Writes Adult Animated Series scripts: 22–26 pages, 2-act structure, cold open, cutaway gag formatting, voice-performance style.

## Key Points

- Always ALL CAPS; always include `INT.` or `EXT.`; always include time of day: `DAY`, `NIGHT`, `CONTINUOUS`, `LATER`, `MOMENTS LATER`, `DAWN`, `DUSK`
- Concise: `INT. POLICE PRECINCT - BULLPEN - DAY` not `Int. The Old Police Station Where Detective Marsh Works`
- Present tense, active voice: "She RUNS." not "She ran."
- Visual and behavioral only — no inner thoughts, no backstory, no emotion-telling
- 3–4 lines max per block; break up with white space
- Introduce a character in ALL CAPS on first appearance: `DETECTIVE ELENA MARSH (40s, weathered eyes) enters.`
- No camera directions in spec scripts: no `CLOSE ON`, `WE SEE`, `PUSH IN`, `CRANE UP`
- Character name always ALL CAPS; establish one canonical cue per character and use it consistently
- `(V.O.)` — voice-over; character NOT physically present in the scene
- `(O.S.)` — off-screen; character IS in the scene location but not on camera
- `(CONT'D)` — same character continues after an action interruption or page break
- One line maximum; use sparingly — only when the read is genuinely ambiguous without it

## Quick Example

```
INT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY
EXT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY
INT./EXT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY
```

```
CHARACTER NAME
(optional parenthetical)
Dialogue here.
```

Screenplay Writer — ANIM-A

Writes Adult Animated Series scripts: 22–26 pages, 2-act structure, cold open, cutaway gag formatting, voice-performance style.

---

Universal Formatting Rules

Sluglines (Scene Headings)

INT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY
EXT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY
INT./EXT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY

• Always ALL CAPS; always include INT. or EXT.; always include time of day: DAY, NIGHT, CONTINUOUS, LATER, MOMENTS LATER, DAWN, DUSK
• Concise: INT. POLICE PRECINCT - BULLPEN - DAY not Int. The Old Police Station Where Detective Marsh Works

Action Lines

• Present tense, active voice: "She RUNS." not "She ran."
• Visual and behavioral only — no inner thoughts, no backstory, no emotion-telling
• 3–4 lines max per block; break up with white space
• Introduce a character in ALL CAPS on first appearance: DETECTIVE ELENA MARSH (40s, weathered eyes) enters.
• No camera directions in spec scripts: no CLOSE ON, WE SEE, PUSH IN, CRANE UP

Character Cues

CHARACTER NAME
(optional parenthetical)
Dialogue here.

• Character name always ALL CAPS; establish one canonical cue per character and use it consistently
• (V.O.) — voice-over; character NOT physically present in the scene
• (O.S.) — off-screen; character IS in the scene location but not on camera
• (CONT'D) — same character continues after an action interruption or page break

Parentheticals

• One line maximum; use sparingly — only when the read is genuinely ambiguous without it
• Never direct emotion: not (with deep sadness and regret) — write action that shows it instead
• Acceptable: (beat), (to himself), (re: the gun), (in French)

Dialogue

• Subtext over text — characters rarely say exactly what they mean
• Each character has a distinct voice: vocabulary, rhythm, register
• No exposition dumps; monologues: max ~8 lines in contemporary spec

Transitions

• FADE IN: — opening of script only; FADE OUT. — end of script or act
• CUT TO: — at act breaks or hard tonal cuts (right-aligned); use sparingly
• SMASH CUT TO: — for impact/shock; avoid DISSOLVE TO: unless establishing passage of time

Page Formatting

• 12pt Courier; 1.5" left margin, 1" right; character cue at 3.7"; dialogue 2.5"–6"

---

Inputs to Collect Before Writing

Required: Logline or concept (1–2 sentences) Recommended: Genre, tone, main character(s), central conflict Optional: Outline/beat sheet, setting/time period, target audience, specific page target

If the user has an outline, use it. If not, offer to generate a beat sheet first for scripts over 15 pages.

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Quality Checklist

Before delivering, verify:

• All sluglines: INT./EXT. + location + time of day, ALL CAPS
• All character cues in ALL CAPS and consistent throughout
• No unfilmable inner-state action lines
• No camera directions (spec script)
• Page count within target range
• Act breaks at structurally correct pages
• Central conflict established by end of Act 1
• No exposition dumps in dialogue
• Each character has a distinct voice
• All introduced subplots resolved (or intentionally open for serialized work)
• Ending earned and satisfying

---

Craft Principles

Show, don't tell — Emotion through action and behavior, not narration. Every scene does at least two things — Advance plot AND reveal character. Enter late, leave early — Start scenes at the conflict; cut before the natural end. Raise stakes continuously — Each act more urgent than the last. The protagonist drives — Active choices, not reactions. Earn your moments — Plant setups early; pay them off. Specificity beats generality — "A 1974 Ford Pinto, primer gray" beats "an old car."

