What is the difference between a spec script and a shooting script?

A spec script is a clean writing sample meant to sell the story — no scene numbers, no camera directions, no technical clutter. A shooting script is the production version, locked and annotated with scene numbers, and sometimes camera and technical notes, used to plan and shoot the film.

Should I put scene numbers in my spec script?

No. Scene numbers are added when the script is locked for production, by the first assistant director or production team — not by the writer on a spec. Adding them yourself signals you don't understand the workflow.

When are scene numbers added to a script?

Scene numbers are added once the shooting script is locked, just before or during pre-production, so every department can reference scenes consistently. Once locked, numbers stay fixed even as pages change, using letters and stars to track revisions.

Spec Script vs. Shooting Script: Who Actually Adds the Scene Numbers?

Spec script vs. shooting script explained: the key formatting differences, why you should never add scene numbers to a spec, and who does add them and when.

One of the fastest ways to reveal you're new to screenwriting is to hand in a spec script dressed up like a shooting script — scene numbers, camera angles, and technical notes all over the page. They're two different documents for two different jobs. Here's the difference, and the answer to the question that trips everyone up: who adds the scene numbers?

Spec script: the sales document

A spec (speculative) script is written to sell the story. Its only job is to be a great read. That means it's clean:

No scene numbers.
No camera directions (CLOSE ON, PAN TO) — those are the director's decisions.
No technical annotations.
Just scene headings, action, and dialogue, formatted to standard.

A reader should get lost in the story, not tripped over production clutter. Everything on the page serves the read.

Shooting script: the production document

Once a script is bought and heading into production, it becomes a shooting script. Now the priorities flip from reading to making:

Scene numbers are added and the script is locked so every department references the same scenes.
Sometimes camera and technical notes appear, added by the director or team.
Revisions are tracked with colored pages and asterisks in the margins.

Who adds the scene numbers?

Not the writer. Scene numbers are added when the shooting script is locked, typically by the first assistant director or the production team, at the start of pre-production. They exist so the breakdown, schedule, and call sheets can all point to "Scene 42" and mean the same thing.

Once locked, numbers don't change even when pages do — new scenes get letters (42A) and revised pages get starred, so the schedule doesn't break every time a line changes.

If you add scene numbers to a spec, you're doing a production job that isn't yours yet — and readers notice.

The practical rule

Writing to sell? Spec format. Clean, no numbers, no camera. Script is bought and shooting? It becomes a shooting script and someone else locks and numbers it.

Good screenwriting software supports both: write clean for the spec, then turn on scene numbers and revision tracking when the script locks for production. Scriptease handles that transition — and because the breakdown builds from the same project, locking the script and planning the shoot stay connected.