Hollywood Standard: A Guide to Script Format and Style

The Hollywood standard is a universally recognized script format. "Hollywood Standard" by Christopher Riley is a book that every screenwriter should have.

A producer can tell with just a glance at a script that its author is an amateur. A novice... reveals their ignorance of the principles of writing and formatting a script, and, unfortunately, in such cases, even the most brilliant idea looks unconvincing on paper.

Christopher Riley is a professional screenwriter who led the script processing department at Warner Bros. He knows more about the Hollywood standard than anyone in the film industry. In his book, he details all the rules of script format and explains how to convey any visual images that come to your mind in text. Clear and understandable instructions and hundreds of examples will help clarify many questions that perplex even experienced screenwriters:

- When is a new scene heading needed?
- How to format flashbacks and dreams?
- How to describe shooting specifics?
- How to indicate the beginning and end of a scene seen from a character's perspective?
- What information to include in a parenthetical?

Using excerpts from the scripts of Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, and other iconic authors, Riley shows how to create innovative texts for cinema while adhering to the strict confines of the classic script format.

"Hollywood Standard" has gone through 3 reprints and has remained a staple for renowned Hollywood screenwriters, producers, and showrunners for 17 years. It is suitable for both professionals and aspiring screenwriters.