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Screenplay vs Script
A plain-English guide to screenplays, scripts, teleplays, spec drafts and shooting drafts.
01 / The idea
Is a screenplay the same thing as a script?
A screenplay is a kind of script written for a screen medium. ‘Script’ is the broader word and may refer to stage, radio, podcast, game or production documents with different conventions.
Formatting is meant to help the reader forget they are reading. Once the basics are right, the page gets out of the way and the film can start playing in their head.
02 / What to remember
Three things worth holding onto
None of this is about looking clever or perfectly ‘industry’. It's about being considerate to the next person who opens the PDF and giving your story the cleanest possible read.
Medium shapes the page
Film emphasises visible action and editing; theatre organises live space; audio relies on sound; games must account for player choice.
Spec and shooting drafts serve different readers
A spec script sells the experience. A shooting script adds production controls such as scene numbers and revision tracking.
Television has format variation
Single-camera, multi-camera, animation and platform conventions can differ, so check the current expectation of the recipient.
03 / On the page
Try it this way
Set things up once, keep the process simple and save your attention for the writing. The best workflow is usually the one you can still trust at eleven o'clock the night before a deadline.
- 1
Name the intended medium
Decide where and how the audience will experience the work before choosing a template.
- 2
Identify the document stage
Clarify whether you are writing to be read, budgeted, rehearsed or shot.
- 3
Check recipient requirements
Competitions, broadcasters and producers may specify file type, anonymity and format.
- 4
Use precise language
Calling a film draft a screenplay signals that you understand the medium and its conventions.
04 / Trouble spots
If this feels familiar, take another look
A stage-play format is submitted as a screenplay.
Production numbering appears in an early spec draft.
The writer assumes every television format is identical.
The document is redesigned instead of made readable.
Don't treat this list as a scorecard. Every draft has a few of these. Pick the one causing the most trouble, find the earliest place it appears and work forward from there.
05 / Have a go
Try this on your script
Compare one page each from a screenplay, stage play and audio script. List what each medium must communicate that the others can leave to collaborators.
A couple of questions writers ask
Is a screenplay the same thing as a script?
A screenplay is a kind of script written for a screen medium. ‘Script’ is the broader word and may refer to stage, radio, podcast, game or production documents with different conventions.
How can I practise screenplay vs script?
Compare one page each from a screenplay, stage play and audio script. List what each medium must communicate that the others can leave to collaborators.
Where to go next