In the early days of cinema, around the turn of the 20th century, films were often made without detailed scripts. Instead, they relied on brief synopses or simple scene descriptions. As films grew more complex, the need for more structured planning emerged.
By the 1910s, the film industry began to adopt more systematic approaches to production. Thomas H. Ince, a pioneering filmmaker, introduced an "assembly line" system of filmmaking that relied on detailed written materials. This led to developing continuity scripts, which listed shots within each scene to streamline the filmmaking process.
The practice of script lining likely evolved alongside the continuity script. Continuity scripts provide a detailed breakdown of shots, which is essentially what a lined script does. The vertical lines in a lined script represent different shots, allowing filmmakers to visualise the scene coverage.
Script lining is primarily the responsibility of the script supervisor on set. They create a lined script as takes are recorded, ensuring that all necessary coverage has been shot. However, some directors, especially in indie productions, may line scripts during pre-production to plan their coverage. It encourages directors to make creative decisions early in pre-production.
It can be a useful tool for independent filmmakers and beginners in ensuring coverage for all of the script's action and dialogue. It can be helpful, along with a shot list, storyboard, and overhead diagrams.
A lined script provides a quick reference for scene coverage. Each vertical line represents a single setup, showing at a glance what has been filmed and what still needs to be captured. Zigzag lines represent what is not covered by the shot.
Scene number (6) + Shot label (A) + Shot size (CU) + (Description or notes.)
Start of the coverage (Horizontal line)
End of the coverage (Horizontal line)
Covered by the shot (Vertical line)
Not covered by the shot (Zigzag)
Lining a film script in pre-production offers several significant benefits for filmmakers.
By marking up the script filmmakers can essentially edit the scene in their heads. This helps directors visualise the scene before stepping on set, gain a clearer vision of the final product, reduce the tendency to overshoot, streamline the shooting process, save time on set, identify potential coverage issues, and allow necessary changes to be made before production begins.
Using lined scripts allows filmmakers to enhance their directorial process, increasing production efficiency and potentially improving creative results.
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