Script Abbreviations in Screen Writing

SCRIPT ABBREVIATIONS

ELS extreme long shot

MLS medium long shot

LS long shot

MS medium shot

MCU medium close-up

CU close-up

ECU extreme close-up

OS over-the-shoulder shot

2-S or 3-S two-shot or three-shot

POV point of view shot

ZI or ZO zoom in or zoom out

INT interior

EXT exterior

SOT or SOF sound on tape or sound on film

BG background

SFX or F/X special effects (can be either sound or visual)

VO voice-over

OSV off-screen voice

DIS dissolve

MIC microphone

VTR videotape

Q cue (as in cue talent)

ANNCR announcer

SUPER superimposition

Comments

Kyle said…

V.O. is used when the speaker is not physically in the scene. The speaker could be someone on the other end of a telephone line or radio broadcast, an unseen narrator, or a character’s inner-monologue.

September 27, 2016 at 9:52 AM

Unknown said…

O.S. is used when the character is in the scene location, but not currently on screen. For example, if the character walks to the other side of the room and into the bathroom, and yells unseen that he/she is out of toilet paper, O.S. should be used.

September 28, 2016 at 9:06 AM

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