Screenplay format guide
How to Write a Series of Shots in a Screenplay
To write a series of shots in a screenplay, put SERIES OF SHOTS and a short label in capitals on its own line, list each quick moment as its own short action line, often lettered A, B, C, then close with END SERIES OF SHOTS. Use it for one short burst of action in one place. Example below.
Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial
INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT
The smoke alarm screams. Theo leaps off the couch.
SERIES OF SHOTS - THEO FIGHTS THE KITCHEN
A) Theo yanks the oven open. Black smoke pours out.
B) He fans the alarm with a pizza box. It screams louder.
C) He throws the burnt pan in the sink. Steam explodes.
D) He climbs on a chair and rips the alarm off the ceiling.
END SERIES OF SHOTS
Silence. A knock at the door.
Write your own
Type in plain text. A name in caps right above a line becomes dialogue, and lines starting INT. or EXT. become scene headings.
INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT
The smoke alarm screams. Theo leaps off the couch.
SERIES OF SHOTS - THEO FIGHTS THE KITCHEN
A) Theo yanks the oven open. Black smoke pours out.
B) He fans the alarm with a pizza box. It screams louder.
C) He throws the burnt pan in the sink. Steam explodes.
D) He climbs on a chair and rips the alarm off the ceiling.
END SERIES OF SHOTS
Silence. A knock at the door.
How to use it
- 1
Write SERIES OF SHOTS, a dash and a short label in capitals on its own line.
- 2
List each quick moment as a short action line. Lettering them A), B), C) is optional but common.
- 3
Close with END SERIES OF SHOTS and carry on with the scene.
Series of shots or montage?
| Series of shots | Montage | |
|---|---|---|
| Time covered | Seconds or minutes | Days, weeks or years |
| Places | Usually one | Often several |
| Shows | One action, broken into quick cuts | Change over time |
| Closes with | END SERIES OF SHOTS | END MONTAGE |
What is a series of shots?
A series of shots compresses one continuous action into a handful of quick moments. A man fighting a kitchen fire, a team setting up a stakeout, a getaway through three streets. It saves you from writing a new scene heading for every cut, and it reads at the speed it will play.
How is it different from a montage?
A montage shows change across a stretch of time, often in several places, like a training montage over months. A series of shots stays inside one short stretch of action, usually in one place. Readers treat both almost the same, and many writers use the words loosely. If your beats jump across days, call it a montage.
Do I need to letter the shots?
No. Letters make each beat easy to point to in a meeting, which some writers like. Plain short action lines, one per beat, work just as well. Whichever you choose, keep each beat to a line or two so the sequence reads fast.
More from the format guide
- How to Write a Montage in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Flashback in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Phone Call in a Screenplay
- How to Write Text Messages in a Screenplay
- Dual Dialogue in a Screenplay
- Voice Over in a Screenplay: V.O. Narration
- Screenplay Transitions: CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO
- How to Introduce a Character in a Screenplay
- How to Use Parentheticals in a Screenplay
- How to Write an Intercut in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Title Card in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Flash Forward in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Dream Sequence in a Screenplay
- Smash Cut: What It Is and How to Write One
- O.S. in a Screenplay: Meaning and Format
- How to Write a Pre Lap in a Screenplay
- Subtitles in a Screenplay: Foreign Dialogue
- How to Write a Split Screen in a Screenplay
- How to Write Slow Motion in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Freeze Frame in a Screenplay
- How to Write Song Lyrics in a Screenplay
Questions writers ask
How do you write a series of shots in a screenplay?
Write SERIES OF SHOTS and a short label in capitals, list each quick moment as its own action line, then close with END SERIES OF SHOTS.
What is the difference between a series of shots and a montage?
A series of shots covers one short burst of action, usually in one place. A montage covers a longer stretch of time, often across places.
Should I letter each shot?
It is optional. Lettering with A), B), C) is common, plain lines work too.
Can a series of shots have dialogue?
A quick line can work, but if a beat needs a back and forth it is a scene, not a shot in a series.