This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Working with Scripts
When you need to provide even more detailed instructions for the video that you are creating, you can control what is said and heard using a script. While the subject of scriptwriting could fill a separate book, the following sections highlight a couple of things you can immediately put to practical use when starting out on your video journey.
Hollywood Script vs. A/V Script
Your first choice is which kind of script to use for your project. When you are producing something that is similar to a television show or a movie, you should choose a Hollywood script. This type of script has preset formatting rules, and the text is usually set on the page in a single column from top to bottom.
Commercials, promotions, news stories, and other types of videos often follow the A/V script format. This script uses a two-column, table-like format. One column holds all of the elements that the viewer hears (the A or audio) and the other column holds the description of what the viewer sees (the V or video). Each row in the table is designated for an individual shot.
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FIGURE 3.15 An example of a Hollywood script
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FIGURE 3.16 An example of an A/V script
Common Script Elements
While Hollywood scripts and A/V scripts are used for different purposes, they do share a bit of formatting in common. Let’s look at these common elements more closely.
Master slug line: Appearing at the start of a scene, the slug line specifies whether the scene is interior or exterior (INT or EXT), the location of the shoot, and time of day.
Action line: The action line section describes the action of the scene and introduces the characters that the viewer will see. Usually introduced in all caps, characters can have a name (JOHN) or a general description (OFFICE MANAGER 1). The action is written in the present tense. Sometimes, the word we is used to reference the viewer.
Dialogue: Dialogue is written out whether you see the characters speaking it or it’s spoken by an unseen narrator. If it is spoken off-camera or has a note describing special circumstances, it appears in parentheses.
Parenthetical: Instructions are written in parentheses and are usually verbal cues or direction given to the actor in the scene.
Shot: If a shot changes in the scene, you can use this heading to let the camera operator know that you require the camera to take a different angle or position within that scene. This would appear as a “CLOSE-UP ON ADAM” or “LOW POV OF FEET MOVING.”
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The next scene will start with a slug line that displays the location and time and so the process moves on.
Music and Sound Effect Slugs
In the A/V script, you may see additional MUSIC and SFX slugs to describe any audio besides dialogue in a scene. Both types of slugs appear left-aligned in the AUDIO column, but the SFX slugs are in lower case and in parentheses, while the MUSIC slugs are in title case without parens.