Screenwriting guide
TV Script Format: Single and Multi Camera
A TV script uses screenplay format plus act structure. Single camera shows, most dramas and many comedies, look like a feature script with act breaks marked. Multi camera sitcoms use their own format: action in capitals, double spaced dialogue and lettered scenes. Both can open with a cold open or teaser and close with a tag.
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Live TV script formatter
Type in plain text. A name in caps right above a line becomes dialogue, and lines starting INT. or EXT. become scene headings.
ACT ONE
SCENE A
INT. DINER - DAY (DAY 1)
(Rosa, Ben)
ROSA WIPES THE COUNTER. BEN ENTERS AND SITS AT THE SAME STOOL AS ALWAYS.
BEN
The usual.
ROSA
We don't have a usual. You've been here twice.
BEN
Then let's make it official.
What does a single camera TV script look like?
A drama cold open in single camera format. It reads like a feature script, with the cold open and the act marked by centred headings. ACT ONE would start on a new page.
COLD OPEN
INT. COUNTY RECORDS OFFICE - NIGHT
Fluorescent lights. Filing cabinets to the ceiling. JUNE ODUYA (40s, county clerk, reading glasses pushed into her hair) drags a box marked 1987 off a high shelf. It is lighter than it should be.
She opens it. Empty, except for a single key on a red ribbon.
JUNE
(to herself)
That is not county property.
Behind her, the office door CLICKS shut. Locked from outside.
END OF COLD OPEN
ACT ONE
INT. JUNE'S KITCHEN - MORNING
The key sits on the table between June and her teenage son KOFI, who is eating cereal out of the box.
What does a multi camera sitcom script look like?
The opening of a multi camera sitcom. The scene is lettered, the heading notes which night of the story it is, the cast in the scene is listed under it, action is in capitals and the dialogue is double spaced.
ACT ONE
SCENE A
INT. DEV AND MAYA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT (NIGHT 1)
(Dev, Maya, Grandpa Lou)
DEV ENTERS, HOLDING A FISH TANK WITH ONE VERY LARGE GOLDFISH IN IT.
MAYA
What is that?
DEV
It's Gerald. Grandpa Lou is moving in, and Gerald is part of the package.
MAYA
(TO THE FISH)
Nobody asked you.
GRANDPA LOU (O.S.)
Gerald heard that.
Writing your own show? Start with how to write a TV pilot and its outline template. Every other element, from montages to phone calls, is in the screenplay format guide.
How to use it
- 1
Pick single camera or multi camera above the formatter.
- 2
Type your scene in plain text. Wrap a line in > and < to centre it, as in >ACT ONE<, and start a line with ! to keep it as action.
- 3
Copy the formatted text, or move the scene into Studio to keep writing.
Single camera vs multi camera at a glance
| Single camera | Multi camera sitcom | |
|---|---|---|
| Shot like | A film, one camera set up at a time | A play, several cameras, often a live audience |
| Action lines | Normal case | ALL CAPITALS |
| Dialogue | Single spaced | Double spaced |
| Scenes | Scene headings only | Lettered: SCENE A, SCENE B, each on a new page |
| Under the heading | Action starts | Cast in the scene, in parentheses |
| Typical page count | Half hour around 25 to 35, hour around 50 to 65 | Half hour often around 45 to 55 |
What is the difference between single camera and multi camera format?
Single camera shows are shot like films, so the script looks like a screenplay: Courier 12, scene headings, action in normal case, single spaced dialogue. Most dramas and many modern comedies use it.
Multi camera sitcoms are shot on stages with several cameras, often in front of an audience. The page is laid out for a rehearsal room: action and parentheticals in capitals, dialogue double spaced, scenes lettered and started on a new page, with the characters in the scene listed under the heading. The double spacing is why a half hour multi cam script runs longer on the page than a single cam one.
How do you mark act breaks in a TV script?
Start each act on a new page with the act name centred and underlined, such as ACT ONE. End it with END OF ACT ONE, also centred. Network and ad supported shows build stories around these breaks, so each act should end on a turn or a question that brings viewers back after the commercial.
Streaming shows often have no commercial breaks and many scripts drop the act headings. The story still needs the same turns, so many writers outline in acts anyway.
What is a cold open, a teaser and a tag?
A cold open is a scene or short sequence before the main titles, meant to hook the viewer at once. In dramas it is often called the teaser and sets up the episode’s problem. In comedies a cold open can be a standalone runner. A tag is a short scene after the final act, often a button joke in a comedy or a hook for the next episode in a drama.
How long is a TV script?
As rough guidance, a half hour single camera script runs about 25 to 35 pages, a half hour multi camera script about 45 to 55 because of the double spacing, and an hour drama about 50 to 65. Individual shows vary, so read scripts from the show you are writing for or comparable to.
Questions writers ask
Is a TV script formatted like a movie script?
A single camera TV script is, apart from act breaks, a cold open or teaser and sometimes a tag. Multi camera sitcoms use a different layout with capitalised action and double spaced dialogue.
What is the format of a sitcom script?
Multi camera sitcoms use lettered scenes on new pages, underlined headings, a cast list under each heading, action in capitals and double spaced dialogue. Single camera sitcoms use standard screenplay format.
How many acts are in a TV episode?
It depends on the show and the outlet. Half hour comedies often use two or three acts plus a cold open and tag. Network hour dramas often use a teaser and four or five acts. Streaming scripts may not mark acts at all.
Do I write a TV script in Courier?
Yes. Courier 12 point is standard for both single and multi camera scripts, which keeps page counts comparable.
Where can I get a TV script template?
The live formatter on this page formats single and multi camera scenes as you type. For a full episode, ScriptLix Studio is free in the browser.