The short answer.
A screenplay title page has the title in capitals, centered in the upper half of the page, with Written by and the writer's name a few lines below it. Contact details go at the bottom left and, if you use one, the draft date at the bottom right. It is plain 12 point Courier, carries no page number, and is not counted as page one.
On this page
The layout
A title page is set in the same 12 point Courier as the script and is deliberately plain. Everything on it has a usual place.
| Item | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Centered, upper half | Capitals. No quotation marks. |
| Credit and name | A few lines below | Written by, then the writer’s name |
| Source | Under the name | Adaptations only, such as Based on the novel by |
| Contact | Bottom left | The writer’s details, or the representative’s |
| Draft date | Bottom right | Optional |
The title and the credit
The title is centered, in capitals, somewhere in the upper half of the page. Bold or underline is optional; quotation marks are not used. Below it, a few lines down, goes the credit: Written by for an original screenplay, then the writer’s name on the next line. Two writers who worked as a team are joined with an ampersand; writers who worked separately are joined with the word and. That is the Writers Guild convention, and it is worth following when you are not sure.
Adaptations and TV
An adaptation adds a source line under the writer’s name: Based on the novel and the book’s title and author. A TV script starts with the show’s title in capitals, then the episode title in quotation marks below it. For an original pilot, the show’s title with Pilot beneath it is common. TV pilot length and acts covers the pages that follow.
Contact details and the date
Contact details sit at the bottom left: a name, an email address and a phone number, or the details of your agent or manager if you have one. A postal address is optional. The draft date, when used, sits at the bottom right. Whether to put one on a spec you are sending out is a matter of habit; it is useful to you, and readers do not expect it.
What to leave off
- A page number or header. The title page is not numbered.
- A logline, a quote or a note about the script.
- FADE IN:, which belongs at the top of page one.
- Artwork or a logo. A spec title page is words only. A copyright line or registration number is optional; if you use one, put it at the bottom left near your contact details.
In First Page
On the Mac, Document, then Title Page opens a page-shaped editor, also reached with Option-Command-T. It has a field for each item above, placed where they usually go: title, credit, writer, source, contact at the bottom left and draft date at the bottom right. A new title page starts with Written by already in the credit. You can set each field in bold, italic or underline, change its alignment, and place an image.
The title prints in capitals. When you print or export a PDF, the title page comes first, ahead of page one. Export as Fountain writes the fields as Title, Credit, Author, Source, Draft date and Contact, so another app can read them. What Fountain is explains the format.
Questions
- What goes on a screenplay title page?
- The title, a credit line such as Written by, and the writer's name. After that, optionally, a Based on line for an adaptation, contact details, and a draft date. Nothing else is expected: no logline, no quotes, no page number.
- Does a screenplay title page have a page number?
- No. The title page is not numbered and is not counted. Page one is the first page of the script itself.
- Where does the contact information go on a title page?
- At the bottom left, most often. List the writer's name, email and phone number, or the agent or manager's if you are represented. Some scripts put it at the bottom right instead.
- Should a spec script's title page have a date or copyright notice?
- Neither is required, and practice varies. A draft date helps you keep versions apart. A copyright line or a registration number is optional, and many writers leave them off a script they are sending out.
- How do you format the title page of a TV script?
- Put the show's title in capitals, then the episode title in quotation marks beneath it, then Written by and the writer's name. For an original pilot, the show's title with Pilot beneath it is common. Contact details go at the bottom left as usual.
