Since the 1930s, the library has been acquiring film scripts and building an impressive general reference collection that is regularly consulted by students, writers, actors and filmmakers, among others. Over the years, this collection has grown to include scripts for more than 15,000 produced films spanning the years 1910 to the present. In addition to screenplays for thousands of American feature films, the Script Collection also includes screenplays for silent productions, foreign language films, documentaries, animated features and shorts. Most screenplays are unpublished versions in variant forms, from step outlines and treatments to first drafts, revised and final drafts, and cutting continuities. Published scripts are also actively collected.
Some scripts are available in paper format while others are available in digital form. All scripts are accessible only on-site in the Library Reading Room.
As part of the library’s Core Collection, this invaluable resource is available to researchers without an appointment when they visit the library. Please note that unpublished scripts may not be photocopied.
To find screenplays in the Core Collection, search the Academy Collections.