Chapter 1 · Screenwriting Fundamentals

The language of the screenplay page: format, action line, present tense.

What will you learn in this chapter?

Show, don't tell: showing the audience what a character feels instead of writing it down
To read and write a screenplay page: slug line, action line, dialogue, present tense
The professional's route — what gets built before the screenplay — and writing your first film idea into the Film Lab

01What Is a Screenplay?16 cards · ~7 min

02Film Language: Show, Don't Tell15 cards · ~7 min

03Reading a Screenplay Page15 cards · ~6 min

04The Action Line and the Present Tense15 cards · ~7 min

05Your First Formatting Rules16 cards · ~8 min

06The Professional Writing Process16 cards · ~7 min · writing assignment

This is where you start — there's no prerequisite.