Screenplay Prompt Structure: Scene Headings Models Respect

Screenplay prompts work when you give the model format rules, a story bible, and one scene to write at a time. The format rules cover scene headings, action lines, character cues, dialogue, parentheticals, and transitions. The story bible holds a logline, a beat sheet, character notes, and a scene list. You leave with a format-lock prompt, a beat sheet prompt, a single-scene prompt, a revision prompt, and a drafting loop that keeps a feature or short film consistent from page 1 to the last scene. Short social video scripts live in a sibling guide. Soft path: https://promptmake.net/text turns a rough scene idea into a structured prompt.

What screenplay prompts need that story prompts do not

A screenplay is a technical document as much as a story. Directors, actors, and crew read it to plan a shoot, so the format tells them where each scene happens, when, who speaks, and what the camera can see. Ask a model to "write a screenplay about two sisters running a bakery" and you get prose with some dialogue, inconsistent headings, and a whole movie crammed into four pages.

Screenplay prompts fix that in three layers. Format rules tell the model how a page looks. A story bible gives it facts it must not change, such as names, ages, and the order of events. The one-scene rule keeps each request small enough for the model to write it well and for you to review it.

Scope note: https://promptmake.net/blog/chatgpt-prompts-for-video-scripts covers hooks, B-roll, and CTAs for YouTube and Shorts. This page covers film and TV screenplay structure: sluglines, beats, and scenes.

Keep every project original. Asking a model to reproduce or imitate a produced film's script creates copyright problems and gives you nothing you can sell. Borrow genre conventions and structure, never scenes or characters.

Screenplay format rules to put in the prompt

Models have read plenty of screenplays, but they drift from standard format over a long draft unless you state the rules up front. Paste the rules into a system prompt, a Claude Project, a Custom GPT, or a Gemini Gem so they load with each request. Ask for output in Fountain, a plain-text screenplay markup that many screenwriting apps import, including Highland and Fade In. Fountain uses the same visible rules as a formatted page: uppercase headings, uppercase character cues, and blank lines between elements. That choice lets you paste the model's output straight into a screenwriting app and check page count right away.

Scene headings

A scene heading, or slugline, opens each scene with three parts: INT. or EXT., the location, and the time of day. Example: "INT. BAKERY KITCHEN - NIGHT." Tell the model to write a new heading whenever the location or time changes, to keep location names identical across scenes, and to use only DAY, NIGHT, or CONTINUOUS unless you allow more.

Action lines

Action lines describe what the audience sees and hears, in present tense. Set limits: "No more than four lines per action paragraph. Only what a camera can capture. No character thoughts or backstory." Ask the model to put a character's name in capitals the first time they appear, followed by age and one visual detail: "MAYA (34), flour on her sleeves."

Character cues and dialogue

The character cue sits above each speech in capitals, and the dialogue sits below it. Ask for short speeches, rarely more than three or four lines, and forbid characters from stating their feelings outright. "Characters imply emotion through what they say and avoid, never by naming it" pushes the model toward subtext.

Parentheticals and transitions

Parentheticals, such as (quietly) or (to Leo), sit under the cue and give brief direction. Limit them: "Use a parenthetical only when the line would be misread without it." Transitions such as CUT TO: clutter modern scripts, so tell the model to skip them except FADE IN: at the start and FADE OUT. at the end.

Build the story bible before any scene

The story bible is a short document the model reads before each scene, and it prevents most continuity errors. Without it, the model renames a side character in scene 12, changes a sister's age, or forgets that the bakery burned down in act one. Write the bible yourself, or draft it with the model and then edit it by hand, since you are the one who owns the story. Keep it under about 1,500 words so it fits in each request with room left for the scene. Store it in a Claude Project, a Custom GPT's knowledge, or at the top of a long chat, and update it when the story changes.

Logline and beat sheet

Start with a one-sentence logline: who wants what, what stands in the way, and what is at stake. Then build a beat sheet, a numbered list of the main story turns. Use a three-act outline or a 15-beat structure such as the one in the craft book Save the Cat. Each beat gets one or two sentences. The model will follow the beats when it writes scenes.

Character bible

Give each main character a short entry: name, age, want, need, flaw, how they talk, and one habit. "MAYA (34). Wants to save the bakery. Needs to let her sister help. Flaw: controls everything. Talks in short, practical sentences. Habit: wipes counters when nervous." Speech notes do the most work, since they keep dialogue voices distinct.

Scene list

Turn the beat sheet into a numbered scene list. Each line holds the slugline, the characters present, and what changes in the scene: "12. INT. BAKERY KITCHEN - NIGHT. Maya, Leo. Leo finds the eviction notice Maya hid." A scene where nothing changes needs cutting or rethinking. The list also shows you pacing before you spend time on pages.

Paste-ready screenplay prompts

Copy these into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. Fill the brackets, and keep the format lock loaded for the whole project so each scene follows the same rules. The four prompts run in order. The format lock goes in once as a system prompt or project instruction. The beat sheet prompt runs early, before you write any pages, and you edit its output by hand. The single-scene prompt runs once per scene for the rest of the project. The revision pass runs after each scene, before you approve it. Save all four in a notes file so a new chat can pick up where the last one stopped.

Format lock prompt

"You are a screenwriting assistant. Output in Fountain format. Rules: Each scene starts with a scene heading: INT. or EXT., location, then DAY, NIGHT, or CONTINUOUS. Keep location names identical to the scene list. Action lines are present tense, visual, and no longer than four lines per paragraph. A character's name appears in capitals with age and one visual detail on first appearance. Character cues are in capitals. Dialogue stays short and uses subtext; characters do not name their emotions. Use parentheticals only when a line would be misread. No transitions except FADE IN: and FADE OUT. Never invent characters or events that are not in the story bible or scene list."

