Screenplay Example (Standard Format)
Below is a short film screenplay written from start to finish: “The Scale” — a story of about five minutes that takes place in a single location. It's written in the standard (master scene) format used in the film industry: the scene heading sits on the left in capitals, the action is in the present tense, the character name is in the middle of the page and the dialogue runs under it in a narrow column. You can download the same script, and a blank template, as Word or PDF at the bottom of the page.
What to look for in this example
- Every scene opens with INT. or EXT. + location + time of day.
- The action lines only write what's seen and heard: there's no “Frank was sad”, there's “he wipes the pan with a cloth, then wipes it again”.
- The dialogue is short; the real issue sits under the words (subtext).
- The scale appears at the start and at the end of the film — the object is the story's measure.
- The ending arrives through an action, not a line: the vest put away in the drawer.
How many pages, how many minutes?
Rough measure: in standard format, one page ≈ one minute of screen time. This example runs to about five pages. For your first short film, 5–10 pages is a realistic target; worry less about the page count and more about whether every scene is needed.
The Scale — short film screenplay (full text)
From Senaryo Okulu's Workshop Film universe; written to illustrate the techniques the lessons teach.
INT. BUTCHER'S SHOP – MORNING
A small butcher's shop. On the wall, a framed master's certificate; the ribbon on its edge has faded. The glass of the counter is empty.
FRANK (60s, big hands, straight back) raises the shutter from inside. Morning light falls across the empty hooks.
Frank dusts the scale. Wipes the pan with a cloth. Wipes it again.
He hones the knife on the strop. One. Two. Three.
He looks across through the window. On the far side of the pavement, a giant shop window with a poster: OPENING IN 2 DAYS.
Frank looks at his own reflection in the glass and tightens the strings of his apron.
INT. BUTCHER'S SHOP – NOON
The door bell rings. CAROL (70s, string shopping bag) comes in.
CAROL
Two hundred grams of mince.
Frank takes the meat from the hook, cuts it, feeds it to the grinder. He puts the mince on paper and sets it on the scale.
The needle stops at 220.
Frank takes a pinch of mince back. The needle: 200.
CAROL (CONT'D)
Oh, come on, Frank. It's twenty grams.
FRANK
You said two hundred.
Carol leaves the money on the counter. On her way out she stops at the door and looks at the shop window across the street.
CAROL
They're opening on Friday, they say.
Frank doesn't answer. He wipes the knife.
INT. BUTCHER'S SHOP – AFTERNOON
The empty shop. Frank sits behind the counter and opens his account book. Three lines on the page, all the same day.
The door opens. DANNY (24, backpack) comes in. He pauses on the threshold.
DANNY
Dad.
Frank closes the book.
FRANK
Have you eaten?
DANNY
I have.
Danny drops the bag in the corner and takes the apron from its hook. He starts to put it on.
FRANK
No need. There's no work today.
DANNY
I'll clean the glass, then.
Danny takes the cloth and starts cleaning the window. The light from the shop window across the street falls in through the patch he's wiped.
INT. BUTCHER'S SHOP – EARLY EVENING
Frank steps up to the scale. He calls to Danny without looking at him.
FRANK
Come here.
Danny goes behind the counter. Frank points to the scale's zero.
FRANK (CONT'D)
Empty, it shows zero. If it doesn't, you weigh nothing.
Frank takes Danny's hand and puts his finger on the adjusting screw.
FRANK (CONT'D)
You weigh wrong once. Nobody comes back.
DANNY
Dad, I...
Danny reaches for his bag. Pulls the zip.
A blue vest hangs out of the bag's mouth. On its chest, the logo of the supermarket across the street.
Frank sees it. He doesn't raise his eyes. His hand stays on the scale.
A long silence. The hum of the fridge.
FRANK
How much are they paying?
DANNY
(hesitates)
Minimum wage. Plus meals.
FRANK
Count the meals. They won't.
Frank adjusts the scale. The needle settles on zero.
Danny stuffs the vest back into the bag.
DANNY
Three months. Just till winter. Then back here...
FRANK
You did the glass well.
Frank unties his apron and hangs it on the hook. He goes to the till.
EXT. OUTSIDE THE BUTCHER'S SHOP – NIGHT
Frank pulls down the shutter. The metal echoes down the street.
Danny waits a few steps away. The light of the shop window across the street turns both their faces blue.
DANNY
Do you want me to come tomorrow?
Frank fits the padlock. Turns the key.
FRANK
I open at seven.
Danny nods. They walk off in opposite directions.
Frank walks a few steps and stops. He looks back.
The end of the blue vest is hanging out of the bag on Danny's back.
INT. BUTCHER'S SHOP – NIGHT
The dark shop. The door opens and Frank comes in. He doesn't turn on the light.
From under the counter he takes a folded blue vest — Danny has forgotten it.
Frank unfolds the vest. Looks at the logo. Then folds it neatly.
He opens the drawer where his knives are kept. Puts the vest inside. Closes it.
The scale is empty. In the dark, it shows zero.
FADE OUT.
Checklist
- Are the scene headings in INT./EXT. + location + DAY/NIGHT order?
- Is the action in the present tense and visible?
- Are the character names centred and in capitals?
- Is the dialogue in a narrow column, right under the character name?
- Have you left out inner thoughts, backstory reminders and camera directions?
Download as Word and PDF
Open the Word version and write straight over it; the PDF looks the same on every device and prints as it is.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The document you download has the Scene Heading, Action, Character, Parenthetical, Dialogue and Transition paragraph styles built in. You choose the line's style in Word and the program sets the indent. You can also download the blank template and start your own screenplay straight away.
Use the template and the format however you like. The text of “The Scale” is Senaryo Okulu's own sample work: you can read it, study it and cite it in class; publishing or shooting it as if it were your own work isn't right.
One page is taken as roughly one minute. Short films usually run between 1 and 20 minutes; for your first film, 5–10 pages is a realistic target. Most festivals find it easier to programme films under 15 minutes.
Word or a similar word processor is enough once the right styles are set up — the template you download does exactly that. If you'd rather write in your browser, you can use Senaryo Okulu's editor Senaryum: it lays out scene headings, action and dialogue for you.
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