steer clear of. (Yes, I’m talking to you montage!)
I’ll also answer some of the biggest questions screenwriters have in regards to screenplay format such as:
• How do I write a flashback?
• How do I introduce a character who has no name?
• How do I write a montage?
• How do I write an action scene?
• How to I write telephone calls?
• Is a car an interior or an exterior?
To me, all of these questions have one underlying context.
Which is…
How do I write a script which I plan to send to managers and agents without looking like a total moron?
So whether you’re brand new to screenwriting, or just want to make sure you’re executing screenplay format properly, pick up a copy of Screenplay Format Made (Stupidly) Easy.
Who knows?
What you learn in this book may help you sell your script, make millions of dollars, and date Megan Fox. (Or maybe not.)
Good luck with your writing!
Want a screenplay template guide that will show how you to do cool things like a CROSS DISSOLVE or an INTERCUT or an ANGLE ON without looking like a total newbie?
Want some clear screenplay examples that don’t sound like they came from the 80s?
Screenplay format ain’t rocket science, but it can be confusing. (Especially if you’re relatively new to the craft of screenwriting.)
That’s why I put together this book.
I was tired of screenplay format tomes that sounded like employee handbooks, and didn’t have any cool tricks in them.
I was tired of looking at books that were using terms and techniques that were passé and dated when Mel Gibson was still a bankable movie star.
Because for all the terms, and there are a lot of them, screenplay format is really still all about telling the reader:
1. Where we are
2. What’s going on
3. What people are saying
4. What we should look at
And, yes, it's true. Software such as Final Draft or Movie Magic will keep your margins intact and your spacing accurate.
But software WON'T tell you how to set up a shot heading on a spaceship.
Or how to control pacing in your action-movie car chase.
Or the right way to use parentheticals.(Answer: Sparingly, if at all.)
A lot of screenwriters think just turning in a script in the FDR (Final Draft) format is enough to show they belong in the industry.
But one errant use of “WE PULL BACK TO SEE” or the “CAMERA PULLS BACK TO REVEAL” can brand you as an amateur quicker than a Walker, Texas Ranger DVD collection.
Good screenplay format isn’t just about following rules. It’s about making things easier on the reader. (And don’t you think the reader suffers enough, having to slog through endless “vampire romance” specs.)
So as you learn the proper uses of ANGLE ON or DISSOLVES or MOVING WITH, remember it’s not about the dials on the amplifier.
It’s about the music it makes.
There’s a lot of technical stuff (ie: crap) as it relates to screenplay format. From secondary shot headings to reverse angles to intercut conversation, a well-meaning writer could spend months, if not years, trying to master it.
Don’t.
Just learn the basics, or at least enough to make you not look like a total imbecile, and then keep writing.
And that’s what this book can hopefully do.
It’ll show how to put camera moves in your screenplay without sounding like a total tool, and which effects you should steer clear of. (Yes, I’m talking to you montage!)
I’ll also answer some of the biggest questions screenwriters have in regards to screenplay format such as:
• How do I write a flashback?
• How do I introduce a character who has no name?
• How do I write a montage?
• How do I write an action scene?
• How to I write telephone calls?
• Is a car an interior or an exterior?
To me, all of these questions have one underlying context.
Which is…
How do I write a script which I plan to send to managers and agents without looking like a total moron?
So whether you’re brand new to screenwriting, or just want to make sure you’re executing screenplay format properly, pick up a copy of Screenplay Format Made (Stupidly) Easy.
Who knows?
What you learn in this book may help you sell your script, make millions of dollars, and date Megan Fox. (Or maybe not.)
Good luck with your writing!
- GenresWriting
67 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2012
142 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 24, 2021
A great educational book which answers every question you could have about how to format your screenplay in the right way
August 3, 2022
Great Writing
This is exactly what I needed to read. When I started the book I couldn’t stop and it was done. Easy and great ability to highlight (even from your phone or kindle). I loved Mr. Rohan’s sense of humor and it was easy to follow his points made by him driving his examples down to the simplest empirical forms. He is witty and current. Great writing and great read. Thank you for your work Michael Rogan.
