Korean Screenplay Terms: From Scenes and Action Lines to Inserts and Montages
Terms beginning screenwriters often encounter, explained and grouped into structure, script body, directing, and development.
· 3 min read
When you first start writing screenplays, a flood of unfamiliar terms hits you all at once. This post explains, in plain language, the terms you'll run into most often when reading and writing scripts. We've included the notation commonly used in the Korean industry, but conventions vary slightly between production companies, broadcasters, and writers, so treat it as a reference.
Structural units
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Scene (S#) | A unit of the script that starts anew whenever the time or place changes. In Korean scripts it is usually written with a number, place, and time of day, as in "S#12. Café / Day". In English-language screenwriting, this first line with the place and time is called the scene heading (slug line). For details, see how to write scene headings |
| Sequence | A group of scenes that together form a single event or movement in the story |
| Act | A major division of the story, commonly split into Act 1 (setup), Act 2 (conflict), and Act 3 (resolution). See three-act structure |
Elements in the script body
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Jimun (action lines) | Text describing what can be seen, such as characters' actions and expressions or the mood of a place. Haeseol (exposition) usually refers to the introduction of time, place, and characters before a scene, or to narration, so it is distinguished from jimun. See how to write action lines |
| Dialogue | What characters say |
| Narration (N) | A narrating voice heard from off-screen, similar to voice-over (V.O.) in English-language scripts. See voice-over |
| E (effect) | A tag commonly used when a character isn't visible on screen but their voice or a sound is heard within the scene. Similar to O.S. in English-language scripts |
| F (filter) | A tag commonly used for a voice heard through a device, such as a phone, walkie-talkie, or TV. See how to write phone calls and texts |
| Caption | Text that appears on screen. See how to write on-screen text |
Directing terms that connect scenes
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cut (CUT) | An instant change from one shot to the next scene |
| Fade in / fade out (F.I. / F.O.) | The picture gradually brightening to begin, or gradually darkening to end |
| Overlap (O.L.) / dissolve | A transition in which the previous scene gradually fades as the next scene appears over it |
| Insert | A short shot showing a specific object up close, such as a letter, a phone screen, or a prop |
| Montage | A technique that strings short scenes together quickly to compress the passage of time or an emotion. See how to write a montage |
| Flashback | A scene from the past placed within the present-day story. See how to write a flashback |
| Transition | The term for how one scene connects to the next. See how to write scene transitions |
Development-stage terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Logline | A one- or two-sentence summary of the whole story. See how to write a logline |
| Synopsis | A one- or two-page summary of the plot. See how to write a synopsis |
| Treatment | A document that lays out the flow of scenes in more detail than a synopsis. See how to write a treatment |
Korean scripts vs. English-language screenplays
Korean scripts and English-language screenplays use different terms and notation. For example, English-language scripts write scene headings like "INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY", while in the Korean industry they are often written as "S#1. Coffee shop / Day". Neither is more correct; the rule is to follow whatever format the place you're submitting to requires. If a contest or production company provides guidelines, check their notation first. English-language format is explained in screenplay format.
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