GlossaryDocuments & drafts
Spec script
Also: spec · speculative script
A spec script is a screenplay written on speculation — without a commission or a buyer — to sell on the open market or to showcase a writer's voice. Spec format is clean and reader-focused: no shot numbers, no camera directions, no production markup, since its only job is to be read and bought.
A spec is written to win a reader, not to shoot. That shapes its format: minimal transitions, no scene numbers, no "WE SEE" or camera calls, because those belong to a later, production-bound draft and slow a reading copy down.
A spec can be an original screenplay or, in television, a sample episode of an existing show used to demonstrate craft. In both cases the document is a calling card first and a blueprint second.