NewEnglandFilm.com Editorial Guidelines
Basic Guidelines
- See style sheet below for common format and style questions.
- Please send all stories as a .doc attachment to editor@newenglandfilm.com.
- Length is ideally about 1,000 words; max should be 1,500 words.
- Every article should have the following:
Story Title – can have ‘head’ and ‘subhead’
Byline (your name) and your bio if it needs adding/updating on the site
NewEnglandFilm.com username: If you want the story to show up in ‘My Articles’ of your account profile.
Blurb: This is the paragraph description of the story used in the teasers on our site and in searches, so it should be a sentence that sums up the piece.
Body of the story that follows style sheet guidelines. Note: Interviews should be done as either a Q&A (e.g. A
Fabled Life) or as an edited profile with direct quotes interspersed (e.g. Documenting the Filmmaker).
NewEngandFilm.com Style Sheet
Here are some guidelines that all articles on NewEnglandFilm.com must follow for publication. Also, use dictionary.com for spelling, dictionary and thesaurus or Elements of Style or other Bartleby books for grammar help.
ABBREVIATING
Abbreviations are fine, but the full spelling should be included in first-time reference. For example:
The Independent Feature Project (IFP) is an organization for filmmakers
across the country. The main goal of the IFP is to help filmmakers promote
their works.
DASHES
Use double dashes not long dashes:
Several films screened — although no filmmakers attended.
DATES & TIMES
If writing a single date:
August 24
If writing a set of dates:
August 24–30, 2001
If writing a decade date that is not in this century:
1960s
If writing a decade date that is in this century (probably won’t be all that applicable just yet):
‘30s
When writing time of day:
8 pm
INTERNET TERMS
Always capitalize Internet.
Use website.
When an URL comes at the end of a sentence, put a period after it.
Always type www.websitename.com but don’t type http://.
Use e-mail not email.
INTERVIEWS
Always use the initials of the interviewer and the last name of the interviewee, and bold:
SH: Why do you make films?
Wiseman: Because I like them.
When referring to an interviewee, refer to their last name.
Since 1990, Wiseman has produced several films.
NEWENGLANDFILM.COM REFERENCES
Always use NewEnglandFilm.com since that is our trademarked name.
NUMBERS
The numbers 1 – 9 should be written out:
There were three cats in the room.
Numbers above nine should be numbers:
There were 11 cats, 100 dogs, and 1,000 birds.
Numbers in a series should be written as follows:
Competitors 1-8 will be first; competitors 152 – 160 will be next.
Numbers starting a sentence will always be spelled out:
Five hundred movies were at the festival.
Awards:
The first place winner
The 14th place rider
Write out percents:
5 percent
100 percent
QUOTES
Always put periods and commas inside quotation marks.
“It’s a great film,” said Wiseman.
Put question marks and exclamation points inside quotation marks unless they apply to the sentence as a whole. For example:
He wondered, “Will this film be a success?”
Has anyone heard him say, “Don’t watch that film”?
TITLES
Movie titles, book titles, television programs, and episode titles should be in italics.
Exhibits and programs should be in title case:
The Wiseman Retrospective
Screenwriting for Dummies
Individual pieces within an exhibit should be in italics:
The Scream was on exhibit at the MFA.
