# How to format inserts, screens, letters, and written material > Put the exact words the audience must read in action, and use an INSERT only when the change in visual emphasis is itself important. Sources reviewed: 2026-08-10 Article updated: 2026-09-23 ## Direct answer Introduce the object or screen in action, then reproduce only the words the audience must be able to read. Use a clear label such as INSERT — THE NOTE or ON MARA'S LAPTOP when the close view matters; otherwise keep the information in an ordinary action paragraph. Return to the scene with action rather than adding a new master scene heading for a close view inside the same location. ## On the page A story-critical line on a screen ``` INT. ARCHIVE - NIGHT Mara opens the recovered email. INSERT - LAPTOP SCREEN SUBJECT: HARBOR CAMERA 4 Delete the footage before sunrise. Mara checks the clock: 5:41 A.M. ``` ## Current practice ### Separate readable story information from interface decoration _Common choice_ A reader needs the exact words that change the scene and enough context to know where they appear. They rarely need every menu, timestamp, icon, email header, or graphic-design decision surrounding those words. ## Accepted variations ### Inline in action _Common choice_ A short sign, headline, or note can remain in the action paragraph when it reads naturally and does not require a distinct visual beat. ### A dedicated INSERT _Context dependent_ Give the object its own all-caps shot line when the audience's close attention, reveal timing, or return to the surrounding scene matters. ### Longer correspondence _Context dependent_ Summarize what is skimmed and quote only the lines that must be read verbatim. A voice-over may accompany it when the film actually uses a voice, but written material is not dialogue by default. ## Where reasonable writers disagree INSERT, ON SCREEN, CLOSE ON, and a plain action label all appear in professional scripts. The choice is partly tonal and partly about emphasis. A spec can be visually assertive when the reveal depends on framing, but routine written information does not become clearer merely because it is labeled like a shot. ## Mistakes to avoid - Creating a new INT./EXT. scene heading for a close view that never leaves the established location. - Formatting silent words as dialogue, which tells the reader to hear them spoken. - Copying an entire email, article, or interface when only one line affects the story. - Depending on color, a fake device frame, or tiny typography that may not survive PDF export. ## Submission versus production ### Submission or reading draft Keep written material legible in a normal PDF at ordinary zoom and quote only story-essential text. Avoid embedded screenshots or decorative mock interfaces unless the recipient expressly permits them. ### Production draft Playback graphics, clearance, localization, exact timestamps, and device behavior may require a separate production workflow. Retain the approved words in the script while those departments refine the final screen design. ## Working in Plot In Plot, write the insert line and the readable words as Action, and keep Dialogue for speech that is heard. The close view stays inside its scene, so the scene list and the breakdown count one location, not a new one. ## Questions writers ask ### What is an INSERT in a screenplay? A close view of something the audience must read or notice — a note, a screen, a photograph — written as its own all-caps line. It stays inside the current scene, so it does not need a new INT. or EXT. scene heading. ### How do I get back to the scene after an insert? Continue with an action line, or write BACK TO SCENE when the return needs flagging. Avoid adding a new master scene heading for a close view that never left the location. ### Should I format a letter or email as dialogue? Not unless a voice reads it aloud. Words the audience reads belong in action. Quote only the lines that matter to the story and summarize whatever the character skims. ## Sources and context - [Final Draft — When an INSERT camera direction helps](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/when-to-and-not-to-write-camera-directions) - [Final Draft — On-screen text belongs in action](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/how-to-format-text-messages-in-a-screenplay) - [Final Draft's current INSERT examples](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/when-to-and-not-to-write-camera-directions) These sources document current screenplay practice, software guidance, or production workflow. Screenplay style remains flexible, and any delivery brief or submission rule supplied by the recipient takes precedence. --- Canonical page: