Style and Content
Scripts are written in courier size 12 or sometimes a slight variation on the courier font. It is used because it is a universal font that is easy to read.
Screenplays that are used for TV, Radio and Film often have character descriptions in them, depicting the characters expressions, facial features and speech features. In the radio drama script, the emotions to be portrayed are put in brackets. In a film script they are put in the script without a name, and are often laid out slightly different to the speech, as they will be formatted so they are wider. The film script has a description of how the character will look at another "she looks at him and her eyes are brimming"
The script for a computer game will be very similar to the standard layout of a TV/Film script, except for perhaps the house style of the company. The script for a computer game will also include a flowchart, this flowchart will demonstrate the sequence of events that will occur on the game from the decisions of the player. The events will correspond the the buttons pressed and the character or game will respond to these, they will then move along the flowchart to either cancel past events/actions and put in new ones. The complexity of the flow chart will depend on the complexity of the game.
In TV Drama/Film the characters speech and actions are justified to the centre of the screen and will have the speaking characters name set to the centre of the text. The stage directions for them will be a slightly longer passage that will extend further left and right of the characters text, and they will give directions for emotions and actions to be portrayed, on the film script it is from "For a moment to brimming". On a radio show, the presenters will be justified to the left of the script, where their names will be written, with their dialogue in a box adjacent to it. The TV News broadcast has camera instructions on the left of the screen with dialogue and presenters names to the right, as with the Film and TV Drama, the names of the character will be above them.
Traditionally a video game will have a synopsis before the
start of the dialogue, but then may fit with either the style of a
TV/Film, or a traditional radio show. This is so the character has the backstory. The backstory will help the play get into character, but it will also help the player relate to and understand the character better. It will also help them understand the objectives of the game.
A Film and TV Drama script will have stage and location directions. They are important as they tell the actors and crew where the shot will be taken and which way the actors will be leaving the set. INT and EXT will give the crew knowledge as to whether the shot will be an internal one or an external one. They may even have a time on them, on the Eastenders script I have used as an example, the location and time of day is underlined to make sure it is specified. A film will have the same location direction as the TV Drama. The stage directions are important in both, Stage Left is an indication to the actor as to which side of the set they should leave on, it may even go into more detail as to what objects to pass on their way. Stage directions give the character information on how they will enter and leave the set, which can be very important when creating different tensions on set.
Sound effects on a radio drama are put in the right column where speech would go, this is where detailed information of the sounds is put. An abbreviation like SFX will be put in the left column where character names would be.
Mode of address is the relationship between the person being addressed and the one addressing them. A parent to child mode of address is used in video games as they inform the audience and guide them in an informal way. A TV news script has a Teacher to Pupil mode of address as it formally gives the audience information about non fiction events. Peer to Peer mode of address is used in TV and Radio Dramas as they are designed to entertain the audience in a friendly way.
There are 4 common narrative structures in scripts. Single and multi stranded. Single stranded can be video games like Halo. Multi stranded can be news scripts, as they have many points of view. The other 2 are linear and non liner structures. Linear structures can be radio and tv dramas that follow a chronological order, like the Archers. Non linear structure can be done in film like pulp fiction, where the storyline jumps around and doesn't have a particular audience.
These are some abbreviations that are used on a TV news script. They are conventions of the genre:
Visual- This is what the audience will see, being graphics, photos, labels, videos etc.
Aural- This is what the audience will hear, these can be voice, sound effects and music.
A TV News script has sound instructions on them. These are a selection of common ones:
NI (News Item)- This is a 30 second long piece read by the anchor that has no accompanying video.
Silent- Presenters voice has visuals alongside it. Their voice is the only sound.
Natsot- The visuals sound and image is accompanied by the anchors voice, like in incidents like fires.
Sound on Tape (SOT)- This is the sound on the tape whether it is an interview, a voiceover or a natsot.
V.O (Voiceover)- Presenter narrates the visuals.
Narrative Structure
Single Stranded- From the point of view of one person. The story will follow one character throughout. Cloverfield is an example of this as it is shown from one persons 'found' footage.
Multi Stranded- From the point of view of a variety of people. A TV news script can have this structure as it can show many stories from the view of many different people, especially if there are multiple interviews throughout.
Linear- Events shown in chronological order. This can be seen in video games, as Halo is shown in chronological order.
Non-Linear- The events are shown without a particular order. This is often done in films so things can be revealed as the story progress'. This is seen in Reservoir Dogs as the characters back story's and the crime is revealed as the story unfolds.
A TV news script has a running order, not a narrative structure. A running order will have all the stories and images on them, saying when the presenter will talk about the different sections. And this will be done in the order that is given.
Genre
Radio Drama, Game scripts and film scripts are used to entertain the audience so usually will be informal. A TV news script is usually formal as they are meant to inform and educate the audience.
Target Audience
Scripts will have different audiences due to their different demographics. The video game is one for children and is designed to educate them whilst keeping them entertained so it is for comprehensive children around the ages of 5-11, with parents within the ABC1 bracket. It is not gender specific in this age group, however studies have shown that older children are usually targeted who are male, as it is stereo-typically seen that it is their way of escapism from school.
The target audience for the radio and TV drama and film script is older people, around 18 and upwards, tending to be more towards females than males. Their spending powers are around B/C1. Viewers for these are usually passive who will watch and listen to a variety of these medias for their escapism from work.
The target audience for TV and Radio News scripts will be of a similar age. The gender split will be 50/50 and the viewers will be active and want to keep up and engage with the current affairs, watching these programs regularly. They have spending powers of A/B and will be intellectual and possibly at the top of their careers.
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