by Trevor Mayes | May 23, 2016 | Formatting, Modern Craft, Scene Headings
LATER Hater After reading a few client scripts recently where LATER is actually used more often than DAY or NIGHT in scene headings, I figured it was time to address this issue. If you’re fond of using LATER in your scene headings, then what I’m about to...
by Trevor Mayes | May 17, 2016 | Dialogue, Formatting, Script Proofreading, Writing
The Problem In a previous post, I discussed the difference between using dashes (hyphens) and dots (ellipses) at the end of a sentence — a common source of confusion. Recently, I’ve discovered a new and erroneous trend with hyphens. With increasing...
by Trevor Mayes | Aug 20, 2014 | Formatting, Scene Headings, Screenwriting Basics, Style
Comma Chameleon Commas are great. I’m a fan. Without them, misunderstandings abound… But why are so many commas turning up in scene headings these days? Did I miss the memo? Let’s clarify what I’m talking about. It’s the use of commas in...
by Trevor Mayes | Apr 15, 2014 | Dialogue, Formatting, Quick Screenwriting Tips
Never end a dialogue block with a parenthetical. I’ve been seeing this kind of thing a lot lately in the amateur scripts I’ve been reading: DEMON You think that puny gun can kill me? (laughs) If you need to indicate an action that follows a block of...
by Trevor Mayes | Feb 4, 2014 | Formatting, Industry Advice, Modern Craft
Recap This series takes a look at current trends in screenwriting and screenplay formatting, by examining the 2013 Black List scripts. In Part 1, I investigated the page count stats. In Part 2, I examined the use of bold and underlined scene headings. In Part 3, I...
by Trevor Mayes | Jan 22, 2014 | Formatting, Industry Advice, Modern Craft, The Black List
Recap This series takes a look at current trends in screenwriting and screenplay formatting, by examining the 2013 Black List scripts. In Part 1, I investigated the page count stats. In Part 2, I examined the use of bold and underlined scene headings. The Black List...