Screenplay Draft Naming and Version Control Guide
Executive Summary
A screenplay passes through many hands before it reaches the screen, and every one of those people needs to know, without opening the file, which version they are holding. Draft naming and version control answer three questions: what is this document, how current is it, and what changed since the last one I read.
The working system in this guide has four parts. First, a fixed file naming pattern (project, document type, version, date, status) that sorts correctly on any computer. Second, a version numbering rule that separates internal saves from drafts delivered to other people. Third, one authoritative storage location with a clear split between editable source files and read-only deliveries. Fourth, a change record for every delivery: a short cover note during development, and the standard colored revision pages once a script is locked for production.
None of this replaces craft. It protects craft. A rewrite that lands on the wrong desk, or a scene cut from the script that a department keeps preparing anyway, costs time and goodwill that no amount of good writing recovers.
Table of Contents
- Why Version Control Matters Beyond Your Desktop
Why Version Control Matters Beyond Your Desktop
The familiar folder full of `final_final_v7.docx` files is annoying for a writer working alone. Once other people depend on the script, it becomes a production risk. A director can block scenes from an outdated draft. A production designer can price a location that was cut two drafts ago. An actor can learn dialogue that no longer exists. Each of these mistakes traces back to the same failure: nobody could tell which file was current.
A screenplay keeps changing, but at specific moments it must hold still. A producer budgeting and scheduling needs one exact draft. Department heads preparing breakdowns need the same draft. When a new version goes out, everyone needs to see what changed so they can update their own work instead of rereading the entire script.
The risk grows with the number of readers. During early development, the writer usually controls every copy. After an option or a greenlight, the script becomes a shared document read by producers, executives, the director, and eventually the full crew, often in different cities and time zones. The writer's relationship to the script also changes at that point. For the business side of that shift, see Screenwriter's Business Guide: Options, Credits, and Handoffs and Option and Purchase Basics: What Writers Should Understand Before Signing.
A dated, organized draft history also has practical value beyond the production itself. Under the WGA screen credits process, participating writers submit the literary material they wrote so the arbiters can compare drafts. A clean record of which pages you delivered, and when, makes that submission straightforward. For how those credit categories work, read WGA Credits Basics: Story By vs Screenplay By vs Written By. A file history supports your account of the work; it is not legal proof of authorship by itself, and contract or credit questions belong with your representatives or the guild.
Build a File Naming Convention
The goal of a naming convention is simple: anyone should be able to identify the file from its name alone, and files should sort in the correct order automatically. Use the same elements, in the same order, every time.
1. Project identifier. A short project name with no spaces, such as `NightFerry`. Files that get copied out of their folder still show where they came from.
Assembled, the names look like this:
`NightFerry_Script_v1.3_2026-03-12_Writer.fdx`
A few rules keep the pattern reliable:
- Never use "final," "latest," or "new." These words stop being true the moment another version exists. The version number and date carry that information.
Version Numbering: Internal Saves vs Deliveries
The version number tells a reader how significant a change is. A two-part `major.minor` format works well for screenplays.
- Minor versions (v1.1, v1.2, v1.3) are your internal working saves: a dialogue polish, a restructured sequence you are testing, typo fixes. Nobody outside your circle needs to see them.
Tying the major number to deliveries, rather than to how big the rewrite feels, removes guesswork. Everyone who received v2.0 knows exactly what they read, and a v3.0 always means a new delivery.
A typical sequence:
1. v0.1 to v0.9: exploratory drafts before you are ready to show anyone. Some writers skip this and start at v1.0.
A third number (`v2.1.4`) is common in software but rarely helps a screenwriter. If you need that much granularity, your screenwriting application's backup and history features are a better place for it.
Keep two things separate from your version number. First, contract steps: a writing agreement may define deliverables in terms such as first draft screenplay, rewrite, and polish, and those steps matter for payment and scheduling. Note the step in your delivery email and change log, but do not let it replace your numbering. Second, production revisions, which follow their own system once the script is locked.
Development Drafts vs Production Revisions
Development and production use different version control methods, and confusing the two causes many naming problems.
During development
Each delivered draft is a complete new document. You can restructure freely, renumber scenes, and change page counts. Your file name, version number, and cover note do the work.
Once the script is locked for production
When a production locks the shooting script, the production office (often a script coordinator on larger shows) takes over distribution, and the rules change so departments can update their work without starting over.
- Scene numbers are fixed. A new scene between 12 and 13 becomes 12A, not 13. An omitted scene keeps its number with the word OMITTED.
In this phase, the revision color and date become the primary identifier, and files are usually named to match, for example `NightFerry_Script_Pink_2026-06-20.pdf`. Your personal major/minor numbers can continue in your own working files, but the production's color sequence is what everyone else uses.
For how a locked draft is packaged for department breakdowns, read Script-to-Prep Handoff Package: Breakdown-Friendly Drafts and Locked Revisions.
Storage, Folders, and Archiving
Naming fails if the files are scattered across laptops, email attachments, and three cloud accounts. Keep one authoritative location for the project.
One home for the project
- Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive): accessible from anywhere and includes file version history. Treat that history as a safety net, not as your versioning system, because it does not record which version was delivered to whom.
A folder structure that separates source from deliveries
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The key split is between `01` and `02`. Working files change constantly. Delivered files never change after they are sent, because they are the record of what someone read.
Archiving
1. Keep every delivered draft. Store the exact PDF that was sent along with its cover note. If a note refers to "page 34 of the March draft," you need that exact file.
Tracking What Changed
Readers should never have to compare two drafts page by page to find your changes. Give them a record.
