PRESENTATION AND SCREENPLAY COVERThe script is usually presented to the reader three hole punched, with a hard stock cover and back (some literary agencies have their own logo covers), and bound with three brass brads in the holes. The cover page is the first standard page behind the cover stock. Do not write or print the name of your script on the cover. If you feel they should know what it is, get a clear acetate cover so the reader can see through to the cover page. One thing you can do is to write the name of your script with black marker along the spine of the bound script.
The cover page itself should be simple and unassuming. The title appears centered one third of the way down the page. It can be in a larger font if you wish and can be underlined. Three or four lines down the author(s) name appears.
At the bottom of the page should be the name of the person submitting the script, the address to write to and the phone number to call. It is important to focus on who submits screenplays. There are only three people who do it: the author who has no company name, the agent for the author who has an agency company name, or the owner of the script and has purchased it by contract from the author and who has a production company name. Authors should be cautious because some script, if they have a production company name attached to the cover page, may be rejected out of hand as being burdened with unessential baggage.
The only other element that should appear on the cover is a copyright. Though you must copyright your work, you might not want to put the full copyright on the cover since it is often copywritten a year or more before it is handed to a reader. That means it is old, not fresh, and possibly a reject be other companies. While the copyright laws no longer require a copyright to appear for the copyright to be official, many writers us the Writers Guild of American registration. Again, if it is registered, you should not put the registration number (not required) since it might tend to date the material.
Nothing else. No dates, revision numbers, draft numbers, etc. Simple and to the point. If they have any questions they will write or call you.
Some writers feel they need to put in a cast of characters after the cover and before the screenplay and others feel they need an introduction of production notes. Don't.