How to write a movie script screenplay using Final Draft 

hey Bryan, no problem, glad it helped! I know how difficult it is to write a screenplay properly and even more challenging to find free resources like my video, that's why I made it!

Thanks man, yeah the more realistic you can make things, and m the more research you can do, the better the script will come out.

Thank you so much for such a great compliment!

That's awesome Robbie! Yeah man, putting notes into an outline and pre-writing your thoughts is key. I still want to do another tutorial on writing out a beatsheet, coming up with your theme, b story, plot points, etc. - just have to find some time haha!

Charlie Shaw that’s great! Hopefully now you can turn your outlines into movie scripts!

dijon streak Thanks so much for the comment, I’m glad that you appreciate the video! Good luck writing screenplays!

NO PTROBLEM Jason....man...ur AWESOME SO Helpful...already shared u on twitter..( i quit facebook a year ago - so happy i did THAT !! )

Robert Manigault no problem! I’m glad I was able to offer you a bit of inspiration and motivation. That’s why I make these videos!!

No problem! That's what it's all about, just getting started and to write something. I'm glad my video helped get you going!

Lib Hopper thank you! Yes I tried to make it a mix of a tutorial and a writing session. As you see I showed how to use most of the tools within final draft but also showed how to put together a script.

Mike Allen Thank you so much for the kind words, glad it was helpful!

you're welcome, I'm glad it helped, that's why I made the video! :)

Jason Sherman do you write screenplays yourself? Wish u had more screenwriting vids on ur page...

ro sharma yes I do write screenplays, I suppose I can make another video, what would you like for it to be about?

Same. Best wishes on all your future projects. Also, I recently earned my Producer & Editing credentials. While I was in school I purchased final draft 12. I found some really helpful tutorials and “Dr. Screenplay” also has a really great video for variables on RU-vid. For instance, when you’re changing scenes while dialogue is working. I hope to see your work in the near future. Fellow writer, appreciating the help. ~Sheeara, Alaska

invisiblehandent I’m glad it helped, that’s exactly why I make tutorials like this one, since I can’t sit down with everyone in person!

@@JasonSherman76 What I don't understand is...I wanna sell this script. You mentioned not to do "zoom ins and cut to's." If a few are included, does that mean they will put the script down?Shut it down?

invisiblehandent Yeah, the thing is if you plan to film and direct the movie yourself then you can include as many directors comments and camera movements as you want. But if you want to sell the script to an agent or a studio or a producer, you have to write what’s called a spec script and not include any of that. Just a bare-bones script so that their director can put their own style and spin onto it.

@@JasonSherman76 Awesome. Thank you. I would like to sell the script. I actually wrote it (story mode, not the script yet) with specific actors in mind. Is there anywhere I should mention that? I mean, does that ever happnen? lol. Thanks again.

@@invisiblehandent if you are trying to sell a script then it must be a spec script, you have to leave out all director's comments and you definitely can't mention what actors you want haha - that's the producers or studios job.

David Mercado Thanks man, I’m glad it helped you. That’s why I make these videos, to help people through difficult things like these!

@@JasonSherman76 Can you ever make a video about how do you think a well structured story should be? Having in mind the way you explain things, I think it would be really helpfull for everyone related in any way to filmmaking, no just students. Once again, thanks for spreading the knowledge!

David Mercado I’ve actually been having a with people lately about this topic more often. I think it is best suited for my new podcast as it is something I can talk about more than I can show on the screen. So I think that’s what I will do my next podcast episode on this week! Subscribe to it and when I release it you’ll get notified Podcast.JasonSherman.org - I think the best bet is to make the episode about how to write a screenplay properly, tips and tricks, what producers look for, and some things I learned over the years

@@JasonSherman76 Thanks man! I really appreciate it. I couldn't suscribe due to problems with my e-mail (I think it's bugged) but I'll be attentive on your page. Have a nice one!

David Mercado no problem I’ll let you know when I post it!

glad you enjoyed it! :)

Did it ever get picked up or was it just for a hobby?

@@hollowludens5861 am in the final stage now.

I'm so glad this was able to help you! I noticed a lot of people got help from this video. Hopefully in the future I can make another one for you guys!

@@JasonSherman76 Pls,…I would love if you share not one,…but more videos like this and more videos about writing filmmaker and screenwriter stories!! Thanks 🙏🏻 Jason!!

Audrey Russo wow thanks for the great compliment! That’s exactly why I made this video and others. I get frustrated with what’s available out there and I feel like I should tell people what I know to help them as well!

Well, so glad you share your gifts (and you made everything so clear)...it blessed me!

Audrey Russo Aaww yay! That was my goal when creating the video. So I’m glad it worked!!

No problem I’m glad it helped!

Aw man thank you! I'm so glad it helped, that's why I made the tutorial! :)

Kate Tsubata thank you so much! I'm glad it helped. And I'm glad that you pointed out all of the pieces that I helped you learn, I'm sure I could have went much more in depth. But I just wanted to give people a crash course!

