Congratulations! Everyone “has a great idea” for a script, but you’re actually doing something about it. This guide explains the basics of writing a script in Arc Studio to help get you started.
If you want more details on the script elements we talk about below (Scene Headings, Action, Character, Dialogue, and more), check out our in-depth Intro to Script Elements Guide.
Scenes start with the Scene Heading. Will the scene take place inside or outside? If inside, type int., otherwise ext. Arc Studio will automatically convert it into a Scene Heading for you, which means it’s also auto-capitalized. Easy!
int. or ext. tells Arc Studio you’re writing a Scene Heading. The line will be auto-formatted as a scene heading.
Continue with the location where the scene is happening (e.g. Dolby Theater below) and then hit Tab. This will open the time of day pop-up, which is when this scene takes place. The most common times are DAY and NIGHT. If you want DAY, just hit Return. For another time of day, hit your keyboard’s down arrow ↓ or type the first letter, like N for Night” and hit Return.
Arc Studio has put you on a brand new Action line. You can type out your description of what’s happening. When you’re done, hit Return again and you will get a new Action line. However, we want Ana to start presenting the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Hit Tab (⇥) to turn the Action element into a Character element. You’ll notice the cursor jump to the middle of the screen. Then type the name of the character who is going to talk.
Tab turns empty action elements into character elements.
Hit Return , and you now have an empty dialogue line beneath Ana’s name. You can now type what you want her to say. Once you’re done with her lines, hit Return and you go to a new empty character line. Now it’s Robert’s turn to talk. Type robert and his name will be automatically capitalized, then hit Return and write his dialogue.
Hit Return after you finish writing his lines, and you’re back to an empty character line. You could have Ana speak again, or you could switch to an action line by hitting Tab.
Tab turns empty character elements into action elements.
You’ll notice that you only need to type the character’s name once. Arc Studio remembers the names and suggests them for you when you’re in a character element. Just click the name you want or select it with the arrow keys and hit Return.
What if you want to specify how a character says a line? For instance, to indicate that they’re joking. You can do that with a Parenthetical. (Warning: Use these sparingly.) There are two easy ways to make a Parenthetical. You can either hit Tab after writing the character name, or you can type ( in a dialogue line. Either way will take you to an empty parenthetical. Just type it, and then hit Return to automatically go to that character’s dialogue line.
(Hey, it could happen!)
When you’re ready to write your next scene, just type int. or ext. in an action line and you have your next scene heading!
That’s it! As you saw, Arc Studio usually chooses the right element for you. You just have to hit Tab on occasion to change between Character elements and Action elements. (Once you get the hang of things, you can also customize which kind of element follows another kind of element in the settings.)
One other thing…
You might have noticed that each element type had its own icon in the left margin. You can click on that icon to change the element type, adjust the formatting, and more.
You can also change the elements using keyboard shortcuts.