ABSTRACT
A screenplay is the literary expression of the story, characters, actions, locations, and tone of film written in a specialized dramatic script format. There are a number of stages in the evolution of a screenplay, and each stage usually requires various drafts. The author's draft is the first complete version of the narrative in proper screenplay format. The screenplay is a multipurpose document. It is both a literary manuscript, conveying the dramatic story for a reader, and a technical document that anticipates the logistics of the production process and allows everyone involved in project to see what they need to do. Beyond the technical formatting of a script, the language of the author's draft screenplay, its style and detail, communicates the spirit of the visual approach, tone, rhythm, and point of view of the final film. There are six formatting elements used in the screenplay form: title, scene headings, stage directions, dialogue, personal directions, and character cues.
