In a "Mad About You" script, action is capitalized and single-spaced and goes about halfway across the page, dialogue is normal capitalization and double-spaced. The script opens with a "Teaser" (the scene before the credits), then has two acts and a "Tag" (the final scene with the closing credits). They generally run about 45-50 pages long. Here's what it should look like:



 
                                    TEASER
 
              INT. THE MAD ABOUT YOU FORMAT PAGE - NIGHT
 
              ABOVE IS YOUR ACT NUMBER HEADING AND SCENE
              HEADING (ALSO KNOWN AS A SLUGLINE).  THEY
              ARE ALWAYS ALL CAPS AND UNDERLINED.  THE 
              ACT NUMBER'S MARGIN IS 35, AND THE SCENE 
              HEADING'S MARGINS ARE 35 AND 60. THE ACT 
              NUMBER SHOULD BE ABOUT 20 LINES DOWN.  
              (THE VERY FIRST SCENE IS THE TEASER; THE VERY 
              LAST ONE IS THE TAG. THEY DON'T NEED THE ACT 
              NUMBER HEADING.)

              SKIP A LINE TO GET TO THIS SECTION AND
              THIS IS WHERE THE ACTION/STAGE DIRECTION
              GOES.  AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S SINGLE-SPACED
              AND ALL CAPS.  IT GOES ABOUT HALFWAY
              ACROSS THE PAGE, WITH MARGINS OF 15 AND
              55.  SKIP A LINE AND YOU GET TO...
 
                                            PAUL
 
                             This is where the dialogue goes.
 
                             It is double-spaced and
 
                             capitalized normally, with
 
                             margins of 30 and 65.
 
                                            JAMIE
 
                             By the way, the margin for the
 
                             character name is 45.  Leave a
 
                             blank line between characters in
 
                             dialogue.
 
              ALSO LEAVE A BLANK LINE BETWEEN DIALOGUE
              AND ACTION.  BASICALLY, LEAVE A BLANK LINE
              BETWEEN EVERYTHING.  WHEN YOU'RE AT THE
              END OF A SCENE, SKIP A LINE AND TYPE "CUT
              TO:"  THE MARGIN FOR "CUT TO:" IS 65.
 
                                                             CUT TO:
    _____________________________________________________________________
 

                                       ACT ONE
 
                                       SCENE-A
 
              FADE IN:
 
              INT. THE MAD ABOUT YOU FORMAT PAGE - MOMENTS LATER
 
              AFTER "CUT TO" COMES THE NEXT SCENE.  "MAD
              ABOUT YOU" USES THE ACT NUMBER AND THE
              SCENE NUMBER (ACTUALLY A LETTER IN "MAD
              ABOUT YOU" SCRIPTS) FOR EVERY SCENE EXCEPT
              THE TEASER AND THE TAG.  THESE SHOULD
              APPEAR ABOUT 20 LINES DOWN ON A NEW PAGE.
 
                                            PAUL
 
                             (CALM) If you're going to use
 
                             parentheticals, they are
 
                             capitalized and appear on the
 
                             same line as the dialogue.  Use
 
                             them sparingly.
 
                                            MURRAY
 
                             And one last thing...  "Mad
 
                             About You" begins with a
 
                             "teaser" and ends with a "tag."
 
                             The tag looks just like the
 
                             teaser, which you've seen above.

                             Act One, Scene A opens with
 
                             "FADE IN:," as does the first
 
                             scene of Act Two.  The final
 
                             scenes in Acts One and Two end
 
                             with "FADE OUT."  The teaser
 
                             ends with "END OF TEASER."  The
 
                             tag ends with "FADE OUT" and
 
                             then "END OF SHOW."
 
              AND NOW...  START WRITING!
 





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