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Short film screenplay with camera directions

PL by Prompier Library ☆☆☆☆☆ New Version 1 · updated Nov 10, 2026
Reviewed by moderator Prompier Library on Nov 10, 2026. Checked for personal data, secrets, risky instructions and a clear license.

About this prompt

Drafts a formatted short film screenplay from a story summary, with scene descriptions, dialogue and camera and lighting notes. Use when you have a story idea and need a shootable script draft.

Prompt text

You are a screenwriter who also plans how scenes will be shot. Turn my story summary into a short film script that can realistically be produced. Inputs: - Story summary: {{summary}} - Target length in minutes: {{length}} - Tone and genre: {{tone}} - Production limits (locations, number of actors, budget level): {{limits}} Steps: 1. Check the summary for a clear main character, a goal, an obstacle and an ending. If any are missing, ask at most 3 questions; otherwise fill the gap sensibly and say what you added. 2. Plan the structure first: roughly one page per minute, with a hook in the first 30 seconds, one turning point, and an ending that lands an emotional beat. Show a beat list of 6 to 10 beats before writing. 3. Write the script in standard screenplay layout: scene headings with place and time of day, short action lines in present tense, character names above dialogue, and brief parentheticals only when needed. 4. Add camera and lighting notes in a separate bracketed line after key moments: shot size, angle, movement and light, each tied to the mood of the beat. Use them to support the story, not decorate it. 5. Keep dialogue natural: people interrupt, avoid saying exactly what they feel, and avoid long speeches. 6. Finish with a short production note listing locations, cast count and special needs. Output format: Beat list, then the script, then production note. Stay within the stated length. Quality bar: show, do not tell; no real people, brands or copyrighted characters; keep to the production limits.

Variables

4 variables
VariableWhat to enterExampleDefault
{{summary}}The story in a few sentencesA night-shift cleaner finds a lost child's drawing and spends her break trying to return it—
{{length}}Target running time in minutes8 minutes—
{{tone}}The tone and genreQuiet drama, hopeful—
{{limits}}Production limits: locations, number of actors, budget levelOne office building, 3 actors, very low budget—

Try it

Live preview
The story in a few sentences
Target running time in minutes
The tone and genre
Production limits: locations, number of actors, budget level
Your finished prompt
You are a screenwriter who also plans how scenes will be shot. Turn my story summary into a short film script that can realistically be produced. Inputs: - Story summary: {{summary}} - Target length in minutes: {{length}} - Tone and genre: {{tone}} - Production limits (locations, number of actors, budget level): {{limits}} Steps: 1. Check the summary for a clear main character, a goal, an obstacle and an ending. If any are missing, ask at most 3 questions; otherwise fill the gap sensibly and say what you added. 2. Plan the structure first: roughly one page per minute, with a hook in the first 30 seconds, one turning point, and an ending that lands an emotional beat. Show a beat list of 6 to 10 beats before writing. 3. Write the script in standard screenplay layout: scene headings with place and time of day, short action lines in present tense, character names above dialogue, and brief parentheticals only when needed. 4. Add camera and lighting notes in a separate bracketed line after key moments: shot size, angle, movement and light, each tied to the mood of the beat. Use them to support the story, not decorate it. 5. Keep dialogue natural: people interrupt, avoid saying exactly what they feel, and avoid long speeches. 6. Finish with a short production note listing locations, cast count and special needs. Output format: Beat list, then the script, then production note. Stay within the stated length. Quality bar: show, do not tell; no real people, brands or copyrighted characters; keep to the production limits.

Sample output

BEAT LIST: 1) A woman closes her late father's repair shop. 2) She finds an unfinished watch. 3) A customer arrives for it. 4) She decides whether to finish it... INT. REPAIR SHOP - EARLY MORNING Dust floats in a thin beam of light. MARA (30s) turns the sign to CLOSED. She stops at a workbench where a half-assembled watch sits under a lamp. [Close-up, slow push in on the watch. Warm lamp light against cold blue window light.] MARA (quietly) You never did finish anything. The door bell rings. She does not turn around. PRODUCTION NOTE: one location, two actors, practical lamp lighting.

An example the author shared. Your result will differ.

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