So, you want to write a television script?
Why?
Why are you writing a story about this particular subject? Does your story have an appeal that will attract millions of movie-goers or TV viewers? Does it come through in the first couple of sentences of your script?
Why are you writing a story about this particular subject? Does your story have an appeal that will attract millions of movie-goers or TV viewers? Does it come through in the first couple of sentences of your script?
Who?
Who are you writing it for? Who is your audience? Undertake rough marketing and research. If you had to distribute your film to movie theatres located all over the world how would you market it to the theatre owner so that paying customers will turn up?
Who are you writing it for? Who is your audience? Undertake rough marketing and research. If you had to distribute your film to movie theatres located all over the world how would you market it to the theatre owner so that paying customers will turn up?
What?
What is it about? What is the genre (this includes emotional impact on audience)? Is your story best told as a cartoon, science fiction, comedy, drama and so on?
Tell me, or pitch it to me, in 45 words and under. Use purple prose or graphic language to paint me a picture, i.e. Go to Hell (title) is a heart-stopping 1940s (location) psychological thriller (genre) about (plot) the fight between good and evil told through the violent impact of WW2 (rough guide to cost of script) on Bill, a god-fearing Christian, Ben, his double-crossing Nazi sympathising priest and Violette, the call-girl spy they both love – to death (emotional and dramatic content). Shorten this to 45 words or the amount of time you have to go down ten floors in a lift.
What is it about? What is the genre (this includes emotional impact on audience)? Is your story best told as a cartoon, science fiction, comedy, drama and so on?
Tell me, or pitch it to me, in 45 words and under. Use purple prose or graphic language to paint me a picture, i.e. Go to Hell (title) is a heart-stopping 1940s (location) psychological thriller (genre) about (plot) the fight between good and evil told through the violent impact of WW2 (rough guide to cost of script) on Bill, a god-fearing Christian, Ben, his double-crossing Nazi sympathising priest and Violette, the call-girl spy they both love – to death (emotional and dramatic content). Shorten this to 45 words or the amount of time you have to go down ten floors in a lift.
Where?
Where is your story located?
Location is an integral part of the story, i.e. a fish out of water character will react very differently to a character who knows his location intimately.
Where is your story located?
Location is an integral part of the story, i.e. a fish out of water character will react very differently to a character who knows his location intimately.
When?
When does your story take place? This information is used as a rough guide to the cost of your script. Recreating WW2 could be expensive.
When does your story take place? This information is used as a rough guide to the cost of your script. Recreating WW2 could be expensive.
How?
This is the structure of your script. The structure should be firmly in place long before any dialogue is written. Read published screenplays and television scripts – study the structure. Teach yourself how to structure a script – watch a film or a TV show and write down each scene and what was contained in it – why did the writer(s) do what they did? What worked? What didn’t? Could you do it better? What was the story about? The theme should cleverly emerge at the end. This is a good way to become fast at writing structure and to understand the scripting process.
This is the structure of your script. The structure should be firmly in place long before any dialogue is written. Read published screenplays and television scripts – study the structure. Teach yourself how to structure a script – watch a film or a TV show and write down each scene and what was contained in it – why did the writer(s) do what they did? What worked? What didn’t? Could you do it better? What was the story about? The theme should cleverly emerge at the end. This is a good way to become fast at writing structure and to understand the scripting process.
Work, rework and rework again the first couple of pages or the
first act of your screenplay – what is it about – shock me out of my comfort
zone – keep me guessing.
Each page is one minute. A film should be 90 minutes long, i.e.
90 pages. No more, no less. Put the audience through a dramatic or comedic
wringer then let them go home.
~ Ginny Lowndes
Writing for Television. Published Allen & Unwin.
© 1986
Writing for Television. Published Allen & Unwin.
© 1986
Think
like a distributor
Before you write a script, you must think like a distributor.
You need to think about:
1.
How to get into a position of strength from the get go. A film
succeeds or fails on it financial returns (not praise from family and friends).
Films are sold from individual to individual – you must have promotional
material to suit each particular need. Have a business plan.
2.
Courting your audience. You have to get them to leave the
comfort of their homes to go to a film. You have to compete against at least
five channels and other distractions to get someone to watch your TV show. How
are you going to do it? Is your story good enough?
3.
Employing a publicist before you begin shooting. How will you
tell them what you want for your film or TV project? What are its positive
points?
4.
Having promotional and publicity events often – keep everyone
informed, invite critical people (i.e. media, distributors, investors &
more) on set, send photographs and press cuttings and hold meetings to keep
people critical to the success of the film up to date.
5.
Setting up a website that keeps the information and interest
flowing.
6.
Checking out the web for cheap potential promotion and marketing
opportunities, like http://www.bloggers.com to promote yourself.
Next, ask yourself:
What is the film about (without describing the characters)?
Refine your response to 45 words and under, as if you are describing a film or
TV show you saw last night, i.e. Matrix was about ………
What will the audience feel when they leave the theatre?
Describe a typical member of your audience.
Name the three most likely markets for the film.
List the main protagonist (the goodie). Are they a box office
star?
List the main antagonist (the baddie). Are they a box office
star?
Name three other films that are most like your film.
Where is the turning point in the film? Has it got a happy or
positive ending? (Please refer to Homer Simpson’s reaction to the director’s
cut of Free Willy).
What censorship rating is it likely to get?
What are the merchandising possibilities?
In a sentence, what goes under the title on the publicity
material? Is it the best possible title?
What is the genre? Comedy, horror, children’s? Please note: Children’s
TV has to have a special classification from the Australian government. It is
based on their script evaluation.
What is the optimum release date? If it is a Christmas story it
will be released at Christmas not during Easter.
Additional things to think about – make sure you have in place
the ability and personnel to produce:
Press releases for daily papers, local papers, trade papers
Trade press releases, i.e. Encore, Cinema Papers, Film News,
Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and so on.
On line press releases to http://www.screenhub.com.au and others.
Press kits
Supervised still photography, printing and captioning of stills,
selection of stills.
Exclusives: set up and supervise special interviews for feature articles
or TV news items. Why will they come?
Final
report: final press kit for distributors and or sales agents; electronic press
kits must also be available.
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