Writes Web Series scripts: 5–15 pages/ep, 60-second hook rule, episode-ending drive, serialized arc, production-economy-aware.

## 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 — WEB

Writes Web Series scripts: 5–15 pages/ep, 60-second hook rule, episode-ending drive, serialized arc, production-economy-aware.

---

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.

---

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

• Range: 5–15 pages per episode (5–15 minutes)
• Always confirm the episode length target with the user
• Series consistency: all episodes should be within ±2 pages of each other

Common web series lengths:

Length	Pages	Notes
Micro (5 min)	4–6 pages	One scene; one joke or beat; one micro-arc
Short (7–10 min)	7–10 pages	2–3 scenes; tight A-story; minimal B-story
Standard (12–15 min)	11–15 pages	Full mini-episode; A + B story possible

---

The Web Series Mandate: Hook in 60 Seconds

Web series viewers will click away. The first page (first ~60 seconds) must:

1. Establish who the protagonist is and what their world is
2. Create a reason to keep watching — a question, conflict, or hook
3. Establish the tone — is this a comedy, drama, thriller?

Wrong opening (AI default):

INT. APARTMENT - MORNING

SAM (late 20s) sits at a kitchen table eating cereal. She scrolls her phone.
Her roommate ALEX walks in, yawning.

                    ALEX
          Morning.

                    SAM
          Morning.

Right opening (hook-first):

INT. APARTMENT - MORNING

SAM (late 20s) stands on the kitchen counter in a party dress, staring at 
the ceiling. Cereal floats in the sink. The front door hangs open.
Her roommate ALEX walks in, looks at her.

                    ALEX
          Again?

                    SAM
          I can explain.

---

Structure by Episode Length

5-Minute Episode (4–6 pages)

p. 1        HOOK — immediate engagement; establish premise
pp. 1–4     Single scene or two; one comedic/dramatic beat developed
pp. 4–5     Payoff + episode-ending hook for next episode

No subplot. Every line essential.

7–10 Minute Episode (7–10 pages)

pp. 1–2     HOOK — situation established
pp. 2–6     A-story developed; complication introduced
pp. 6–8     Crisis / comedic peak
pp. 8–10    Resolution + serialized hook

12–15 Minute Episode (11–15 pages)

pp. 1–2     HOOK
pp. 2–5     A-story setup; B-story introduced
pp. 5–10    A-story escalates; B-story deepens
pp. 10–12   A-story crisis; B-story climax
pp. 12–15   Resolution; series-level hook; episode-ending button

---

The Episode-Ending Hook

Every web series episode must end with a reason to watch the next one.

Types of episode-ending hooks:

• Cliffhanger: A character is in danger or makes a shocking discovery
• Revelation: Something the audience (or character) didn't know is revealed
• Comedic button: A callback joke or runner payoff that leaves the audience laughing
• Emotional beat: A quiet but resonant moment that earns its weight
• New question: A new problem is introduced just as the episode problem resolves

What not to do: End on a flat resolution with no forward momentum. Web series live and die on episode endings — they're the reason the viewer clicks "next."

---

Serialized Structure

Web series balance:

• Self-contained episodes: Each episode has its own A-story that resolves
• Serialized arc: An ongoing thread across all episodes that doesn't resolve until the finale

The ratio depends on genre:

Genre	Self-contained	Serialized
Comedy	70%	30%
Drama / thriller	40%	60%
Dramedy	55%	45%

---

Series Bible Basics

Before writing multiple episodes, establish:

• Logline: One sentence; the series premise
• Format: Length per episode; number of episodes in the season
• Tone: Comedy/drama/thriller/hybrid; comparable shows
• Protagonist: Name, age, want, flaw, voice
• Recurring characters: Name, function, relationship to protagonist
• Central question: What drives the series? What is answered in the finale?
• Season arc: What happens across the whole season?

---

Production Economy

Web series are almost always self-produced or low-budget. Unless told otherwise, write with these constraints:

• 1–3 locations per episode (consistent recurring locations = lower cost)
• Small cast (2–4 speaking roles per episode; recurring regulars)
• No VFX, no crowd scenes, no elaborate period settings
• Practical locations (apartments, offices, coffee shops, streets)
• Dialogue-and-performance-driven (not production-design-driven)

---

Direct-to-Camera Address

Some web series use direct-to-camera (mockumentary, vlog style, confessional). If this is the format:

• Establish it in Episode 1 scene 1 — never introduce it mid-series
• Format DTC lines as a special action note:

Sam turns to camera.

                    SAM
          For context: Alex has never been
          right about anything. Ever.

She turns back to the scene.

---

Episode Consistency Checklist

For a multi-episode series, verify:

• All episodes within ±2 pages of each other
• Recurring character voices are consistent across episodes
• Series arc is advancing (not just A-story of the week)
• Each episode ends with a hook
• Production scope is consistent (no one episode dramatically more expensive)
• Tone is consistent — no episode dramatically shifts genre

---

Common AI Failures — Web Series

• Episode 1 opens with a flat, un-hooked scene
• Episodes end flatly with no drive to the next episode
• Inconsistent episode lengths across the series
• All episodes are self-contained with no series arc — it's just a sketch show
• Production scope too large for a web series (crowd scenes, VFX, period settings)
• Characters have no consistency of voice across episodes
• Direct-to-camera address introduced mid-series without establishment
• Series central question never clearly defined — no reason to invest in the characters