Fountain is a plain-text screenplay format. A .fountain file is just a text file — readable without any app, writable in any editor, and convertible to professional PDF or Final Draft FDX by any Fountain-aware tool. This reference covers every element.
Scene headings (sluglines)
A scene heading tells you where and when. It must start with INT. or EXT. (or INT./EXT. for scenes that are both), followed by the location and time of day.
INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY
EXT. MARINA BEACH - SUNSET
INT./EXT. MOVING CAR - NIGHTA scene heading on its own line is automatically recognised. You can also force any line to be a scene heading by starting it with a dot:
.MARA'S KITCHEN - MORNINGThe forced syntax is useful when the line doesn’t begin with INT./EXT. but should still be treated as a slug.
Action lines
Action lines describe what the audience sees. They require no special marker — any paragraph that isn’t a scene heading, character name, or dialogue is treated as action.
Mara sits alone at a corner table. Notebook open. Pen still.
The café hums around her. She hasn't written a word.Write action in present tense, third person. Short paragraphs — one to three sentences — are easier to read on the page and to shoot from on set.
To centre an action line (for title cards, for example):
> FIVE YEARS LATER <To force a line to be treated as action when it might be misread:
!This line is definitely action.Character names
A character name appears in ALL CAPS on its own line, immediately before dialogue. The name signals to the app (and to the reader) who is speaking next.
MARAIf a character continues speaking after a break in their dialogue (an action line interrupting), add (CONT'D):
MARA (CONT'D)To force a line to be treated as a character name when it’s not in ALL CAPS:
@MARA-7The @ prefix forces character formatting — useful for names that include numbers or lowercase letters.
Dialogue
Dialogue goes on the line directly below the character name. No special marker is needed.
MARA
You've been staring at that same line for twenty minutes.
JON
(sitting down)
I know. It's a very good line.Dialogue is formatted with specific indents (roughly 1” left, 1.5” right) in the rendered output. In the raw .fountain file, it just needs to be below the character name with no blank lines between.
Parentheticals
Parentheticals are small performance directions. They go on their own line in parentheses, between the character name and dialogue.
MARA
(looking away)
I don't know what you want from me.Use them sparingly. Good dialogue conveys the performance; parentheticals should only appear when the reading is genuinely non-obvious from context.
Transitions
Transitions like CUT TO: and FADE OUT. go at the right margin. In Fountain, a line that ends with TO: is automatically recognised as a transition.
CUT TO:
SMASH CUT TO:
DISSOLVE TO:FADE IN: at the very start of the script and FADE OUT. at the end are the standard bookends.
To force a transition that doesn’t end in TO::
> TITLE CARD:Lyrics
Song lyrics are wrapped with ~ tildes. They render in italics.
~Somewhere over the rainbow
~Way up highNotes (non-printing)
Notes are enclosed in double square brackets. They appear in some apps but do not print in the final output.
[[This scene needs a stronger button. Come back.]]Sections and synopses
Sections are like headings in a document — they don’t print but help you navigate long scripts. They use # symbols.
# Act One
## The Setup
### Scene GroupSynopses are brief descriptions of what a section contains. They start with =:
= Mara realises she can't leave the city without confronting Jon first.Page breaks
A line of three or more equals signs creates a hard page break in the output:
===Title page
A title page is a block of key-value pairs at the very top of the file, before any screenplay content:
Title: Untitled Script
Credit: Written by
Author: Your Name
Draft date: May 2026
Contact: your@email.comThe recognised keys are: Title, Credit, Author, Source, Draft date, Contact, Copyright, Notes, Revision. Any key not recognised is ignored.
Complete example
Title: The Last Line
Credit: Written by
Author: Mara K.
Draft date: May 2026
FADE IN:
INT. CAFÉ — DAY
Mara sits alone at a corner table. Notebook open. Pen still. The café hums around her.
She stares at a single sentence on the page.
JON
(sitting down)
You've been staring at that same line for twenty minutes.
MARA
(not looking up)
It's almost right.
JON
Almost.
MARA
Almost.
She closes the notebook.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET — CONTINUOUS
Mara steps out into the afternoon light. She opens the notebook again.
FADE OUT.Quick answers
What file extension does Fountain use? .fountain — it’s a plain-text file you can open in any text editor.
Does capitalisation matter in Fountain? Scene headings must start with INT./EXT. Character names must be ALL CAPS. Everything else is flexible.
Can I write Fountain in a notes app? Yes. Any text editor works. Apps like ScriptDraft, Highland, or Fade In then render it with proper formatting.
How do I export a Fountain file to PDF? Use a Fountain-aware app. ScriptDraft (iOS/Android) exports Fountain to PDF free. Highland 2 (Mac) does the same on desktop. Final Draft can import and export Fountain files.
Is Fountain supported by professional screenplay apps? Yes. Final Draft, Arc Studio, Fade In, Highland 2, ScriptDraft, and Slugline all support Fountain. It is the universal interchange format for modern screenwriting tools.