A screenplay is a written script that describes the dialogue and action of a film. It is the blueprint for the film. It tells the story, describes the characters, and specifies the settings. It is written in a specific format, with scene headings, action lines, character names, dialogue, and parentheticals. The format is standardized so that one page of screenplay roughly equals one minute of screen time. A 120-page screenplay is about a two-hour film.

The screenplay is a collaborative document. The writer creates the first draft. The director interprets it. The actors perform it. The cinematographer visualizes it. The editor shapes it. The screenplay is not the final film. It is the starting point. Many screenplays are rewritten multiple times. Some are rewritten by different writers. The final film may differ significantly from the script. But the screenplay is the foundation. Without it, the film would have no structure.

Screenplays come in several forms. A spec script is written on speculation, without a buyer. A commissioned script is written for a specific producer or studio. An adaptation is based on a book, a play, or another film. An original screenplay is not based on any existing work. Each has its own challenges. The spec script must sell itself. The adaptation must satisfy fans of the source material. The original screenplay must create a world from scratch. The screenplay is the writer's art. It is the first draft of the film.