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Hi, I'm Brandon Knight.
Today, I want to show you how to write a scene
using StudioBinder`s screenwriting feature,
and speed up your writing process using hotkeys.
To get started,
go to your documents page and create a new screenplay.
Click "New document."
Select "Screenplay."
And click "Next."
Enter a title and then press "Create Document."
Your new screenplay has been generated.
Now, it's time to get writing.
But first off,
let's get a little lay of the land.
In your left sidebar,
you will see your document versions.
Since this is a brand new screenplay,
we just have one version.
You can also rename your script,
duplicate versions,
and even save them as a template.
If you click here,
you can open up a comment sidebar
where collaborators can comment on your script.
Now that you know where everything is,
let's get started.
The first thing you always want to start with
is a scene heading.
All scene headings need to start with either INT. or EXT.
indicating whether it's an interior or exterior scene.
Then you type in the location
a.k.a the set.
And then the time of day.
All of this indicates not just to the reader where we are,
but will also inform the production
with critical information
to bundle scenes together
and schedule a shoot more efficiently.
Scene headings are very important
because these are how StudioBinder`s
syncs information across the project,
like on your shooting schedule.
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Shot lists.
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And breakdowns.
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A couple tips.
You can format text, as a scene heading,
by clicking here in the toolbar.
Or press "Option+S."
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Or press enter again on a blank line,
and a drop-down will appear
in letting you choose which format you would like.
Now that we have our scene heading,
press "enter" and it will automatically take you to the action line.
Which can be confirmed
when the icon is highlighted in the toolbar.
The action line describes to the reader
what is happening on screen.
Ideally, you want your action lines to be short and to the point.
Only stating critical actions
and very little fluff.
You can also select any text to make it bold.
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Italicized.
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Or underline to add extra emphasis.
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Another important tip.
When you first introduce a character
write their name in all caps.
And follow it with a short fragmented description ,
sort of like this.
You only do this,
the first time a character is introduced in a script.
Next, we want to add some dialogue.
To do that, we first have to specify the character who is speaking.
You can either click appear.
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Or just press "Tab" on your keyboard.
Then typing the character name.
Then hit "Enter" to start writing the dialogue.
Now in this case,
I want George to be out of breath, as he speaks.
So I'm going to add a parenthetical.
Or a note to the actor or director,
on how this line should be delivered.
To do this, if you're in the dialogue format like I am,
just press the parenthetical button here.
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Or press "Tab" again to change the format.
I'll type in "out of breath."
Now you don't want to do this too much,
only when it's really necessary.
Press "Enter" to complete this
and move back to the dialogue formatting,
and add your dialogue.
When you're done,
you can hit "Enter" to revert back to the action line
and describe more actions,
or add more dialogue.
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Next, transitions.
These are generally used for editing instructions
and are extremely valuable
when visualizing a scene.
For example,
you can add "dissolve to"
if you want to dissolve a scene into another.
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Then we have general.
This can be used in a variety of ways.
One way to use general
is as a subheader.
Which is when a full scene heading isn't required.
For example,
if your character moves from one area to another
in the same scene,
you can add a subheader to specify this.
Or you can use these for intercuts.
Let's say, a character is having a phone conversation,
and you plan on doing a series of quick cuts.
Just type, "Intercut Phone Conversation."
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Be sure to add a new scene heading
every time the location changes.
Just remember to format it correctly.
Keep using your hotkeys or pressing "Tab."
And you'll start noticing some autocompletes
will continue to expand over time.
Recalling previously used scene headings,
as well as character names.
That way, you don't have to type them out every time.
When your script is finished,
you can press this button up top
to sync it to your project.
Now, you can begin the process
of prepping your scene breakdowns,
shot list, schedules
and call sheets.
So the bottom line.
Using StudioBinder`s screenwriting feature,
along with keyboard shortcuts,
and properly formatted scene headings and characters
will get you from script to screen in no time.
Thanks for watching.
I'm Brandon with StudioBinder,
reminding you to work smarter, not harder.
And we'll see you in the next video.
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