Formatting Indexes: An analytical model for the study and classification of audiovisual screenplays

Abstract

This article proposes an analytical model for the study and classification of screenplays, grounded in the concept of formatting indices, defined as recurring textual markers that configure historically situated regimes of writing. Its hypothesis states that formatting constitutes a structuring dimension of audiovisual writing and should therefore be incorporated into any historical and analytical framework that approaches the screenplay as an autonomous object of inquiry. The model is structured around five interconnected axes: textual markers, dramaturgical markers, technical indications, paratextual indications, and macrostructural formatting patterns (photoplay, synopsis, scènario, continuity script, treatment, screenplay, and shooting script). Taken together, these indices enable the mapping of regularities, variations, and heterodox practices, bringing into view the tensions between industrial conventions, normative pedagogies, and authorial inflections across different historical contexts. As a practical outcome, the article presents a systematized research instrument in the form of a documentation template designed to support comparative analysis and the datafication of screenplays within large-scale databases. By integrating formal description with historical contextualization, the model establishes replicable criteria that contribute to consolidating screenwriting studies as a distinct subfield within film and audiovisual studies.