This is exactly what I needed to read. When I started the book I couldn’t stop and it was done. Easy and great ability to highlight (even from your phone or kindle). I loved Mr. Rohan’s sense of humor and it was easy to follow his points made by him driving his examples down to the simplest empirical forms. He is witty and current. Great writing and great read. Thank you for your work Michael Rogan.
January 27, 2020
This book is exactly what I was looking for. Concise, current, and simple. Rogan explains "why" things shouldn't be done. It's like sitting in a green room and listening in on readers criticizing the mistakes (that this book prevents you from making). I now feel a lot better about the process.
July 31, 2020
Good quick read
I rated this 3 only coz I wanted it to be slightly more detailed. But, it does pack in a lot and the author has done a good job. Highly recommended for amatuers and perhaps for professionals as a quick checklist / reference.
I rated this 3 only coz I wanted it to be slightly more detailed. But, it does pack in a lot and the author has done a good job. Highly recommended for amatuers and perhaps for professionals as a quick checklist / reference.
December 2, 2020
Short and sweet...
I'll compare these tools to others I've read. About a 20 minute read. I'll also look up the authors successfully written scripts. Really liked the end of chapter recap notes.
I'll compare these tools to others I've read. About a 20 minute read. I'll also look up the authors successfully written scripts. Really liked the end of chapter recap notes.
December 28, 2023
Pick it up
This both a brief and excellent overview of screenplay formatting. I written a few scripts and while I have referenced others scripts to learn over the years I’ve still had some lingering questions about the basics.
Check it out!
This both a brief and excellent overview of screenplay formatting. I written a few scripts and while I have referenced others scripts to learn over the years I’ve still had some lingering questions about the basics.
Check it out!
August 1, 2019
All the essentials, with none of the clutter.
September 11, 2019
This is a good book that provides readers with a starting point into the world of screenwriting. It's definitely worth the money I paid for the text.
February 14, 2021
Best.
Covers almost everything. Short and directly explained with examples. Glad to have it with me. Better than most of the courses available on Udemy.
Covers almost everything. Short and directly explained with examples. Glad to have it with me. Better than most of the courses available on Udemy.
November 28, 2022
Quick read
A good quick read to jump into formatting and learn about setting up a scene. Detail often missed when formatting a script.
A good quick read to jump into formatting and learn about setting up a scene. Detail often missed when formatting a script.
November 22, 2023
Brief. To the point.
February 27, 2017
Excellent!!!!
If you are tired of reading page after page of repetitive, unhelpful drivel, this entire series is a nice change of pace. Mr. Rogan cuts to the chase and does so with refreshing humor and candor. A MUST-read. Collect them all!
If you are tired of reading page after page of repetitive, unhelpful drivel, this entire series is a nice change of pace. Mr. Rogan cuts to the chase and does so with refreshing humor and candor. A MUST-read. Collect them all!
April 6, 2016
Without being too harsh, this "book" was light on useful information. It's not a complete waste if you consider that it is part 4 of 5. I'd recommend reading it for free if you have an Amazon Prime account.
Rogan's writing style is casual and full of adult language, so if that offends you then you may want to steer clear. The format feels a lot like reading a series of tweets more than reading a book. Tons of spacing and line breaks make the 41 page read feel more like half that length.
If you're completely new to script formatting you can pick up a lot of pointers here, but nothing that you wouldn't find in one or two clicks on Google.
Rogan's writing style is casual and full of adult language, so if that offends you then you may want to steer clear. The format feels a lot like reading a series of tweets more than reading a book. Tons of spacing and line breaks make the 41 page read feel more like half that length.
If you're completely new to script formatting you can pick up a lot of pointers here, but nothing that you wouldn't find in one or two clicks on Google.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews