Writing for Tv
Part 1
Introduction:
From my recent script writing lessons I learnt how to properly write out a script that enables the actors to know exactly what they are saying and how to act, during the first lesson we looked at some examples on BBC writers’ room (https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom) and simply scripts (https://www.simplyscripts.com/) to get an idea of how a script should look. We were then all as a class given the same two characters to write a short/brief situation with, given that one was the principle and the other named LEO, and the title must be "Leo's day". Before we began writing the script with the two characters we were shown how to lay it out, with the name of the character speaking all capitals in the centre followed by the dialogue and lastly the actions of any/all characters present, to then be repeated even if the same character is speaking once again; to make it clear to the actor that they are speaking once again without the confusion of the actions taking place. We all then wrote the scripts gaining feedback to improve even more, for then the following lesson let each other read them out to enable the rest of the class to gain ideas/examples. After this we were able to come up with our own idea for a situation/conversation to take place between 2-3 characters and write a short script for this, ensuring there is a good amount of dialogue. All of this will then enable me to complete the following project of coming up with and writing a short script for some actors to read out to each other and film it, to develop my skills of script writing and working with real actors directing.
Script analysis:
Upon reading part of the script from the movie Ginger and Rosa I could gather somewhat of the plot, that being about two teenage girls (best-friends Ginger and Rosa) growing up in London during the Cuban missile crisis and the struggles they are having to face because of this especially within their friendship. The two main characters of course being Ginger, and Rosa appear to be kind of opposite in a way, to explain when reading their lines between one another you can tell Rosa is more outgoing, rebellious however Ginger seems to be quite wary of the situations she is put in and less eager but of course easily mislead by Rosa someone she dearly trusts, which is very few people. For example, in the quote said by Rosa "girls most important possession is a bubbly personality" it can be immediately known that she is boy obsessed which will easily influence all her decisions to the point of how she acts this is then reflected onto ginger which displays the power dynamic between the two, Rosa is in charge Ginger follows along. However, Ginger still has her hopes as shown in the quote "I've decided to be a poet" you can tell she is the kind of person to be career focused thinking in the future therefor headstrong in some respects, as a character I can tell she would stand up for what’s right in her head not backing down. But is quickly shut down by Rosa as she changes the subject causing Ginger to slightly doubt herself in a lot of ways as she is not that into boys as Rosa is, also showing a jealousy from Rosa as of how smart Ginger is she is fearful she might lose her friend. As for backgrounds on the two girls, From Rosas brief home-life description we can gather that she does not have a very strong relationship with her mother Anoushka as she describes Rosa as "disturbed" this could be due to her rebellious outbreak and could possibly leading to jealousy of Gingers family and reason to sabotage any/all relationships she has. Gingers parents appear to have some difficulties in their marriage as shown when disagreeing on parenting Ginger when she has been out with Rosa, Gingers mum Natalie a worrier wants the two girls not to hang out anymore stating "I think Rosa is a bad influence" she seems to want to keep her daughter Ginger within arm’s reach quite the opposite to her husband Roland as he questions her decision to keep the two teenagers apart when arguing "meaning what exactly" which further supports his liking to Rosa and his failing marriage. From this chosen script there is a lot of detailed description in the beginning to set the scene, but also throughout just kept a lot shorter between dialogue. This I can use when writing my own scripts to ensure the actor knows the tone of voice, body language to be using to set the scene and their relationship towards the other character, is there tension from a past encounter we do not know about yet always thinking about what will come up in the future to set the base in the beginning for it to then unravel. As shown in playful banter between Roland Gingers dad and Rosa in the first couple of encounters we read between the two, to then uncover their likings towards one another.
