Unit 19: Learning Aim B

 UNIT 19 LEARNING AIM B 

FORMATS AND CONVENTIONS OF SCRIPTS 

Television 

Friends 

 

In this script, we first see the transition ‘fade in’ on the left, this instructs the editors on what transition should be used to start the scene. It is used in a lot of TV shows to show the opening of a new act. Underneath the transition, also to the left, there is a scene heading. Scriptwriters write a new scene heading every time the scene away that the scene is inside as it says “int.,” meaning ‘interior.’ It then tells us that the scene is set in ‘Monica and Rachels apartment,’ and that it is night. The scene heading tells the director, and actors, where and when the scene is taking place. There is a cast list under the scene heading to tell the director and actors who need to be there while filming that scene.  

The scene must always start with an action line, in this script they show how Chandler enters the room, and that he is angry. The action line is formatted to the left, and underneath it is the character ID, which is centered, of the first person who speaks. The character ID is in all upper case and shows who is saying the dialogue shown below the character ID, which is also centered.  

The script is written in a comedic way, making the characters seem like real people with real problems. In Friends, we see the 6 characters go through big life experiences together. 

 

Malcom in the Middle 

 

In this script, the character IDs are not capitalized like the friend's script, they are also formatted to the left with the dialogue to the right of the names, instead of the names being centered above the dialogue. They also did not use a scene heading when cutting to a new scene, they used an action line, which is also not capitalized. The action line does not go into much detail as a scene heading, and it also doesn’t say what transition to use when cutting to the next scene. We also see that to the right of Malcom’s name, in brackets is written (TC), this is to tell the director and actors that the character is talking to the camera, as it stands for ‘To Camera’. This helps the director and cast to understand what is happening in the scene.  

 

Films 

The Conjuring  

 

In this script, we see on the left it says ‘over black’ to tell the director and editors that the dialogue is spoken over a black screen. On the right of the script, the writer has written the transition from the black screen to the scene. They used the transition ‘smash cut’ and on the next line, they have written what it cut to, ‘A LARGE DOLL,’ in all upper case. Unlike the TV script, the transition is written on the far right. Underneath the description of the doll, the writer has written an action line. 

Next to each character ID, which are all upper case and centered, in brackets, the writer has written (V.O) to show that it is a voice over. The dialogue in this script is slightly more to the left of the character ID. 

This script does not have a scene heading, instead it describes the setting in an action line underneath the transition before the dialogue.  

 

Mrs. Doubtfire 

 

Like the TV script ‘Malcom in the middle’, this script uses action lines instead of a scene heading. However, the action lines in this script go into more detail about the setting, unlike ‘Malcom in the middle’. The action lines are not capitalized apart from some key words, such as the characters names. The dialogue is centered on the page, with the character IDs, capitalized and formatted slightly to the left above it.   

 

Video Games 

The Last of Us 

 

 

This script heading tells us that the scene is set in the character's hometown, and that this part of the script is the prologue. Underneath is another scene heading, it describes the setting to us, and tells us what’s happening in the scene and when it’s happening (late at night). The character ID is formatted to the left and is not capitalized. The dialogue is to the right of the character ID. This video game script is formatted very similarly to the TV script ‘Malcom in the middle’.  

 

The Witcher 3 

  

In this script, there is a scene heading like ‘the last of us’, telling us where the script is set. The action lines in this script are not capitalized but are in brackets. The character ID is formatted to the left and is not capitalized. The dialogue is to the right of the character ID.