I think it was great, because as you walked us through the process, we could understand how to manage and coordinate the tasks involved. I've read a bunch of screenwriting books, which have not been very helpful as they tend to discuss things in abstract. (Acts, character arcs, types of stories, etc.) What you have done is to present a "walk-through tour" of how to actually do the writing, effectively and efficiently.

I started applying your methods, and it's really helped me overcome a lot of blocks and gaps I had been encountering. Thanks again!

That's fantastic! You basically just pinpointed my methodology when it comes to posting the tutorial. It's to cut through all the books and lessons that don't really teach you the nitty-gritty. That's what I find most books and lessons are lacking, the actual "how to". i'm glad it helped you so much, really makes me feel like making the tutorials are worthwhile!

I've even attended screenwriting conferences, seminars, etc.--none of which gave me any of the useful pointers you did.

SlowMasterVideos No problem, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Katie Strong I’m so glad it helped! And it’s cool to find out that you are just getting started as a screenwriter, so good luck! 👍🏼😄

Jeff Mahoney thanks man!!

Thanks for the comment, I actually do it that way also, just for the purposes of this tutorial I wanted to keep things short and simple. It would have taken me much longer to add more detail. I’m glad to hear that others are doing what I am, it truly does save a ton of time!

Thank you!

you are quite welcome! :)

no problem, i'm glad I could help, and that's great that you are getting back into writing! :)

Thank you...I'm switching gears from history to futuristic...3 years of research and need to get this story out of my head. I love what you did with the outline and links. I bought Save the Cat program and Final Draft 10 couple years ago...Your outline system seems cleaner and less complicated. :)

Nikki Oldaker That’s awesome, save the cat is a great book, I follow that pretty much for all of my screenplays!

Agree...Have you talked about pitching in any of your videos? How to get the meeting? What to and not to say. My screenwriting teacher told me actors (unknown) are going in for writers to pitch now....Is that true?

Nikki Oldaker Wow I never heard of actors going into pitch. For me I work with email, phone calls, query letters, social media, getting coverage, etc. it’s always best to get to know agents and have conversations, form a relationship, and as for advice and feedback. I don’t usually just pitch my scripts to get sold as much as I ask for feedback and then as I continue to work on my scripts, hopefully one of these days I will be able to sell one.

Thanks man! You have a Multipass! Haha. And yes I feel like doing research and writing an outline to go back-and-forth is very helpful. Especially having your scenes on cards on a whiteboard as well.

@@JasonSherman76 Hi again Jason! Been a while but finally getting back to my screenplay project and have a question for you. Is there any point at which one gives TOO MUCH description in scenes? Like to the point that a potential director will just get annoyed? Hope that makes sense. Cheers~

@@jfpOne23 that's a great question, and a valid one. The answer is yes. Descriptions are meant to set the scene, surroundings, and describe the actions the audience sees. So the old adage "show don't tell" is what a description is for. If you start to write too much, well then you might as well write a book! haha

glad you liked it!

sweet thank Thomas! Glad you liked it :)

Glad you enjoyed it. Btw, a lot of the things you mentioned are mostly meant for major productions and director's scripts. You should be focusing on writing a spec script (bare minimum, just story), unless you plan on filming it yourself.

What Jason said. That's a director's script you're referring to.

Thank you!

Thanks!

dinesh alwal Thanks man I appreciate the comment, I’m glad that I was able to help you! Sure I will see if I can make that video about how to sell a script when I have time!

Wow that was quick... Ya please if u can make it that would be great thanks!!!!!

Andreas Persson hey what Dan Akroyd movie are you talking about? But I’m glad that the video helped you out!

Jason Sherman My stepmother is an alien. ☺️ its awesome! If you could do a tutorial on how to write, textmessages, FaceTime, watching a video on the phone and modern day stuff like that? That would be great!! Thank you!! 🤙🏽☺️

Andreas Persson ah yes I remember that movie from the 80s. It’s a similar idea you’re right. But that one was a stepmother and this one was a girlfriend. Totally different ideas for stories too. Also mine was just an example Lol

A late response to the question, but - If writing a novel you have to use simile and metaphor to actualise a scene for the reader because they cannot see it - and you are always writing in 'past-tense'. For a screenplay this is not necessary as the viewer can literally see it on the screen live in front of them. For example, a rural mountain mist scene with a tent alongside a stream would require far more narrative in a novel than it would in a screenplay. Adverbs work well with screenplays because the viewer can see it visually, but they don't work well with novels because novels need more narrative than any adverb simplification can justify. You describe a scene concisely and to the point, leaving the Director and the Cinematographer the latitude to inject their own creativity into it to bring it alive. Remember what the up-loader said about 'white space' on the pages? That is a must. You cannot over-narrate your scene descriptions.

