00780: screenplay formater

Summary: screenplay formater
Created: 2006-07-31 15:02
Status: Open
Category: Cookbook
From: Alex
Assigned:
Priority: 2
Version: 2
OS: Windows

Description: Hi folks. I would like to write a screenplay with a team. And it would be just GREAT to make it wiki-like collaborative. Yet the guys are used to screenplay structure; if a cookbook gave them the format by default, it would enhance a lot our work and possibly the work of others.

Sorry I didn't search properly. Cookbook.FilmScript I keep discussion there - Alex

So you see it's quite a minor thing. Yet I presume it's not hard to do, so if someone is interested, here it is:

  • It should automatically put courier new as a font and be a maximum of 70 colums wide.
  • If normal text is entered, it should start in column 6 and be 65 columns wide.
  • If a text is entered and starts with EXT or INT in CAPS, it should also start in column 5 and be 65 columns wide.
  • If a text all in CAPS (a name) is entered and it does not start with INT or EXT letters, it should start in column 28.
  • The next line of text after a name (dialog) should start in column 20 and be 34 letters wide. (end at column 47)
  • If a line starts with "(" - parenthesis it should start in column 50.

It would be optimal if all new lines could be separated in paragraphs like normal pmwiki disregarding how many the author types in, except the one with the dialog, that should start right next to the name above.

I hope I made myself clear with this request. There is no true standard and there are and slightly different ways to format dialog, etc, but not really needed. Here's a sample:

     INT. DRISKILL HOTEL SEMINAR ROOM   DAY

     JOE and APRIL burst through the doors into a clean, well-lit
     seminar room.

                                JOE
                    Are we in time?

                                APRIL
                    How could they start without us?
                    We're the main attraction. 

     Joe catches his breath as he leans against the podium at the
     front of the room