
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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