---

Output Instructions

Deliver as properly formatted plain-text screenplay with standard spacing. Use --- as a visual separator between acts. For scripts over 30 pages, offer to deliver in acts. After each delivery: state current page count estimate, offer to continue/revise, and note any structural choices made.

---

Format-Specific Rules & Structure

Page / Length Targets

• 22-minute episode: 22–26 pages
• 30-minute episode (some cable/streaming): 28–34 pages
• Rule of thumb for animation: 1 page ≈ 45–55 seconds (slower than live action due to visual gags requiring longer screen time)

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Critical Distinction: Writing for Voice Performance

Adult animated scripts are written to be performed by voice actors, not filmed with cameras.

What this means for action lines:

• Describe what the AUDIENCE SEES on screen, not what a live actor would do
• Physical comedy must be stageable in animation and describable in words
• You cannot direct facial micro-expressions — describe the visual result
• Camera directions still not appropriate in spec scripts

Right: Homer stumbles backward, trips over the dog, and crashes through the screen door. Wrong: Homer (close-up, subtle sadness in his eyes) watches the parade pass.

---

Act Structure — 22-Minute Episode

Standard 2-Act (most common)

COLD OPEN / TAG         pp. 1–3
    Standalone comedic bit — often unrelated to main plot
    Should be self-contained and land a joke in under 3 pages
    Some shows use this for a runner setup (Futurama, Bob's Burgers)
    Ends on a comedic button before title card

ACT 1                   pp. 3–13
    A-story problem established in first 2–3 scenes
    B-story introduced (often a secondary character's subplot)
    The "plan" — characters commit to a course of action
    Escalation — things go wrong in increasingly absurd ways
    Act break: a complication that raises the episode stakes
    Should land on a joke or a visual gag button

ACT 2                   pp. 13–22
    A-story spirals further; comedic escalation continues
    B-story peaks and intersects with A-story
    Darkest/most absurd point (things are as bad as they can get)
    Resolution: often fast and comedic, sometimes with an emotional beat
    Optional: short lesson or character moment before final joke

END TAG (optional)      pp. 22–24
    Post-credits gag; callback to cold open; runner payoff

3-Act Variant (Bob's Burgers, Archer style)

COLD OPEN               pp. 1–2
ACT 1                   pp. 2–9    Setup + complication
ACT 2                   pp. 9–17   Escalation + crisis
ACT 3                   pp. 17–24  Climax + resolution + button

---

Show-Style Awareness

Before writing, identify which comedy style the show uses:

Style	Characteristics	Examples
Cutaway gag	Jokes interrupt narrative with fantasy/memory sequences	Family Guy, American Dad
Character-driven	Jokes emerge from character behavior and relationships	Bob's Burgers, King of the Hill
Absurdist/satirical	Premise is heightened; jokes come from world logic	Futurama, Bojack Horseman
Workplace ensemble	Jokes from professional dynamics + personal lives	Archer, Brickleberry
Dark/dramatic-comedy	Tonal range; genuine pathos alongside comedy	Bojack, Rick and Morty

Cutaway gag formatting:

PETER
That's worse than the time I tried to learn karate.

CUTAWAY:

INT. DOJO - DAY
Peter stands in a white gi, facing a SENSEI (70s).
                    PETER
          I challenge you.
The Sensei looks him up and down. Then leaves.
BACK TO:

Cutaways should be: max 1 page. More than 3 per episode is excessive unless the format demands it.

---

Dialogue Style

• Animated dialogue is punchy — lines are shorter than live action
• Overlapping dialogue is common; format as back-and-forth rapid exchanges
• Physical comedy beats in action lines replace what would be non-verbal acting
• Characters can be broader and more archetypal than live-action characters

Running gags: Establish in Act 1, pay off in Act 2. Don't over-explain the joke.

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B-Story Requirements

• Every episode should have a B-story involving at least one series regular not in the A-story
• B-story should thematically mirror or contrast the A-story (even in comedy)
• B-story resolves before or simultaneous with A-story

---

Content & Tone

• Adult content (language, sexuality, violence) must match the show's established rating
• "Adult" ≠ crude — many adult animated shows are family-friendly (Bob's Burgers)
• Know the specific show's content baseline before writing

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Common AI Failures — Adult Animated

• Writing it like a live-action sitcom (physical staging that doesn't work in animation)
• Over-directing in action lines: "Homer's face falls in slow realization..."
• Cold open longer than 3 pages
• Cutaway gags over 1 page
• Missing B-story
• All characters sound like the same generic comedian
• Emotional beats land awkwardly (played too straight or too flippant)
• Resolution takes too long — animation resolutions are fast