A Bunch of Formatting Questions (please help)

[Blender10011]

If anyone could help answer these questions it would be great. Thanks in advance.

Do you:

1) Write the name of the script on page one? And underline it?

2)
In slug line, if you want to mention the specific store, what would you do?

EXT. TOYS R US - DAY

(in that case, people are familiar enough with the store so it's not confusing...but what if the store's or bar's name isn't known AND the name is part of the joke/important info.

EXT. TOY STORE/TOYS R US - NIGHT

or

EXT. TOY STORE - "TOYS R US" - NIGHT

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3)What do you do with telephone calls.

INT. HOUSE - DAY

Mark picks up the phone and dials.

DAVID
I have a question.

ALLIE
(voice over)
What do you want to know?

Is that correct? As opposed to setting up where Allie is if it's not relevant. Some people write "off screen" but according to Script Magazine that's only for when a character is in the same location and can't be seen on the silver screen. What do you do?

Or do you prefer the voice over next to the name. As in.

ALIE (V.0.)

OR

ALLIE (voice over)

-----------------------------------

Do you write FADE IN: FADE OUT:o n every script?
Do you do it six lines down from the first page? Or on the very top?

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What about puncutation when a character is intererupted?

Is it:

ALLIE
I hope you don't....

OR IS IT

ALLIE
I hope you don't -




Thanks

[Blender10011]

Can you capitalize a prop or something similar if it's really important to the plot.

Ingrid Bergman holds the KEY to the wine cellalr in her hand.

[Blender10011]

Is this okay?

INT. DAVID'S HOUSE/KITCHEN - NIGHT

or should it be:

INT. DAVID'S HOUSE - NIGHT

In the kitchen, David eats.

[wcmartell]

A) Read 30 recent screenplays before you do anything else. The answer to almost every screenwriting question will be answered.

1) Some do, some don't. Not important.

2) INT. TOYS R US -- DAY

(they'll know what you're talking about)

3) Many different ways to do phone calls depending on what you need the audience to see. Do you want them to see David or Allie? You can move between them or focus on the one with the most drama.

ALLIE (V.O.)

is the way it's done these days.

4) You only FADE OUT when you want to stop the story and FADE IN when you want to start it. So most scripts will onky have FADE OUT at the very end, a few will stop the story at some point in the middle of the script (often for a passage of time) and then restart it.

5) I hope you don't...
Means trailing off.

I hope you don't --
Mean it gets cut off by the next speaker.

But you have way too many questions - and all can be easily answered by reading 30 screenplays cover-to-cover right now before you type another word.

- Bill

[Blender10011]

What if the name weren't as obvious as T.R.U.

Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions.

Much appreciated.

[jimjimgrande]

work it into your description


INT. TOY STORE DAY

"BLENDER'S" says the sign above the door and it's toy heaven for all the little rugrats in the tri-state area -

OR

INT. BLENDER'S DAY

This pathetic excuse for a toy store features everything from rusty nails to scrap metal for tots of all ages. There's even a "Broken Barbie" discount bin

[MUohioScreenwriter]

stick with the 'TOY STORE' instead of a specific retailer unless you are doing work for them or have their permission.

As far as the KITCHEN scene is concerned...

INT. DAVID'S HOUSE/KITCHEN - NIGHT

or should it be:

INT. DAVID'S HOUSE - NIGHT

In the kitchen, David eats.

Another variant could be:

INT. DAVID'S HOUSE-NIGHT

KITCHEN

David eats.

This allows you to have your character move to other rooms in the house without dropping in scene headings for every room. This is going to be useful if your character is in a subdivided location within a location. A house being the most common.

[Blender10011]

1) Got the Cole/Haag book.

They seem to suggest that

INT. DAVID'S HOUSE/KITCHEN - NIGHT

is correct and works.

2) I used Toys R Us as an example but I'm actually making up my own name for the store and it's a joke name that's supposed to be funny.