DIALOGUE BLOCKSUsually we would start with the Scene Description since most likely it would the fourth item on the first page of the screenplay after the title, the fade in, and the first scene slug would be scene description. But in a way, scene description is less important than dialogue. Dialogue is the most important part of any screenplay. Just try reading a script by one of the great screenwriters like Paddy Chayefsky, Billy Wilder, etc. There is almost no scene description. The art is in the great dialogue. Because that is what the audience will see of the script. And because it must be perfect. But that is the literature. The craft of a Dialogue Block is much easier.
Double spaced from whatever came before, the Dialogue Block consists of up to six elements.
SPEAKER: The Speaker's name is written in capitals. It is set in three tabs from the left margin. It is sometimes followed by a Vocal Direction or a Continued.
VOCAL DIRECTION: You don't use Vocal Direction in a scene when the character is physically present even when they are not on camera. You do use Vocal Direction when a character is speaking from a different Location, such as the next room (Off Screen), on the other end of a telephone or speaker device (Filtered), or speaking over the scene like a narrator (Voice Over). Some writers us abreviations such as O.S. for Off Screen and V.O. for Voice Over. It is usually better to use 'S VOICE for Off Screen and NARRATING for Voice Over.
There are two forms of Vocal Direction.
CONTINUED SPEECH: When you break a single Speaker's dialogue into two parts to continue onto the next page you will have to mark the continuation of the Speaker's dialogue by adding a (CONT'D) after the next Speaker slug at the top of the next page.
BERNIE'S VOICE or BERNIE (O.S.)BERNIE (filtered)
BERNIE NARRATING or BERNIE (V.O.)
PERSONAL DIRECTION: Below the Speaker's Name comes the Personal Direction, if any. It is set in two tabs from the left margin. This is a direction for the actor which relates to the way in which the dialogue is given whether is an emotion (terrified) or an action (cocking the pistol). Try to avoid using emotional personal direction, especially if an actor or director are going to eventually read the script. Most emotional direction is implied in your dialogue anyway. If you tell them they should be terrified and they are yelling "Please, don't kill me" it is rather redundant. It can, sometimes, be insulting to a good actor who may think you don't believe actors can read a script and understand the emotions required. But there are cases where you will find it important to include emotional personal direction.
BERNIE (CONT'D)DIALOGUE: The Dialogue itself is left and right indented. It runs from the first tab in from the left margin to the last tab. The dialogue therefore runs 3.75 inches wide.
(terrified)(cocking his pistol)
Hark, what light through yonder window breaks. It is the moon
and Juliet is the sun.DIALOGUE CONTINUES: On occasions when the dialogue is very long and must break onto the next page, you can find a logical breaking place and insert a (CONTINUED) on the line under the break. This indicates to the reader not to take a break for coffee at this point but continue on to the next page. It also requires that you add a (CONT'D) after the Speaker's slug on the next page. Instead of the (CONTINUED) you can insert a (MORE) when you need to break a piece of dialogue with a necessary Scene Description on a single page. The reason for this is that, as the reader gets further into your script they begin to pass over the Speaker name slug. They expect that a dialogue between two people will go back and forth. And they will get into that rhythm. If you are having one speaker say two pieces of dialogue in a row, the reader might momentarily think the second line is the second speaker. The (MORE) and (CONTINUED) warns them of this break in the pattern.
So you will probably create a block like this:
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
BERNIE'S VOICE
(yelling)
Hey, Maura, what's on the barbie? It smells like you're
burning the shrimp.
(MORE)Bernie walks out from the house.
BERNIE
(prodding the shrimp)
No probem, honey. It's fine.DIALOGUE BLOCK INTEGRITY: It is important to never let a Dialogue Block be broken by the end of a page. If you get to the bottom of a page and the page will only hold the Speaker name or part of the dialogue, put the whole block on the next page. Never leave part orphaned on one page and the continuation on the next. If you need to do this you should use a continued but only if you can get into the dialogue on the first page. Because of this rule, sometimes one page will end three quarters down the page leaving a huge blank space. This is the situation to use a CONTINUED in the Scene Closer space. But never leave the reader with a Speaker name on the bottom of a page and the dialogue on the next. It's just bad form.
THE COMMON COMMA: One of the most common complaints readers have is that the amateur American screenwriter can't be bothered to use proper punctuation. And the greatest abuse is the use of the comma in dialogue.
JOHN
I think Mary you should find the book. And James
might find it useful also. Right Tom?Sometimes they aren't just annoying but laughable:
MARY
I like your hair Bob.Or this gem with spelling mistakes:
GEORGE
The kids get out at noon toady Mary. We might be
home by them.These stop the flow of reading. They make you look amateur. It is worth the small cost of a copy of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style. The proper use of the comma is less than four short pages of reading. And it is worth it. So is knowing the difference between "it's" and "its," between "your" and "you're," and between "lose" and "loose." These last three are also infuriating mistakes which annoy readers. Remember, they are the first people you have to please with your screenplay. If they put it aside for something so minor, you are in trouble. And they will put it aside for someone who knows how to write.