Upon reading part of the script from the movie Man up, I gathered the plot is focussed around two main characters - one being Nancy, a 34-year-old woman who is hopeless when it comes to finding love, and the other being jack, a 40-year-old male soon to be divorced who believes she is his date. When Nancy has finally given up on trying to find the one, she runs into Jack (the second protagonist). Unravelling from there, Nancy discovers there is hope for her yet, and until its discovered, she is not the women Jack was supposed to meet. Nancy who is shown to be very awkward and untrusting as a person, struggles within herself to socialise with her anxiety, as she ends up doubling on her words and gets overwhelmed with excitement in situation, as shown in the quote "Hi! Hello. Howdy. Hey there. Hola. How you doing?" - she cannot even trust herself to not mess up a simple greeting. The constant repetition of the babble of words, displays her stream of consciousness clearly, and presents how much of an over-thinker she is due to so many let downs in her life previously, which does not even need to be said to be known as the following quote expresses that, "horrified with herself". In the beginning, we do not know much about Jack and his backstory, but only that he is described as "the hero and charming as hell"; by giving him the title of a hero, the actor will already have a sense of how to act, which can be a helpful source of material to use when writing my own characters. When the two first meet (Nancy and Jack), he appears to be overthinking his date, not at all processing what Nancy is saying - "oh no I’m not" - for Jack to reply, "should we shake hands or kiss?", he is oblivious to the whole situation, which even further shows how charming he can be with not allowing Nancy to stress even if he does not realise, he himself is stressing out. The two are quite alike, as Jack can bounce off Nancy's playful humour which can sometimes go too far as admitted by Nancy due to her "bitterness" - as of being let down by so many people, there for supporting her struggle to let love in. Throughout the dialogue, there is playful banter supplied and witty comments made especially by Nancy as if to deflect anything negative that could come her way, and projecting the defence mechanism she put up as a front to stop herself from getting hurt; these lines allowed for more dialogue between characters without boring the audience, as this could also be useful to use when writing a personal script for a character that’s very playful.
Alma's not normal- TV comedy
From reading the opening scene of the pilot episode from the tv show Alma's not normal, you can immediately get to know what the main character Alma is like; that being she is a very difficult yet determined person this you know from the way she acts when trying to get something in this certain situation a job. The opening scene with dialogue begins in a job centre, Alma is described to have "bright ginger hair" suggesting a big personality along with her being the only person in the room not looking "depressed grey" she immediately makes herself known by wearing a "pink fur-coat" which could support the reason she is in a job centre as she cannot find a job that’s able to support her as due to standing out amongst the rest, as well as her lack of "qualifications" with the only thing to offer is "pizzaz". This being the reason as to why she is seeing Carol who helps people to find jobs, however, is described as "tired" showing a lack of enthusiasm towards her own; this along with the people being described in the waiting room proves how much Alma really stands out. During the entirety of their conversation Alma is not very lenient to let Carol talk and when presented with a question such as "have you got any experience" she acts as though it was not asked only going on about wanting to be "an actress" this providing us with the knowledge she is very naive and rude even when people are trying to help. The entire way Alma is described to be acting and speaking complies with the genre of comedy they are trying to portray, for example Alma begins to talk about her ex-boyfriend to Carol a complete stranger showing she has no filter, and supporting the fact the situation she is in will not end well as she is not showing to be a very compliant applicant when it comes to finding a job, due to job centres being one of the last resorts. By keeping Carols dialogue short when compared to Alma's it supports her tiredness in the situation and willingness to get it over with, however alma likes to over explain things, we also go into flashbacks of her childhood this suggests she has a busy mind and is very expressive with her words. We are then able to learn she did not have a very good upbringing possibly being the reason she has the life she has, "ex-boyfriend" struggling to pay the "rent" and no "qualifications", along with not caring what others think as she knows she stands out, this is known when Alma explains "I think outside the box... But I’m also capable of being in the box if you get what I mean". Only for Carol to answer with "no" creating an awkward feeling between the two as many would just agree, this supports the genre of comedy, and builds the character of Carol as someone who does not waste time. From their conversation you can begin to set the tone for the rest of the series that being about Alma trying to be as difficult as she can and always wanting to get her own way. From reading this part in the script I have gathered ideas that I can use when writing my own if I choose to do comedy, keeping it short and to the point especially not dragging on people’s dialogue and the actions incorporating opposite feelings such as "Direct, determined, slightly defensive" to build the characters personality's.
