For those that are reading scripts for a first time, or if you just need a refresher on script abbreviations, here is a list of what you are going to see in the scripts and what the abbreviations mean.
EXT and INT designations are commonly listed in film scripts to indicate exterior and interior settings.
VO (voice over) refers to narration heard over a scene. It can also refer to narration heard at a higher level than a source of music or background sound.
POV (point of view). Screenplays will sometimes note that a shot will be seen from the point of view of a particular actor.
OS (shot-over-the-shoulder shot). The scene shows the back of one person's head and possibly one shoulder.
SFX (special effects). These may be audio special effects or visual effects—effects that alter reality and are created in the postproduction and editing phases.
CUT TO: The most simple and common transition. Since this transition is implied by a change of scene, it may be used sparingly to help intensify character changes and emotional shifts. The transition describes a change of scene over the course of one frame.
MONTAGE In film, a series of images showing a theme, a contradiction, or the passage of time.
INSERT When a writer pictures a certain close-up at a certain moment in the film, he or she may use an insert shot. This describes a shot of some important detail in a scene that must be given the camera's full attention for a moment. Inserts are mainly used in reference to objects.
CONTINUOUS Sometimes, instead of DAY or NIGHT at the end of a SLUGLINE/Location Description, you'll see CONTINUOUS. Basically, continuous refers to action that moves from one location to another without any interruptions in time.
EXT and INT designations are commonly listed in film scripts to indicate exterior and interior settings.
VO (voice over) refers to narration heard over a scene. It can also refer to narration heard at a higher level than a source of music or background sound.
POV (point of view). Screenplays will sometimes note that a shot will be seen from the point of view of a particular actor.
OS (shot-over-the-shoulder shot). The scene shows the back of one person's head and possibly one shoulder.
SFX (special effects). These may be audio special effects or visual effects—effects that alter reality and are created in the postproduction and editing phases.
CUT TO: The most simple and common transition. Since this transition is implied by a change of scene, it may be used sparingly to help intensify character changes and emotional shifts. The transition describes a change of scene over the course of one frame.
MONTAGE In film, a series of images showing a theme, a contradiction, or the passage of time.
INSERT When a writer pictures a certain close-up at a certain moment in the film, he or she may use an insert shot. This describes a shot of some important detail in a scene that must be given the camera's full attention for a moment. Inserts are mainly used in reference to objects.
CONTINUOUS Sometimes, instead of DAY or NIGHT at the end of a SLUGLINE/Location Description, you'll see CONTINUOUS. Basically, continuous refers to action that moves from one location to another without any interruptions in time.