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The Origins of Screenplay Formatting

Origins of Formatting Film goes back to the 1800s, when movies were nothing else than photographic techniques mixed with light bulb effects to create a moving picture effect. These film were called "Scenarios", which were no longer than 40 seconds. The writing for these scenarios were short synopses used both for film description and marketing. For example: Edison's 1897 tale "Pillow Fight" is described as: “Four young ladies, in their nightgowns, are having a romp. One of the pillows gets torn, and the feathers fly all over the room.” John P. Hess. (2017). Proto-Screenplay-The Essentials of Screenplay Formatting. 2017, by Filmmaker IQ Website: https://filmmakeriq.com/lessons/silent-era-scenarios/ But with time it was discovered that different pieces of film could be put together to tell a story. The first screenplays were only written as technical support, so the director knew what to shoot and in what order. Later,  by 1903 it was start...