Greetings. I just received notice from a literary agency regarding one of my screenplay shorts. They informed me my format was incorrect. Specifically the use of 'More' & 'Continued', which in their words, is making my screenplay look amateurish. I'm using Final Draft 9. The 'Mores' & 'Continueds' are automatically inserted via Final Draft at the end of pages, and when the same character speaks again. I am not adding them! I have studied screenwriting in school, read tons of screenplays and screenplay books. But maybe the industry standard is changing? Are those features in FD 9 able to be turned off? By the way, this literary agency has offered to show me where I'm making errors for $450.00.
Screenwriting : Feedback Requested: 'More' & 'Continued'... Proper? by Ted King
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Thanks Dan! I appreciate the honest feedback... and the advice!
You go to a Barber and you need a haircut....
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Turn off those automatic features, Ted. You will use them only when you are writing a production draft with numbered scenes. For your spec you don't need them. And I agree with the others - do not pay any literary agency any money ever.
I agree about turning the features off. Personally I feel they clutter the page. Shame on the agency.
A successful Log is one that grabs you by the balls and twists them.
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Pl dont pay for any agency . Will they assure you a Producer ? Even if you sell we cant recover the fees . Most of them want the script for free at least in India
Current trend; Exclude MORE or CONTINUED from the top and bottom of pages. However, it is recommended that when a character's dialog breaks onto the following page to include (CONT'D) next to the character's name. Example: MRS. SMITH (CONT'D). Of course, you don't have to. Again, it's only recommended. I use it for clarity only in the rare occurrence that dialog does break onto the following page.
Oh, and $450 for a literary agent to "show you errors?" Yikes! I'm not sure what that means? Sounds like a scam. If you wish for help with your script, including formatting, then hire a script consultant.
Thanks fellow members! This is very helpful! I'm going to take your suggestions and turn off some of those auto features. And it sounds like the consensus is not to pay!! Real good advice. Much appreciated!!
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Yeah, as everyone said, a legit agency should not be charging to point out your errors. However, it is a new standard that you do not need the MORES and CONT'S anymore at the end of your pages or beginnings. We can assume that the scene is continuing on the next page, what else would it be doing? So, they are right about the format, but wrong about the charges.
Thanks Danny! This is very helpfu!
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only use "More and Continued's " for dialogue not scenes
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you should be able to hire a good consultant for $250 or so. i wouldn't bother with a "literary agency" who wants money from you :)
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click on "document" at the top of final draft 9 and then click on "More and Continued". the first two boxes should be checked and not any of the others, This is the default set up so I don"t see what the problem is. Regards, William
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Holy crap! $450.00...? Dude, we're in the wrong business! I don't know what to tell you, but I feel, if "somebody" is REALLY interested in what you do they'd take it on a napkin. Good luck...you're more ahead of the game than most of us. Write on!
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From an actor's standpoint, I appreciate the mores and continueds. When doing a reading, you tend to expect a back-and-forth kind of dialogue, and seeing "more" at the end of my line reminds me that I also have the next one. But, if you do want to turn that off, you can do so in Final Draft 7 and 8 too.
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Keep in mind that there is a difference between formatting a spec script and one that is in development. Spec scripts really should not have MORE and CONTINUED at the top or bottom of pages. :)
This is very good feedback! Thanks! I really like James Peters' response! Dead on!
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I have an appointment with Pilar Alessandra, a well respected script consultant, so I've added that to my list of questions for her. It's not that I don't trust you, but there's always so much conflicting information about the "rules" of screenwriting, and the target always seems to be moving. It does make sense to me, however, that the "mores" and "continueds" be reserved for the shooting script.
And don't get me started on the conflicting information surrounding CONTINUOUS! But that's for another thread (that I think already exists).
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I've discovered that many guys outta there are discourage these "more" "continued" stuffs but as Ted said, these stuffs are automatically inserted. To be honest, though am mr. no body in the industry, I don't love these "more" things even in my own script and am doing a lot to avoid them from very few to zero. The best way to avoid them when they appear is to go back three pages above(i mean if you're in page 10, go back to page 7) and start to look for unnecessary words/sentences in your script. You get them, you either replace with shorter sentence or omit. With this, you can have 120 pages script with no those "more" "continued" things.