CONT'D in a script means continued: it is added after a character's name, as in MAYA (CONT'D), when the same character keeps talking after a page break or after a line of action, while (MORE) at the bottom of a page tells the reader the speech goes on overleaf.
Both marks exist so a reader never loses track of who is speaking. They are mechanical — they follow from where a page ends or where action falls, not from any choice about the story — which is why screenwriting software usually adds them for you. This guide explains both uses of (CONT'D), how (MORE) works and when you can leave the marks out.
(MORE) and (CONT'D) across a page break
When a speech is split across two pages, (MORE) goes under the last line of dialogue at the bottom of the first page, and the character's name returns at the top of the next page followed by (CONT'D). The reader turning the page sees at once that the same person is still talking.
ROSALIND I kept every letter. I read them in order, every winter, like a ritual. (MORE) === page break === ROSALIND (CONT'D) This year I couldn't find the last one.
Conventions for a split speech:
- (MORE) sits where a cue would sit, in capitals inside parentheses, directly under the dialogue.
- The cue repeats at the top of the next page with (CONT'D) after the name.
- A speech is split between sentences, never in the middle of one, and with at least two lines on each side. If that is not possible, the whole speech moves to the next page.
- A parenthetical never sits alone at the bottom of a page; it goes with the dialogue it introduces.
Because these marks follow the layout, they change every time the script is repaginated. That is the main reason to let software handle them: adding them by hand means redoing them after every edit above.
(CONT'D) after interrupting action
(CONT'D) is also used when a character speaks, a line of action interrupts, and the same character speaks again in the same scene. The mark tells the reader that this is a continuation of the earlier speech rather than a new exchange.
BENNY The engine's fine. It's the fuel line. He slides under the car. A clank. A curse. BENNY (CONT'D) Okay. It's also the engine.
This use has always been looser than the page-break rule. It applies only when nobody else speaks in between, and only within one scene; a new scene starts fresh even if the same character opens it.
Do modern spec scripts still use (CONT'D)?
Many modern spec scripts drop (CONT'D) after interrupting action, because the repeated cue already makes the speaker clear and the extra mark adds clutter; (MORE) and (CONT'D) across page breaks are still widely kept. Both styles are accepted, and readers rarely notice either way.
Some writers and productions also drop (MORE) and (CONT'D) at page breaks in a reading draft, but shooting scripts tend to keep them, since actors working from loose pages need to know a speech continues. Whatever you choose, be consistent across the whole script.
Other kinds of continued
The word continued turns up in two more places that are easy to confuse:
- CONTINUED: at the top and bottom of pages, marking that a scene runs over a page break. This was common in older shooting scripts and is now usually left out of spec scripts.
- CONTINUOUS in a scene heading, as in INT. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS, meaning the scene follows on in real time from the one before. That is a time of day, not a dialogue mark; the scene headings guide covers it.
(CONT'D) versus V.O. and O.S.
(CONT'D) can combine with other extensions on the cue. If a character speaking off screen continues after action, the cue becomes DANA (O.S.) (CONT'D) or, in some styles, DANA (O.S.; CONT'D). Keep the extension that describes how we hear the voice, and add the continuation mark only if your script uses it. The parenthetical guide covers the notes that go under a cue rather than beside it.
Common mistakes
- Typing (MORE) and (CONT'D) by hand, then editing above them so they end up in the middle of a page.
- Adding (CONT'D) when another character spoke in between.
- Using (CONT'D) for the first line of a new scene.
- Splitting a speech mid-sentence or leaving one line stranded on a page.
Write it in Scenaloom
Scenaloom adds (MORE) and NAME (CONT'D) automatically when a speech breaks across pages, keeping at least two lines on either side, and adds (CONT'D) only when the same speaker resumes after action in the same scene. The editor page and PDF use one layout engine, so the marks fall where they will print. See display and pagination or start a script.
Questions
What does (CONT'D) mean in a script?
(CONT'D) means continued. It follows a character's name in the cue when the same character keeps speaking after a page break, or after a line of action in the same scene with no one else speaking in between. It tells the reader the speech is a continuation, not a new exchange.
What does (MORE) mean in a script?
(MORE) at the bottom of a page means the character's speech continues on the next page. It sits directly under the last line of dialogue, and the next page starts with the character's name followed by (CONT'D). The pair keeps the speaker clear across a page break.
Should I use (CONT'D) in my spec script?
Either choice is accepted. Many current spec scripts leave out (CONT'D) after interrupting action, since the cue already names the speaker, while keeping (MORE) and (CONT'D) where a speech crosses a page break. What matters is using one style consistently.
Is CONTINUOUS the same as CONT'D?
No. CONTINUOUS is a time of day in a scene heading, meaning the scene follows on in real time from the previous one, as in INT. STAIRWELL - CONTINUOUS. (CONT'D) is added to a character cue when a speech continues. See the scene headings guide.