Synopses & Reviews
Thousands of promising scripts never get a fair read from Hollywood because their format is wrong. Poor formatting is the mark of an amateur and in the ultra-competitive world of screenwriting, the wrong first impression can kill your dreams.
The simple format rules found in this book which you can learn in an hour come from Hollywood's top expert on script format and will guarantee that your script makes a winning first impression.
Intended to be kept at a screenwriter's fingertips, The Hollywood Standard gives you what even the best script software can't: clear, concise instructions and hundreds of examples to take the guesswork out of a multitude of formatting questions that perplex even seasoned screenwriters, waste their time, and steal their confidence.
Contents include:
- when a new scene heading is appropriate and when it isn't
- how to control pace with formatting
- how to make a script page visually inviting to the reader
- what to capitalize and why
- how to get into and out of a POV shot
- what can and can't be included in an establishing shot
- and much more
Simply put, Riley knows more about script format than anyone in Hollywood and shares it all with you. Buy this book. Learn the rules as if your career depends on it...because it does.
Review
"[R]efreshingly straightforward and anticipates most of the situations screenwriters are likely to face." John August, screenwriter Go, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Review
"Riley has succeeded in an extremely difficult task: he has produced a guide to screenplay formatting which is both entertaining to read and exceptionally thorough. Riley's clear style, authoritative voice and well-written examples make this book far more enjoyable than any formatting guide has a right to be. This is the best guide to script formatting ever, and it is an indispensable tool for every writer working in Hollywood." Wout Thielemans, Screentalk
Review
"It doesn't matter how great your screenplay is if it looks all wrong. The Hollywood Standard is probably the most critical book any screenwriter who is serious about being taken seriously can own. For any writer who truly understands the power of making a good first impression, this comprehensive guide to format and style is priceless." Marie Jones, absolutewrite.com
Review
"One of the first books I tell new writers to buy. It is indispensable. The book is practical, readable, and fun to use." Dean Batali, TV writer-producer That 70's Show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Review
"Buy this book before you write another word! Required reading for any screenwriter who wants to be taken seriously by Hollywood." Elizabeth Stephen, President, Television, Executive Vice President, Motion Picture Production Mandalay Entertainment Group
Synopsis
Finally a script format guide that is accurate, complete, authoritative and easy to use, written by Hollywood's foremost authority on industry standard script formats.
About the Author
Christopher Riley ran the acclaimed script processing department at Warner Bros. and acted as the studio's script format guru, applying industry standard formatting rules to thousands of film and television scripts from every studio in Hollywood, from Murphy Brown and ER to Batman, Unforgiven and As Good As It Gets.