Writing A TV Drama Script (TV Drama)
Pamela Douglas (Screenwriter) gives expert video advice on: How do I know if my idea will make a great TV drama?; How many pages is a TV drama script?; What do I do if my script is running long? and more... What are the stages when writing a TV drama? Writers, whether they are working speculatively, or on a show, go through known stages. What is a 'spec script'? A spec script is a speculative piece of writing which you have done without a commission and without being paid, in order to demonstrate your skill. What is 'breaking a story'? Breaking a story is finding the turning points in the story by defining the structure of how the tale will spin out. What is an 'outline' for TV drama? An outline is a list of the scenes that exist in the final script and it will probably be that way on screen as well. What is a 'polish'? How many pages is a TV drama script? Drama scripts used to be, and some still are, around 60 pages, even though they don't really film to a full 60 minutes. What is a 'pitch'?
By Ken Levine: Great advice for all writers (not just young ones)
This quote from Oscar, Tony, and probably Heisman Trophy winner, Mike Nichols:Every scene is either a fight, seduction, or negotiation. Now you could say he’s stretching it, and you could argue that at times seductions are negotiations, but the real point here is that every effective scene needs some dynamic. Two baseball fans in the stands just talking about the weather isn’t interesting. Umpires trying to decide whether the rain is coming down hard enough to stop a World Series game is. A couple agreeing on what color to paint the house is boring. Your scene needs some conflict, or one of the characters has a specific goal. It may be subtle. Rule of thumb: if you can just lift a scene out of a screenplay or TV show, or whatever without anyone missing it then it didn’t belong in the first place. A fight, seduction, or negotiation may be a little simplistic. Use Nichols’ quote as a guide. A scene has to have… stuff. And that’s why he is who he is and I am who I am.
johnaugust.com - A ton of useful information about screenwriting from screenwriter John August
How to Write About Characters Who Are Smarter Than You
My least favorite moment in all of cinema is a relatively common one. You will recognize it, I’m sure, from dozens of movies and TV shows that prominently feature scientists. You may even have laughed at it once or twice. Our character is a scientist of some kind. But then, after our scientist has finished, the camera turns to a second character. “WHOA, Doc. You know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a moment of casually cynical anti-intellectualism. I would suggest that the reason moments like this keep popping up on screens small and large is quite simply that writing about an exceptionally brilliant character is terribly difficult. As a writer, how do you write about characters who are smarter than you are? I spent a lot of highly caffeinated nights grappling with these questions when I started writing the script for The Imitation Game. One approach would be to render his dialogue as highly technical jargon. Now, four years ago, I published a novel about Conan Doyle. “No doubt!”
Time to Write
Analyse d'une scène d'ouverture : Independence Day (Roland Emmerich, 1996) - L'Empire du spectacle
Vendredi 23 avril 5 23 /04 /Avr 00:07 Le début du film Independence Day va nous servir à illustrer quelques principes de l'utilisation de l'univers du récit comme soutien à l'intrigue, aux personnages, au thème, etc. Dans un film, l'univers apparaît évidemment sous forme visuelle. Autant parler concrètement, lançons-nous dans l'analyse du début du film. Générique du début Dès que le logo 20th Century Fox disparaît, l'univers est posé et définit le genre. Je ne sais pas pour vous, mais ça me rappelle quelque chose : Si le générique avait été écrit avec des lettres manuscrites du style XVIIIème siècle, on conviendra que l'effet eût été différent et quelque peu incongru. Première scène La première scène a lieu sur la Lune. La caméra descend, et montre, sous le drapeau, la plaque que les astronautes ont apportée avec eux et qui "décrit" l'humanité entière et ses intentions pacifiques. Je ne vais pas faire tout le film comme ça, il y aurait trop à dire.
Scénario-Buzz
Héros, adversaire principal et univers du récit - L'Empire du spectacle
Le héros, son adversaire principal et l'univers du récit sont étroitement connectés. Pour expliquer cela, une fois n'est pas coutume, commençons par des exemples. Le héros et l'adversaire principal : opposition psychologique et morale Exemple : The Girl Next Door (Luke Greenfield, 2003) Héros : Le geek Adversaire principal : L'actrice porno Le héros a pour adversaire principal la personne qui attaque le plus sa faiblesse principale, qui est la plus à l'aise dans les domaines où il est mal à l'aise. Pour des précisions et plus d'exemples sur cette opposition basique, voir L'opposition héros/adversaire (Die Hard, The Girl Next Door, Toy Story, Star Wars...) Héros, adversaire principal et mélange des genres Exemple : Lucky You (Curtis Hanson, 2006) Huck Cheever, joueur professionnel de Las Vegas, est connu pour être un flambeur aux tables de Texas Hold'em, se laissant souvent emporter par ses émotions. Le dernier tiers du film met en scène la table finale des World Series of Poker.
Go Into The Story
