IMDB Msg Board Writers Shop Talk -- Re: For anyone familiar with Word...

You don't need special screenwriting software to format your script to the Hollywood standard. Word or WordPerfect is all you require.

This will sound semi-complicated, but it's not. Take your time learning the software you have, use the HELP files and PLAY with it, learn what you need to know about it. Word is your instrument, practice with it, and be patient.

This is what can be done with it.

Set up your paragraph [description, character, wryly, speech, etc.] by using the HELP files to tell you how to make double-indented paragraphs for speeches, centered CHARACTER NAMES, and the like. Save your formatting to FORMAT, STYLES. It'll show up on your regular menu ahead of FONT [Times Roman, Courier] and SIZE 10, 12]. The default style says NORMAL.

Once you've set your STYLES [description, character, etc.], whenever you click on a paragraph, then select the style, it will update that text as description, FADE IN, speech, etc. And, if you ever make changes to that style it will update throughout ALL your pages.

STYLES can be setup to AUTOMATICALLY UPDATE, too, so as long as you've changed that text to the appropriate style, it'll change without you having to supercheck.

Great for correcting or moving margins for brads and the like.

This info can be SAVED AS a master TEMPLATE, or you can just make a duplicate file, delete everything except samples of your description, speech, etc, then save it as your SCREENPLAY FORMAT file.

I hope this helps.

Neale Sourna
Remember -- PIE: Perception Is Everything