Software tools
- Draft comparison. Final Draft includes ScriptCompare (Tools > ScriptCompare), which creates a separate "Changes" document showing added text in blue and deleted text in red strikethrough, tracked paragraph by paragraph. Final Draft Use it to check your own work before writing a cover note, and to answer "what changed?" questions precisely.
The cover note
Every delivered draft should travel with a short note, either in the email body or as a separate one-page document. It should include:
- Version number, date, and contract step if relevant
This saves your readers time and shows exactly how you responded to their notes. If you need to frame notes conversations with a director, see Working With a Director: A Screenwriter's Playbook.
Your private change log
Keep a running log for yourself, one line per version:
```
When you later wonder why a scene changed, or want to recover a cut idea, the log tells you which file to open. It is especially useful when revisions affect character arcs; see Character Want vs. Need: Building Arcs That Survive the Edit for keeping an arc intact through multiple rewrites.
The Handoff Protocol
Once more than one person works from the script, version control becomes a shared responsibility. A simple protocol prevents most problems.
One current version at all times
At any moment there should be exactly one current script that all notes, breakdowns, and schedules refer to. In development, the writer usually controls it. After lock, the production office distributes it, and the writer delivers changes through the production's process rather than sending files directly to individual departments.
Deliver read-only files
Send PDFs, not editable source files, unless a collaborator specifically needs the source (for example a script coordinator preparing revision pages). Editable files invite accidental changes and create competing versions.
Announce every delivery clearly
Use a consistent email subject line, for example: `NIGHT FERRY | Script v3.0 | 2026-05-02`. Attach the PDF and the cover note in the same message. Ask readers to delete or archive earlier copies.
Collect notes against one version
Ask for notes on a specific delivered version, and consolidate notes from multiple readers into one document before you start revising. Notes that arrive on different drafts at different times are the most common cause of wasted rewrites. For turning notes into useful revisions, see Script Coverage 101: Notes That Actually Improve Marketability.
Revise, then deliver the next major version
Work through the consolidated notes in minor versions (v2.1, v2.2), then deliver v3.0 with its cover note. The cycle repeats until the script is locked for production, when the colored revision process takes over. For the full list of materials writers hand off along the way, see Writer's Deliverables Checklist: Pitch Materials, Synopses, Treatments, Revision Pages.
Version Control Worksheet
Use this table as a checklist before each delivery.
| Check | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| File name | Does it follow project_type_version_date_status? | NightFerry_Script_v3.0_2026-05-02_Delivered.pdf |
| Version | Is the major number incremented for this delivery? | v2.x working files become v3.0 |
| Format | Is the delivered file a PDF? | Source .fdx stays in 01_Script_Working |
| Storage | Is the exact sent file saved in the delivered folder? | 02_Script_Delivered/ |
| Cover note | Does it list notes addressed and major changes? | Notes 1-11 addressed; scene 22 cut |
| Change log | Is this version logged with date and summary? | One line in the private log |
| Announcement | Does the email subject state project, version, and date? | NIGHT FERRY, Script v3.0, 2026-05-02 |
| Backup | Is the delivery backed up in a second location? | Cloud plus external drive |
Common Mistakes
- Using "final" in file names. There is always another draft. Let the version number and date carry the meaning.
Interface and Handoff Notes
What You Receive (Upstream Inputs)
- Notes: from producers, executives, the director, or cast, ideally tied to a specific delivered version. These drive each new version.
What You Deliver (Downstream Outputs)
- Delivered drafts as PDF: read-only, correctly named, with the version and date on the title page.
Top 3 Failure Modes
1. Competing "current" versions: several files labeled final or latest circulate, and departments work from different drafts.
Browse This Cluster
- Screenwriter's Business Guide: Options, Credits, and Handoffs
Next Steps
Set up the folder structure and naming pattern on your current project today, then rename your most recent delivered draft to match. Before your next delivery, run through the worksheet above. For the wider business context of drafts, options, and credits, continue with the complete guide.
📚 Complete Guide: Screenwriter's Business Guide: Options, Credits, and Handoffs
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to name my screenplay files?
Use a consistent pattern of Project_DocType_Version_Date_Status, for example: NightFerry_Script_v2.0_2026-04-01_Delivered.pdf. This ensures files sort correctly and are identifiable.
Why shouldn't I use the word 'final' in a script filename?
The word 'final' stops being true the moment another version is created. Version numbers and dates are more reliable indicators of which draft is the most current.
What's the difference between a major and minor version number for a script?
Major versions (v1.0, v2.0) are drafts delivered to producers or executives. Minor versions (v1.1, v1.2) are your internal working saves between deliveries.
How do script revisions work after a script is 'locked' for production?
After locking, scene and page numbers are fixed. Changes are issued as colored revision pages (e.g., Blue, Pink, Yellow) with asterisks marking new lines, and new scenes become 'A' scenes (e.g., 12A).
Should I send producers a PDF or a Final Draft file?
Always send a read-only PDF for deliveries. Editable source files like .fdx should only be sent upon specific request, typically to a script coordinator, to prevent accidental changes.
What should I include in a cover note when I deliver a new draft?
A cover note should list the version number, date, which notes you addressed, and a summary of major changes like added characters, cut scenes, or structural shifts.
What is the standard color order for script revision pages?
The WGA West sequence is typically Production White, then Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green, Goldenrod, Buff, Salmon, and Cherry, but you should always confirm the order with the production office.
How do I add a new scene to a locked script?
Instead of renumbering all subsequent scenes, a new scene inserted between scenes 12 and 13 would be labeled scene 12A.
What's the best way to organize my script folders?
Use a clear structure that separates editable source files ('01_Script_Working') from read-only delivered PDFs ('02_Script_Delivered') to maintain a clean record.