Free template
Screenplay Outline Template: Free Script Outline
A screenplay outline is the whole story of your film, in order, before you write a single scene. This free script outline template walks a feature through three acts, from the opening image to the final image, with page targets for each turn. Fill it in here, print it, copy it or download it, or load the worked example.
Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial
Screenplay outline template
Fill it in on screen, print it blank, or download it as a text file. Fill with example shows the level of detail for a feature.
Screenplay outline
Want a beat by beat version? Put your page count into the beat sheet calculator. Ready to draft? Follow how to write a screenplay step by step, or turn the outline into a film treatment for a producer.
How to use it
- 1
Start with the story box: a logline, and what your protagonist wants, needs and gets wrong.
- 2
Fill in the turning points first: inciting incident, end of act one, midpoint, low point and climax.
- 3
Then fill the spaces between them with what the protagonist tries and what it costs.
- 4
Print it or save it as a PDF, copy it into your notes, or download it as a text file.
What is a screenplay outline?
A screenplay outline is a plan for a movie script: the main story events in order, act by act, written in plain prose or short bullet points. It is a working document for the writer, not something you submit. Most feature outlines run from two to fifteen pages, depending on how much the writer likes to decide before drafting.
An outline is different from a treatment. A treatment tells the story as readable prose for someone else, often a producer. An outline is for you, and can be as rough as you like as long as every turn is on it.
What should a script outline include?
At minimum: the logline, the protagonist and what they want, the opposition, and the main turning points of each act. Most writers also note the B story (often a relationship), the midpoint shift, and the low point before the climax.
The template on this page uses page targets for a feature of about 100 to 110 pages: the inciting incident around page 10 to 15, the end of act one around page 25, the midpoint around page 55 and the low point around page 75 to 85. They are guides, not rules. If your midpoint lands on page 48, that is fine, as long as something real changes there.
What is the best screenplay outline format?
There is no industry standard screenplay outline format, because nobody but you reads it. The three common formats are a three act outline like the template here, a beat sheet with a set list of beats, and a scene by scene outline (sometimes called a step outline) with one line per scene.
Many writers use all three in order: a one page three act outline to find the story, a beat sheet to test the pacing, then a scene list to draft from. Start with whichever feels least like homework.
How long should a screenplay outline be?
Long enough that you know the ending and every major turn before you start the draft. For a first outline that is often one or two pages. Writers who outline scene by scene can end up with ten or more. If you are writing pages of outline to avoid writing the script, stop and start drafting.
Questions writers ask
Is there a free screenplay outline template?
Yes. This page has a free screenplay outline template you can fill in on screen, print or save as a PDF, copy as text or download as a .txt file. No signup.
What is the difference between a script outline and a beat sheet?
A script outline is any plan of the story in order. A beat sheet is one kind of outline that uses a fixed list of named beats with page targets. The outline here sits between the two: three acts with the key turns marked.
Do professional screenwriters outline?
Most do, in some form. Writers hired to write a studio script usually have to deliver an outline before the draft. Some writers outline in detail, others only note the main turns and discover the rest while drafting.
Can I see a sample screenplay outline?
Yes. Tap Fill with example on this page to load a sample screenplay outline for an original drama thriller, Low Water, written for this page. It shows every field filled in at a useful level of detail.
Can I use this as a movie script outline template for a short film?
You can, but most shorts only need three lines: the setup, the turn and the ending. For a short, skip the act two fields or use the short film guide instead.
Should I outline before writing a screenplay?
It helps most writers, especially on a first feature, because it is far faster to fix a broken story in a two page outline than in a 110 page draft.
Further reading
More free tools
- Beat sheet calculatorToolStory beats for any page count
- Three act structureGuideThe structure, plus an act break calculator
- Film treatment templateTemplateBuild a treatment, then print it
- Script coverage templateTemplateFill it in, print it, see an example
- Pitch deck templateTemplateTen slides for a film or TV pitch