Bodyguard- TV drama
From reading an intense scene of dialogue from the ending of episode 6 I was able to gather the situations the characters are in, without any prior knowledge to the conversation at hand. We can immediately get the sense that Nadia is very defensive when being interviewed, even when being asked simple questions such as "Did you have any information regarding his children?", to then jumping to Nadia's thoughts of whether or not to confess regarding her "ego" which is clearly dear to her. The whole situation at hand complies with the genre of drama regarding an investigation to do with bombing, the tenseness felt by reading the lines of the characters back and forth. By reading the types of sympathy being said to Nadia you can tell that they believe she is guilty, they want to "wound" her ego, by playing along that she is "just an innocent victim" these words are surely to irritate her, they are being very sneaky about this investigation suggesting there is a personal matter at hand. The dialogue between the two characters varies from one speaking a lot for the other to answer with a simple yes/no, this shows they are listening taking in what each other is saying as it’s a lot to take on in one conversation which complies with how quickly things can change in a drama genre. It is also said that this is footage being watched by David the farther of the children being spoken about previously, it appears that he believed that she was innocent in the beginning, this being one of her reason's to get revenge after so many people only saw her as a victim; they "all see me as poor" she felt as though people wouldn't believe her as capable of such harm. This it appeared to be a big turn in the story a dramatic twist on who was the culprit. David can only feel guilty and described as feeling "haunted and sickened" therefor we can gather he is a believer in the better of people however no longer trusting of them after all these turns of events. David is also given no dialogue he is only known to be watching the interrogation on a computer screen, this creates more intense feelings surrounding him as he-does not know quite what to say; he is overwhelmed; leaving the audience in the dark also creating drama. Although it is not described for the character Rayburn the one interrogating to be acting sincere/rhetoric its already known when he says "are you the victim" it’s known he is trying to budge Nadia as its stated she is trying to protect her "ego", this is a good way to create drama between two characters that already know the truth from both ends and is something I will use when writing scripts based around an argument etc.
Find at least three online platforms where you can upload your own script and have it red by wider audience. There are lots of online young writers’ communities out there supporting each other
Go into the story -https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/
The reason I chose this website is firstly because it was rewarded as the "best of the best" and "award-winning" and the most visited everyday as said by Studio binder (Studio Binder, 2020), I personally was drawn to it due to the amount of help available from Scott Myers a professor that clearly has a passion for the writing industry and experience with young students starting off, although I do not believe you can publish your scripts directly to the sight there are many questions already answered if you are stuck; and the option of emailing Scott Myers directly. The biggest help this website has to offer is its "Blacklist" which is "a platform for film and TV writers to showcase their screenplays for industry members and get their work evaluated by professional readers" (The Blacklist, 2022). Overall, the website is a great way to gain knowledge of how to step your foot into the door of the industry, and have your questions answered by a professional.
(The Black List, 2022)
(The Black List, 2022)
(The Black List, 2022)
Studio binder -https://www.studiobinder.com/
Studio binder is a website you can go to when you have writer's block and even once you’re finished a script, it's a place you can upload your work and gain feedback from others just like you and even professionals. This website would be a really good way for me to improve my writing skills because others will notice things I wouldn't of enabling my scripts to develop further, this is able to happen through group script breakdowns. Not only this but they also have a range of tools to help write scripts.
(Studio Binder , 2022)
(Studio Binder, 2022)
(Studio Binder, 2022)
Script revolution -https://www.scriptrevolution.com/
Script revolution is free and only a small website which will gain by the perspective of others trying to start off when submitting my own scripts, the whole point of the website is so people starting off don’t have to pay or go extra miles to gain the help and feedback they need, which is a great way to meet other witters and movie makers.
(Script Revolution, n.d.)
(Script Revolution, n.d.)
Mind Map
situation, characters involved, time, setting
Script 1
Script 2
2 women who seem to be old friends have run into a problem when they discover they have killed someone. or so they thought. The scene takes place in a messy garage, dead of night (1:00 am) the boot of a small red car is open, but you never see what's inside of it; only the two women standing staring over it. One, Gwenn, calm and not too bothered by the situation; that has not been revealed to the audience yet. The other Julie freaking out clearly just got to a good point in her messy life. Its then discovered that a man is in the boot, covered in blood and not so dead as thought.
