LibGuides: UGS 303: Visual History / Burrowes: Finding Scripts/Screenplays

Finding Scripts and Screenplays

Finding scripts/screenplays can be difficult and time-consuming. Here are a few tips to help you find them by using library and web resources.

Write down everything you know about the film. Title, year it came out, director, producer, main actors, screenwriters, etc.
Be aware that many published scripts, especially for television, have no subject heading at all, and will only have the words "script," "scripts," "film script," "shooting script," or "screenplay" in the title or keywords.
Keep in mind that not all scripts are published as a book and are sometimes published in magazines or anthologies.
Realize that anything that came out recently will probably not be available yet.
Know that most "scripts" found by googling are fan transcripts made to look like an official shooting script or are early versions of the script and may have differences from the final shooting script.

Once you have this information, begin your research using the resources listed below.

Film Scripts Online
Unlimited users.
A collection of feature films containing over 1,100 scripts, many of which have never been published. Volume I covers American classic cinema, and Volume II expands into international and contemporary films. Includes detailed indexing on scenes, characters, and people. Supplemental information includes short biographies on the writers, and awards given to individual films have been noted. Film scholars can compare the writer’s vision with the producer’s and director’s interpretations from page to screen.

UCLA Catalog for Motion Picture Scripts
Primarily American film scripts dating from ca. 1921 to the present. Includes scripts from various studios including Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Paramount, RKO Universal, United Artists, and Warner Brothers. Index only, scripts are located at UCLA and cannot be obtained without permission of the copyright holder.
UCLA Catalog for Television Movie Scripts
Includes scripts for television movies broadcast on various networks including ABC, CBS, HBO, NBC, and Showtime. Also includes a small collection of scripts for television specials and mini-series. The bulk of the collection dates from the 1970s. Index only, scripts are at UCLA and cannot be obtained without permission of the copyright holder.
UCLA Catalog for Television Series Scripts
This collection includes scripts from American television production from the early beginnings of television to the present. Index only, scripts are located at UCLA and cannot be obtained without consent of the copyright holder.
UT Catalog
Search the UT catalog for published scripts and screenplays. Searching using a combination of film title, screenwriter, and words like script, shooting script, or screenplay.

Free internet sources for scripts and transcripts. Be aware that some of these sites aren't official repositories and may contain early drafts rather than the final shooting script.

Simply Scripts
Free internet resource with downloadable scripts, movie scripts, screenplays, and transcripts of movies, television, and radio.
Script-o-rama
This repository has been around on the Web since 1995 and encourages pillaging.
Go Into The Story
Over 100 free PDF downloads of contemporary film scripts, made available by screenwriter Scott Myers.
TV Writing
Includes online scripts for U.S. and U.K. television program.
BBC Script Library
Downloadable BBC scripts from radio, television, and film. Titles include Brooklyn, An Education, Jane Eyre, and selected scripts from Doctor Who.

More resources for Screenplays/Screenwriting

Screenplay Screenwriter Workbook