Screenplays

How to Number and Renumber Scenes in Screenplays

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Follow the American screenwriting standard so your team and Dramatify stay perfectly in sync.

Core Rules

  • Scene numbers communicate story order and must change logically as the script evolves.
  • Numbers must be sequential from 1 upward in the initial shooting script.
  • Letters cannot precede numbers (e.g., I8, F8 are not allowed). Letters are only used after a number for inserted/moved scenes (e.g., 36B).

Series: Season & Episode

For series, season and episode are managed at the episode level and appear across stripboards, schedules, characters, sets, locations, and call sheets.

  • Format examples: s01e01, s20e203.
  • You may optionally embed the episode into the scene number (e.g., 101, 1001, 10001).

Scene Parts (Automatic)

When a scene is split during breakdown or scheduling, Dramatify adds a colon and a part number automatically:

1:1, 1:2, 1:3, …

A full reference like s01e2-203:4 reads as: Season 1, Episode 2, Scene 203, Part 4.

Move a Scene (Renumber Correctly)

  1. Copy the existing scene.

  2. In the original position, replace the heading with:

    • SCENE OMITTED – moved to [new scene number] or
    • SCENE MOVED TO [new scene number]

    Example: 34. SCENE MOVED TO 36B

  3. Paste the scene in its new position and add a letter after the previous scene number:Example: 36B. INT. THE OFFICE – DAYFurther insertions after that spot would be 36C, 36D, etc.

Why this matters: Simply cutting and pasting a scene without renumbering (e.g., dropping scene 146 between 90 and 91) will cause it to sort back after 145.

Insert a New Scene Between Two Scenes

Add a letter to the preceding scene number.

  • Between 10 and 11 → 10B
  • Another insertion after 10B → 10C, then 10D, etc.

Delete (Omit) a Scene Without Breaking Numbering

  1. Keep the original scene number.
  2. Replace the heading with [number]. SCENE OMITTED.
  3. Remove the scene text to avoid confusion.

This preserves communication for the team and keeps imports clean.

Label Special Scenes Without Leading Letters

Do not prefix numbers with letters (e.g., I8 for inserts, F8 for flashbacks). Instead, describe the type in the heading:

  • 8. INT. Mum’s kitchen – Flashback of scene 4 – DAY
  • 8. INT. Flashback of scene 4 – Mum’s kitchen – DAY

Import Trouble Shooting

Read our blog post The American Screenwriting Standard: Format, Scene Numbering & Rewrites for futher information!

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