If you want to write movie screenplays, you need to read movie screenplays – it’s just as essential as batting practice for professional baseball players. Reading in general is important, whether it’s novels, comics, or the backs of cereal boxes—even if you’re not paying attention, your brain is remembering hundreds if not thousands of subtle connections between language and storytelling.
Reading screenplays provides an added benefit—allowing you and your brain to see proper formatting in action. It’s also vital for aspiring screenwriters to see the difference between how scenes play out on the page and how they play out on the screen. Finally, while proper screenwriting adheres to a very rigid format, it’s extremely useful to see how various writers work within those rules and even use them to their advantage. Even if you know exactly what you’re seeing, your brain is actively learning and your subconscious is absorbing more and stronger information with every script you read.
By reading screenplay after screenplay, you will get a sense of how you can write your own.
Here, then, are ten websites that allow you to download professional movie scripts. Start clicking and start reading today—if not for your own sake, at least do it for your brain’s.
1. IMSDB – Internet Movie Screenplay Database
IMDB has proven a valuable resource for researching movie crews, casts, and trivia. IMSDB is just as useful for those looking for screenplays of all kinds and genres.
2. Go Into the Story
Go Into the Story is the official blog for The Blacklist, the screenwriting community famous for its annual top ten list of unproduced scripts. One useful feature of Go Into the Story is its bank of downloadable movie scripts.
3. Drew’s Script-o-Rama
The titular Drew has been sharing scripts with curious readers and writers for almost two decades now, and has a vast library from which to choose from. Best cd ripping software audiophile mac. A great benefit of Script-O-Rama is that it holds several drafts of certain movies, an invaluable resource for those who want to see how a Hollywood film evolves in the writing process.
4. Simply Scripts
Simply Scripts has a wide, diverse library that also includes plays and non-English screenplays. It’s also constantly updated, providing scripts to current movies such as Interstellar and Foxcatcher.
5. AwesomeFilm
AwesomeFilm is another resource with dozens of scripts you can download with a single click, alphabetized for easy searching. If you’re looking for a screenplay to read, this site is, well, awesome.
6. Screenplays For You
Screenplays For You is a clean, smooth website with hundreds of scripts. You’re more than likely to find something from the genre you need—its library boasts everything from low-key award-winning dramas like Sideways to action blockbusters like Avatar.
7. The Daily Script
The Daily Script offers a ton of screenplays in a very simple, easy-to-navigate layout. It keeps things homey for the typical screenwriter, even using Courier New as its primary font.
8. The Screenplay Database
The Screenplay Database is another useful resource with a large choice of scripts to choose from. If you’re interested in a certain type of film, the website also allows you to search its library by genre, to better allow you to window shop and find something you didn’t even know you were looking for.
9. The Script Lab
The Script Lab comes in handy if you’re looking for more recent screenplays. Its front page divides its library into the three most recent years of releases, so if there’s something from 2014 you’d like, for instance Birdman or Boyhood, this is the website for you.
10. Movie Scripts and Screenplays
You’ve got to love the straightforward title. Movie Scripts and Screenplays gives you exactly what it says, with a long list of manuscripts that you can also directly find with its search function.
All writers know that reading great material is an essential part of honing and building your craft. But if you’re ready to take the next step in developing your skills as a screenwriter with the most hands-on, intensive training in the world, check out NYFA’s screenwriting programs. Looking for a long-distance way to take your writing to the next level? Check out NYFA’s online screenwriting program options.
This site will be of plenty of interest to TV fans, but fundamentally it's for people who want to take their love of TV and transform it into something more practical: actually creating telly that people want to see.
These scripts are here because the only way to learn how to write a TV script is to read A LOT of other TV scripts, and there aren't many places you can do that.
So here you can study scripts for existing shows, some of your old favourites, and many that never even made it to air. Figure out what makes an episode work, how to format that spec, why a pilot failed and how to write in four, five or six acts.
And when you've figured it all out and got your show on air - send me your scripts!
Fair Use Notice
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material available in my efforts to advance understanding of the craft of screenwriting. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material.
The material on this site is distributed without profit.
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If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
If you are the writer of any of these scripts, and want me to take them down; no need for unpleasantness: just email me.
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As a general case, Where can I find scripts/screenplays/transcripts of movies and TV shows?
3 Answers
There are a number of websites that provide access to movie and TV scripts. I'm unsure of the legality of any of them. But here are a few of the popular ones:
There's also..
Best articles ever, and scripts photocopied from the originals..
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Posted by5 years ago
Archived
Here's an incredible resource for free pdf TV scripts [both comedy and drama]
Additionally, it has comedy pilot scripts from the 13-14 season dating all the way back to the 06-07 season & drama pilots from the 13-14 season dating all the way back to the 03-04 season.
There are a few bibles as well, but obviously for shows that have long since passed.
Anyways, I shared this site about a year ago here, and I just wanted to mention it again incase anybody else wants to check it out. It's a pretty incredible resource that I luckily stumbled upon one day.
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