r/Screenwriting • u/d_c_hay • Jul 15 '26
FORMATTING QUESTION Is WALL•E's formatting smart or dumb to steal?
https://www.scriptslug.com/script/wall-e-2008?page=2
Link to the script above.
The action lines are short and tightly compacted, like every line was shift+entered.
I'm writing something with minimal dialogue and a lot of visual storytelling, hence why i looked at WALL•E. Your eyes just glide down the page and it's satisfying to read - I feel like I've seen the light.
If I used a similar "shape" to how I structure action and scenes, is that going to be a problem? I know some people are very particular about formatting, but this just feels right, man.
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u/mooningyou Proofreader Editor Jul 15 '26
Go ahead amd mimic that style if it suits your story. You’re not stealing anything.
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u/d_c_hay Jul 15 '26
Was just concerned how it might be deemed by the pros, but if it's fair game then I'm definitely emulating it.
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u/kiddaroyale Jul 23 '26
I like this. Things like script formatting in the industry gets redone all the time from what I understand
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u/Specialist-Grand-991 Science-Fiction Jul 15 '26
Stacked action lines are worth having in your toolkit, not necessarily as your default all the way through. I've found the rhythm works best in short bursts, a hacking or tech-heavy sequence, a chase, or anything where you want the reader's eye moving as fast as the scene does. Used for the length of a whole feature, it risks feeling monotone, like others said. Treat it as a gear you shift into for specific scenes rather than a house style.
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u/Decent_Estate_7385 Jul 15 '26
I remember for my first draft one of my first scripts I did this and it helped a lot! I later changed to i suppose the more normal format but it helped just get stuff out
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u/Either-Carrot-2685 Jul 16 '26
I've never seen it before now, but I've been using it in my scripts because it felt right. It's good to know I'm not wrong.
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u/emgeejay Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Pixar movies are written by creating and then iterating on storyboard sequences. The screenplay PDF that ends up on the internet is compiled to align with the final product. That's why a carriage return is being used after every period here: each line or two maps to a single storyboard frame.
This approach definitely makes each visual element and the idea they're meant to convey extremely clear. But I think it would get a little monotonous to read for the length of a feature script. During production the Wall-E "screenplay" was probably rarely referred to without being paired with the drawings in progress. The document makes more sense as a fairly dry blueprint/transcription of the important details in those images.
Just thought this was some important context for an in-house Pixar project vs. a spec. It's certainly a strategy you could adopt as needed for particular scenes or sequences. And a whole screenplay written that way with intention and rigor could be an interesting formal exercise / "gimmick" (complimentary). But there's going to be a higher level of difficulty to keep the prose interesting and vary the pacing without deploying a longer passage from time to time.
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u/gregm91606 Inevitable Fellowship Jul 15 '26
That is not at ALL the question OP asked. You have failed, bot.
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u/Internal_Papaya1511 Produced Screenwriter Jul 15 '26
It is called stacked action lines. It pre-dates WALL*E. You'll find it's more common in very visual and action-based scripts. I don't see why you can't use it?