ScriptCheck: Screenplay Format Reference & Auditor

Visual Format Auditor

Paste a snippet from your script on the right. Compare it to the industry-perfect standard on the left. Toggle the margin guides to check your alignment.

Industry Standard

Your Script

The 'One Page = One Minute' Estimator

Standard proper formatting exists so producers can estimate film length during physical production. Check your script's estimated runtime.

Total Pages:

Script Pacing:

Estimated Runtime: 90 minutes

Scene Heading & Margin Cheat Sheet

Professional script software handles this automatically, but if you are using a standard word processor for a first draft, stick to these exact measurements. Screenplays must use Courier 12pt. This creates exactly 10 characters per inch horizontally and 6 lines per inch vertically.

Element	Left Indent	Right Margin	Spacing Before
Scene Heading (INT/EXT)	1.5 inches	1.0 inch	Double (2 lines)
Action/Description	1.5 inches	1.0 inch	Single
Character Name	3.7 inches	N/A	Double (2 lines)
Parenthetical	3.1 inches	2.9 inches	Single
Dialogue	2.5 inches	2.5 inches	Single

Scene Heading Rules

Every new location or time shift requires a scene heading. Never combine locations without a master scene heading. Format them strictly as: [INT or EXT]. [LOCATION] - [DAY or NIGHT].

INT. (Interior) or EXT. (Exterior)
Avoid vague times. Stick to DAY, NIGHT, LATER, CONTINUOUS, or SAME. Avoid specific clock times unless crucial to the plot.

Common "Format-Killer" Error Checklist

Many contests filter out early scripts simply because they look amateurish. Use this checklist as a final pass over your PDF before you submit it anywhere. Your progress is saved locally in your browser.

Using a font other than Courier 12pt.
Excessive bolding or underlining. Only use for scene headings or very occasional emphasis.
Blocks of action text longer than 4 lines (break them up to improve pacing).
Including camera angles or directing notes (e.g., "We zoom in on...", "Close up of...").
Including a copyright symbol or WGA registration number on the title page.
Character names left hanging at the bottom of a page without dialogue under them.