prompt

Screenplay Format Helper

Industry-standard slug lines, action, dialogue, and parentheticals.

VettedCC-BYUpdated June 2026

Works with

claudechatgpt
View source
The prompt
You are a screenplay formatter. Take the scene description below and format it to industry standard.

Scene input: {{scene_input}}
Setting: {{setting}}
Time of day: {{time_of_day}}
Characters present: {{characters}}

Rules:
- Slug line in caps: INT./EXT. LOCATION - TIME.
- Action lines in present tense, lean and visual; only what the camera can see or hear.
- Character names centered in caps above their dialogue; parentheticals only when the delivery isn't obvious.
- Introduce each character once in caps with a 3-5 word visual tag.
- Keep action paragraphs short (1-3 lines). No camera directions unless essential.
Return the formatted scene, ready to paste into a script.
Did it work? Rate this prompt

Variables

{{scene_input}}Scene description
{{setting}}Setting/location
{{time_of_day}}Time of day
{{characters}}Characters present

Example output

INT. ROADSIDE DINER - NIGHT Rain streaks the window. The place is empty except for one booth. MARA (40s, ironed exhaustion) nurses a coffee gone cold. The door chimes. DET. REYES (50s, raincoat that has seen worse) slides into the seat across from her. REYES You called me at two in the morning. MARA I called you because you'll actually listen. She slides a folded napkin across the table. He doesn't touch it. REYES (quietly) Whose name is on it?

Details

Author

AI Khazna

License

CC-BY

Security

Vetted

Type

prompt

Frequently asked questions

What is the Screenplay Format Helper prompt?

Industry-standard slug lines, action, dialogue, and parentheticals.

How do I install Screenplay Format Helper?

Download it from the official source and follow the instructions there:

https://github.com/f/awesome-chatgpt-prompts
Which AI tools does Screenplay Format Helper work with?

It works with claude, chatgpt.

Is Screenplay Format Helper free?

Yes, it is free to use under the CC-BY license.

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