No problem, glad you enjoyed it. Nowadays most agents only accept a query letter and first 10 pages of the PDF. You can send the whole thing but they don't usually read past page 10 unless they really love it.

hey Tashana thank you!! I like making tutorials that show me creating something from scratch, and the whole process of thinking through it. I'm glad I was able to help you out. Final Draft is definitely the program to get, it's the industry standard and makes writing screenplays so easy. Personally I would always write a movie screenplay before I would write a play. If you get your script in the hands of an agent you might have a shot at selling it to a producer. My advice is to read and write as many screenplays as you can!

Are you working on a project now Tashana? If you're interested in collaborating on a very unique screenplay let me know.

Jack Ridge thanks!!

darren harker Glad you enjoyed it. So the thing is, I use word specifically for outlining, brainstorming, research, notes, links, etc. Then to write the script I use final draft. That’s pretty much what I would do if I were you as well.

JMakahaFitz Yes it is still a character name, the difference is you will add (V.O.) after the name. So for example: CHARLIE (V.O.) I thought I finally met the one. Boy was I wrong.

Bm Md Do you mean highlight the characters with a color?

Jason Sherman yes.

@@buddiepal12 if you plan on doing a table read with actors then it will help them know what color they are.

No it’s not, every time the scene changes you have to give a scene heading. If I was rushing through it and left it out that was an accident. But also if you’re writing a directors script and not a spec script, you can pretty much do whatever you want since you’re the one shooting it.

@@JasonSherman76 thanks!!

well the google doc is just for you to make an outline and add links for research, character descriptions, etc. Think of it as your blank whiteboard to fill in all the aspects of the script. Then with Final Draft you are just writing the screenplay. Make sense?

@@JasonSherman76 Thank you for this

@@terryjerry1839 any time!

haha you're welcome, I think? Glad I could help you out!

Cory Jeffreys That’s mostly to highlight characters for table reads.

Very cool I'm starting school Jan 7 for cinematography I cannot wait to start so I been watching your video..so thank you for the free lessons

Final draft has an auto save feature, but you can also save it whenever you want!

Late to arrive and early to leave means when you are writing a new scene start after the boring stuff happens as if you are entering the scene as an outsider, the audience, late. So you might’ve missed what happened prior to you entering the scene. Same goes for early to leave. This usually ends in questions that need to be answered. For example, early to leave, “I have an idea on how to stop the bomb from going off!” And then leave the scene. The audience now wants to know what the idea is! But this works in a much smaller scale as well.

@@JasonSherman76 Thanks for the answer! I guess i understood. it is about to maintain intrigue?

mskim830 i’ve been planning to do a video on how to write a spec script yes, so that’ll be my next video!

@@HollywoodConnection-JAST Yeah a spec script doesn't have anything extra in it, so that the director and actors can add their own style and ideas to it. If not then it would be called a shooting script because it will include all of the camera angles, transitions, director's notes, and other information that you would need on set.

Jacinta that's a great question. Although I've done that before, it's a pretty big pain in the butt. The answer is yes you can do it, but you will have to play around with the content to get it where you want it. Since Final Draft works a lot with the TAB key, you'll notice it's a pain to get things where you want them. It's really meant as software to help you write a screenplay quickly, and not format old content, but yes it's possible.

@@JasonSherman76 thank you.

Right so whenever I use ... in a line of dialogue, is a way to show a pause, without using (beat), and then when I use -- it's usually at the end of a line of dialogue, before someone gets a chance to finish what they say, and then get interrupted. Or in an action description, and something happens that leads to something else I'll use -- and then the next line of action or dialogue is a continuation of it.

@@JasonSherman76 ahhh i see... thank you!

@@fridakalota370 no problem, any time!

Aventurera I think I know what you are asking and I believe you are correct. Although I use the tab key and not the space bar. Keep in mind, this tutorial was just how to write a screenplay. But I have been really honing my craft on writing a spec. In a spec you leave all those extras out.

Jason Sherman thank you...by any chance do you know the correct link or website for copywriting?

copywriting for what?

FOR THE SCREENPLAY…COPYWRIGHT SO NOBODY STILL YOUR WORK

Aventurera oh the copyright! www.copyright.gov/

haha do I look like David Dastmalchian?

@@JasonSherman76 You look like you could be cousins.

@@silverfishimperitrix funny noone ever told me that before. can't say it's flattering haha

This works for any written script or screenplay. It's the same style.

you have to buy it! :)

thepiratebay.org/torrent/24518572/Final_Draft_10.0.7.62 Follow installation guidelines from the download file

I'm always up for a movie anywhere around the world as long as you have a producer and funding :)

I assume you mean the song I made in the background? Yeah, when I made this video years ago I didn't think about it too much. The 100 or so videos I've put out since don't have music in the background. Also I plan on making another updated screenwriting video in the future, so stay tuned :)