Comedy/Horror
3 Characters:
Julie- 37, over thinker, Messy hair not brushed, Just moved out, Job focused, Anxiety.
Gwenn- 35, calm, edgy, doesn't seem very stable mentally, still lives at home. No job. Tattoos all over.
Man- we know nothing about him yet only that he is supposed to be dead.
​
Ideas
A once happy couple have reached their limit, taking place in an over cleaned kitchen, early morning; Matthew dressed in his sunday lounge wear and Grace ready for work to do even more overtime, enter another explosive argument. Matthew has come to the end of believing he will gain the family he always dreamed, Grace realises that she will not have the so put together life and the supporting partner she has always planned for. Will this be the end of their marriage, will they let out how unhappy they both truly are.
Drama
2 Characters
Matthew- 42, a Corny engineer and very forgiving guy, family man. Enjoys relaxing, laid back.
Grace- 45, Territorial, controlling. A businesswoman very career driven, selfish. Dressed in an Armani suit high heels with a slick back ponytail.
Script 3
May has found herself walking home alone from a party (1:00), so she decides to call her boyfriend Xavier; who is at home in his room, to feel safer. As she starts to talk about how bad the party was; that's why she left early and is walking alone, she begins to feel as though shes being watched. A loud clash occurs causing Xavier to freak out; it was just a cat knocking over some bins. May carries on walking feeling silly for freaking herself out. She then goes silent, you can hear the terror in her voice as she explains there is a weird man stood still only a couple houses away he is sad to be pointing at her, he begins to run with a knife. May screams, Xavier is trying to find out where she is to call the police and then silence.
Horror
Characters
May- 17, outgoing, can be rude, no filter.
Xavier- 17, Popular, sporty, scardycat.
Questionnaire
To choose a final script to write I decided to make a questionnaire ,similar to the one I made to gain feedback on what idea to do for my short film, I then gave them to my peers to let them fill it out. From them It was obvious which one was most popular, Script 1; this one having the most number of people (3) say it was their favourite out of the three, with one preferring script 2. I had one person say that they liked script 1 due to its suspense of not knowing what exactly was in the boot of the car, all three students staing they liked the incorporation of comedy and horror as they are all horror fans. From this feedback I can now put in place with evidence my reasoning for wanting to do script 1.
Part 2
Script 1-- Draft
Script Feedback
From my teacher I have gained feedback from my initial Script draft, from the feedback I have noted improvement's that need to be made for the script to be read clearly, this being using full stops at the end of sentences, closing gaps between the CHARACTER names and dialogue and to specify who is doing the action said, for the whole script to be written in present tense. I was also told to add an extra line at the end to increase the cliff-hanger. I did also gain praise on my work, the suspenseful dialogue, both characters personality's are clearly displayed, one more wired than the other.
When I had people from the class act it out I was able to see how the actors interpreted the script and their characters, this enabled me to now note down what lines to make clearer to who is saying it.
Script Analysis
My original Idea of my script has been written how I imagined them to, one character is calm and Whitty shown clearly in their lines, the other an over thinking, their action's display them to be pacing, heavy breathing, panicking. Through lots of feedback from my teacher I was able to layout my script professionally and clear, by the characters names in capitals, ensuring to title who is speaking after every action, and write the characters name when its their action. Adding punctuation where necessary, keeping actions short and simple.
Part 3
Recording 1
Recording 2
Directing the people in my class felt a lot more comfortable as I knew them, which is a vast difference to directing the actors as I did not know them which made me feel a bit uncomfortable at firs telling them what to do. I do need to gain more experience to further develop my directing skills this I can do by directing future group projects and ask for feedback from my peers. From this task I have gained the understanding that next time in order to get the outcome I envisioned I need to be clear with my instructions, be exact so everyone knows exactly what to do. I do enjoy directing although difficult with the more times I direct I will gain all the skills needed.
Out of the two script reads I have I much prefer recording 1 done with my classmates because, the students were able to portray the characters as I had said, one freaking out being very over the top, the other calm and almost suspicious. Recording 2 I believe however, with more time to go over the script and feel more comfortable with the actors it would have come out a lot better, but at the end of the day for a first attempt it was good and I now know where I need to improve.