Fountain format: plain-text screenplay syntax explained

Fountain is an open, plain-text syntax for writing screenplays: you type a script in any text editor using a few simple conventions — scene headings in capitals, character names in capitals on their own line, transitions ending in TO: — and screenwriting software reads the file and lays it out in standard screenplay format.

Fountain was created in 2012 by screenwriter John August and filmmaker Stu Maschwitz, building on an earlier idea called Screenplay Markdown — which is why some Fountain files use the .spmd extension. Its rules are published openly, so any app can read and write it. This guide explains why writers use Fountain and walks through the syntax for each element.

Why writers use Fountain

• Plain text lasts. A .fountain file opens in any text editor on any device, today and in twenty years, with no special software.
• It works anywhere you can type: a phone notes app, an email draft, a code editor.
• It suits version control and comparison tools, because changes are visible line by line.
• It moves between apps. Many screenwriting programs import and export Fountain, so it works as a neutral exchange format.

The trade-off is that Fountain is a writing format, not a page layout. Page breaks, (MORE) and (CONT'D) are worked out by the software that formats the file, not typed by hand.

The basic Fountain format syntax

Fountain recognizes most elements from how they look, because they mirror the screenplay format writers already know.

Scene headings

A line that starts with INT, EXT, EST, INT./EXT or I/E, with a blank line before it, is a scene heading. Write it in capitals as you would on the page.

Action

Any paragraph that is not another element is action. Write it in normal sentence case with blank lines between paragraphs.

Character cues and dialogue

A line entirely in capitals, with a blank line before it and text directly below, is a character cue; the lines beneath it are dialogue. Extensions such as (V.O.) and (O.S.) go after the name.

Parentheticals

A line in parentheses inside a speech, after a cue or between dialogue lines, is a parenthetical.

Transitions

A line in capitals ending in TO:, with blank lines around it, is a transition, as in CUT TO:.

INT. LIGHTHOUSE - NIGHT

The lamp turns. Fen counts the seconds between
flashes on her fingers.

FEN
(under her breath)
Nine. It should be ten.

CUT TO:

EXT. CLIFF PATH - CONTINUOUS

That sample is valid Fountain as typed: every element is recognized from its position and capitals alone.

Forced elements

When a line would be misread, a single character at the start forces the element you want:

• A period (.) forces a scene heading, for headings that do not start with INT or EXT, such as .THE VOID.
• An at sign (@) forces a character cue, for names with lower-case letters, such as @McKAY.
• An exclamation mark (!) forces action, for a line in capitals that is not a cue, such as !BANG.
• A greater-than sign (>) forces a transition, for transitions that do not end in TO:, such as >FADE OUT.

Centered text, emphasis and page breaks

• Centered text sits between > and <, as in >THE END<.
• Emphasis follows the Markdown habit: *italic*, **bold** and _underline_.
• Three or more equals signs (===) on their own line force a page break.
• Dual dialogue: add a caret (^) after the second character's name to set the speeches side by side; see the dual dialogue guide.
• Lyrics: start a line with a tilde (~).

Notes, sections and the title page

Fountain also carries material that is not part of the printed script:

• Notes sit in double square brackets, [[like this]], and are hidden from the formatted page.
• Text between /* and */ is the boneyard: omitted from output but kept in the file.
• Lines starting with # are sections (acts, sequences) and lines starting with = are synopses — both for organizing, not printing.
• A title page goes at the top of the file as key and value lines, such as Title:, Credit:, Author: and Draft date:.

Title: The Ninth Flash
Credit: Written by
Author: R. Okafor

# ACT ONE

= Fen notices the light is wrong.

INT. LIGHTHOUSE - NIGHT

Fountain compared with Final Draft files

Fountain and Final Draft (.fdx) do different jobs. An .fdx file stores a formatted document with its settings; a .fountain file stores only the words and their elements. Many writers draft or archive in Fountain and exchange .fdx with productions that expect it. See the screenwriting software guide for what to weigh when choosing tools.

Write it in Scenaloom

Scenaloom imports Fountain files (.fountain and .spmd) alongside Final Draft (.fdx) and PDF, and exports Fountain as well as PDF, Final Draft, Word, plain text and Markdown. You can also paste a script into the New page to start a project from it. See import and export or start a script.

To turn a Fountain file into a PDF or a Final Draft file without installing anything, open it in the free screenplay formatter.