Beat sheet prompt

"Here is my logline: [logline]. Genre: [genre]. Length: [feature, about 100 pages / short, about 12 pages]. Build a [three-act / 15-beat] beat sheet. Number each beat, give it one or two sentences, and mark the act breaks. Keep the cast to the characters I list: [names and one line each]. Ask me three questions about gaps before you finish."

Single-scene prompt

"STORY BIBLE: [paste]. SCENE LIST: [paste]. PREVIOUS SCENE: [paste the last scene you approved]. Write scene [number] only. Goal of the scene: [what changes]. Length: about [1 to 3] pages. End the scene on a line or image that leads into scene [number + 1]. Follow the format lock rules."

Revision pass prompt

"Review this scene against the format lock and the story bible. List: any heading that breaks the rules, any action paragraph over four lines, any line where a character names an emotion, any fact that contradicts the bible. Then rewrite only the lines you flagged. Leave the rest unchanged."

One scene at a time: the drafting loop

Long requests produce thin pages. A model asked for a whole act will summarize scenes to fit, skip beats, and drift from the bible. One scene per request keeps each output reviewable in five minutes.

1. Load the format lock and the story bible.
2. Paste the scene list and the last approved scene.
3. Ask for the next scene with a clear goal and page target.
4. Read it against the scene list. Does the listed change happen?
5. Run the revision pass prompt and fix flagged lines.
6. Approve the scene, paste it into your screenwriting app, and update the bible if anything new became true.

Every ten scenes, ask the model to summarize the script so far in a single paragraph per scene, and compare that summary to your beat sheet. The summary catches drift faster than rereading forty pages.

Common mistakes with screenplay prompts

• Asking for a full screenplay in one request. You get a compressed outline dressed in screenplay format.
• Skipping the story bible. Names, ages, and timelines drift by the second act.
• Allowing long action paragraphs. Pages read like a novel and run long.
• Accepting on-the-nose dialogue. Ban emotion words and ask for subtext.
• Asking the model to copy a produced film's scene or voice. Use genre conventions instead; the script and its characters belong to the rights holders.
• Treating this as a short video script guide. YouTube hooks and B-roll prompts sit in chatgpt-prompts-for-video-scripts.
• Letting the model decide what happens. You own the beats; the model drafts pages from them.

Model notes for screenplay prompts (September 2026)

Claude Opus 5 and Claude Sonnet 5 hold long story bibles well and keep dialogue voices apart, which suits drafting. GPT-5.6 Sol handles structural review, such as checking a beat sheet for a sagging middle act. Gemini 3.1 Pro works with long context when you paste a full draft for a continuity pass. Fast models such as GPT-5.5 Instant or Gemini 3.5 Flash suit quick jobs like renaming a location across a scene list.

Use a project space so the format lock and bible load each time: a Claude Project, a Custom GPT, or a Gemini Gem. If you work in a plain chat, paste both at the top and start a fresh chat every fifteen to twenty scenes to keep context clean.

Build screenplay prompts with PromptMake /text

Type a rough scene idea, such as "scene where Leo finds the eviction notice, tense, two pages, bakery at night," into https://promptmake.net/text. The tool returns a structured prompt with goal, constraints, and format sections that you can merge with the single-scene template. Add your story bible and scene list before you paste it into your model.

PromptMake writes prompts only. It does not write your screenplay or format pages. As of September 2026, guests get about three free generations per day per tool and registered free accounts about five.

FAQ

What are screenplay prompts?

Screenplay prompts are instructions that ask a model to draft or review script pages in standard screenplay format. Strong ones include format rules, a story bible, and a request for one scene at a time. They differ from story prompts because a script must follow strict layout rules for headings, action, and dialogue. You still own the story and the final pages.

How do I get AI to format scene headings correctly?

State the rule in the prompt: INT. or EXT., then the location, then DAY, NIGHT, or CONTINUOUS. Tell the model to keep location names identical to your scene list. Ask for Fountain output so a screenwriting app can check the format on import. Run the revision pass prompt to catch any heading that slips.

Can AI write a whole screenplay?

A model can produce a full-length draft, but quality drops when you ask for it in one request. Scenes get summarized, beats get skipped, and characters drift. Write the beat sheet and scene list yourself, then draft one scene per request and review each. You end up with pages you can defend line by line.

What is Fountain format and why use it?

Fountain is a plain-text markup for screenplays that uses simple rules, such as uppercase headings and cues, instead of special software formatting. Many screenwriting apps import it, including Highland and Fade In. Asking the model for Fountain lets you paste output into your app and see real page count. It also keeps formatting consistent across scenes.

How do I keep characters consistent across scenes?

Build a character bible with name, age, want, flaw, speech style, and one habit for each main character. Paste it with each scene request. Update it when the story adds a new fact. Every ten scenes, ask the model for a scene-by-scene summary and check it against the bible.

Is it legal to use AI prompts to write in the style of a famous film?

Copying a produced script, its scenes, or its characters infringes the rights holder's copyright, and most platforms refuse it. Genre conventions such as a heist crew assembling or a slow-burn mystery reveal are fair to use. Describe the tone and structure you want in your own words. Keep your characters and plot original so you can sell the script.

What is the best free tool to build screenplay prompts?

https://promptmake.net/text turns a rough scene idea into a structured prompt you can combine with the templates on this page. As of September 2026, guests get about three free generations per day and registered free accounts about five. You paste the result into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to draft the scene. Your story bible and scene list still come from you.