# Screenplay title pages and anonymous submissions > Keep a normal master title page with authorship and contact information, but create a separate anonymous PDF whenever the current submission rules require it. Sources reviewed: 2026-08-09 Article updated: 2026-09-23 ## Direct answer A standard spec title page usually carries the title, writing credit, writer name, and contact information. Anonymous programs are an exception, not a universal title-page rule: follow the current instructions for that exact opportunity and remove identifying information everywhere they specify. Keep an identified master so an anonymous export never becomes your only copy. ## On the page A conventional identified master title page ``` NIGHT FERRY Written by Mara Example Mara Example mara@example.com ``` ## Current practice ### Submission instructions outrank generic title-page advice _Changing practice_ Programs change partners, portals, eligibility, and file requirements. Check the official rules again immediately before export; do not rely on a prior year's checklist or on another contest's anonymity policy. ## Accepted variations ### Identified master _Widely expected_ Keep a complete title page in the working draft with the exact credited writer or writing team and a current contact channel. ### Anonymous submission copy _Context dependent_ When rules require blind reading, export a separate copy with the specified identity fields removed. Check headers, footers, file name, embedded PDF metadata, and title-page contact lines—not only the centered author name. ### Optional registration and draft details _Context dependent_ Registration numbers, representation, source credits, and draft dates belong only when they help the recipient or a supplied template asks for them. Keep the title and byline centered and contact information legible at the lower left. ## Where reasonable writers disagree Optional details—registration numbers, copyright notices, representation, draft labels, images, or decorative typography—vary by market and recipient. A restrained title page is broadly legible; a required submission template always wins. ## Mistakes to avoid - Assuming every competition is anonymous, or that none are. - Removing the writer name but leaving identifying contact data, headers, file names, or PDF metadata. - Overwriting the identified master with the blind-submission copy. - Adding logos, artwork, or typography that a portal rejects or that makes the title page harder to read. ## Submission versus production ### Submission or reading draft Treat the official opportunity page and portal as the live contract. Verify anonymity, page count, file naming, PDF size, authorship, and AI-related declarations each time you submit. ### Production draft Production drafts use identified ownership, draft dates, revision information, and distribution controls. Do not carry a contest's blind-reading omissions into the production master. ## Working in Plot Plot's submission preflight checks the title page, writer attribution, contact details, and page count before you send. For a blind read, turn off the visible title page and the title-and-author file properties: the PDF comes out with no name on it, none in its properties, and a neutral file name, while your title-page details stay in the draft for the next submission. ## Questions writers ask ### What goes on a screenplay title page? The title, a writing credit such as Written by, the writer's name, and contact information at the lower left. Registration numbers, representation, and draft dates are optional and belong there only when they help the recipient or a supplied template asks for them. ### Should a spec title page carry a draft date? Only when the recipient or a supplied template asks for one. Draft and revision dates do real work on production drafts, where several versions circulate at once; a reader evaluating a spec rarely needs one. ### How do I make a screenplay anonymous for a contest? Export a separate copy and remove every identifier the rules name: the title-page name and contact lines, headers and footers, the file name, and the PDF's document properties. Keep the identified master untouched so the blind copy never becomes your only draft. ## Sources and context - [Final Draft — How to Format a Screenplay (title page)](https://www.finaldraft.com/learn/how-to-format-a-screenplay/) - [Academy Nicholl — current program details and public portals](https://www.oscars.org/nicholl) - [Final Draft's current screenplay title-page examples](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/tech-tips-title-page) 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. ## Where to go next - [Screenplay submission center](https://www.inkwell.software/resources/submissions): Dated profiles of fellowships and contests, with their current file and anonymity rules. --- Canonical page: