UNIT 19 Juilan

TV Script Writer

 

A lot of TV Script writers start off as writers and come up through the writer’s room. You begin as an assistant and then you get picked as a low level writer and then after you become a tv editor and then an exclusive editor you work your way up through the inside

 

The skills you need to become a successful writer

Knowledge of English Language

Excellent written communication skills

Determination and Persistence

Excellent verbal communication skills

Using your initiative

Knowledge of media production and communication

Ambition and a desire to succeed

 

Differences between normal scriptwriting and TV Scriptwriting

 

Tv scripting is all about the engine, you need to think about your script for your first episode in the show by the time a producer has finished reading the script they should be able to imagine hat each episode is going to look like without any explanation from the producers, Whilst with a normal scriptwriting it isn’t like that as you do have to explain. With a few expectations the series isn't written by only one writer it is written by a team of writers so this then means you have to be a great collaborator

 

The most exciting thing about writing for television is that within any type of format you have your own unique engine, this engine grows directly out of the unique traits of all characters and the unique hook of screenwriting and television are ultimately similar.

 

Describe at least three famous scriptwriters How do they find success? what projects did they work out?

 

Greg Berlanti is one TV Scriptwriter who is known for his series called Dawson’s Creek. Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close group of friends starting in high school and continuing college that ran from 1998 to 2003. Greg Berlanti is successful for Brothers and Sisters, Everwood, Political Animals, Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and You and has also done DC comics on film and television productions, including the CW’s Arrowverse.

 

In 1988 at the age of 26, Berlanti landed his first writing job on the hit tv series called Dawson’s Creek where he then quickly rose through the producing ranks from Staff writer to Executive Producer. When creator and then showrunner Kevin Williamson decided to stop away from the Show,28 year old Berlanti was promoted to Showrunner.

 

The second TV script writer i am talking about is someone known as  Paul T Scheuring. Paul T Scheuring is an American screenwriter and director of films and television shows, his work includes the 2003 film Aman Apart and the creation of the hit television drama Prison Break for which he was credited as the executive producer and the head writer.

 

Ater working on 36K in 2000 and A man Apart in 2003, Scheuring made his first attempt to be a television show writer as he developed an idea from a female colleague into a screenplay called Prison Break, he approached the Fox network with the script but was then turned down due to its unconventional storyline. The series proceeded to win an People’s Choice Award for the Favourite New TV Drama and was nominated for the Best Drama Television series at the 2006 Golden Glove Awards

 

The third person I will be speaking about is called Alex Pina. Alex Pina is a spanish television producer,writer, series creator and director as is known for the crime drama La Casa de Papel (Money Heist). Money Heist has gone on to receive awards for best Screenplay and best screenplay,best production, best direction, three best actor wins and a best drama series award at the 46th international Emmy Awards. Creator Alex Pina has also developed Netflix popular show called White Lines.

 

 

Watershed

Watershed could be an issue when it comes to scriptwriting because of the content it includes such as violence,nudity,sexual intercourse and how it isn't suitable for the younger audience. When was this? Watershed is usually shown around 9pm and then it ends around 6am. The effect of this is that it means a scriptwriter has limited information he is then able to talk about.

Copyright Information 

Copyright is very important when it comes to script writing because they are ways that you are able to prevent it. In general, if you protect the idea you have created for your script then no one would be able to get hold of it as you come up with an excellent idea more and more pages. A result of copyrighting your work means that you are then protected against plagiarism and you have proof of the ownership of that script.

Plagiarism

taking someones idea and then trying to pass the idea and act like you came up with it. The risk of plagiarism can lead to the writer having to be extra careful for when it comes to script writing. As if a writer faces plagiarism will include suing as an illegal action.

Blasphemy

This is the act of insulting and showing a lack of reverence to something that is considered to be scary as some say it is a religious crime. If a scriptwriter uses blasphemy inside of there script it could have an effect on the reader and the viewers of the script. The effect is that it can lead scripts having to be wrote out again

Deformation/label

There are two types of deformation label and slander. Label is when your are in the writing and slander is spoken in another type of form.

Obscenity law

This is the law in scriptwriting for something to be shown as obscene. The obscenity law is then concerned with protecting "public morals" as it seeks to take people away from immoral and criminal behaviour. Obscenity was thereafter to recognised that convictions under the Obscene Publications Act as a crime under the law that is common which shows to obscene material.

A film/TV about drug use in youth culture 

Legal Considerations for drug use 

Copyright/Plagiarism

watershed

obscenity law

Blasphemy

Ethical considerations for drug use

offensive content

taste

representation of events

Legal considerations type of film 

This film uses legal drug use because inside of this film they created a drug that got very popular and then they started to sell it around in stores. Watershed was used in this as usually shown around 10pm on the channels such as Film 4, Channel 4 and E4. However, watershed can be an issue at times hence why the film has been shown at a different time before which would lead to complaints so this fix this you would simply need the film to be show at 9pm and plus because of the language and context shown.

Copyright and plagiarism can be effective in this film as well because of the plot it has In general, as these are similar to other films such as 22 Jump Street,  Neighbours, The Heat and Let's be Cops as they are all similar films to Jump Street. Dealing with this issues could be very difficult as copyrighting/plagiarism can lead to the creators being sued this can be prevented by the script being checked as then when it

Some issues may vary when it comes to this type of film but as long as you start to get used to how to write a script for this type of film then the issue tend to disappear most of the time as blasphemy and obscenity law isn't really too much involved when it comes to this film.

Ethical Considerations type of a TV Show

The TV show that uses drug use is called The Simpsons. For example in this scene, A beer swiller was almost by trade and then Homer frequents tavern to give the Simpsons highest total for mentioning alcohol. When it comes to ethical considerations representing of events is very key as many events happen inside of the TV show as some is biased and wouldn't happen in real life so I would need to deal with them in a respected way but asking the scriptwriters to change what has been written.

Offensive content is definitely an issue for this TV Show because of how one of the main characters called Homer swears inside of this TV show and how he strangles his children as well especially his son Bart so this can be changed (even though it helps to make the TV show funnier and more entertaining) during the scriptwriting process so then it doesn't have to be an ethical issue ever again. One time an episode was aired and they had to apologise for it being aired as one of the characters called Krusty the Clown was swearing as he used the word "Bastard" this was shown in April. This can be prevented by reviewing who is able to watch the TV show and approve the script of what is said in the script. 

Taste is one thing that can effect how the script gets written because of how you have to use the five senses and the five senses can lead to some issues inside of the script as tase is the most important sense out of all the five senses as you have to show it clearly inside in the script

Sluglines

This is a heading for a scene that helps orient the reader quickly as to where the action will then take place. Inside or outside,day and night and what room and what building. Slug Lines are responsible for starting a scene and then establishing the location and the time of a scene, the master scene heading is written in all capitals in the beginning and on the left margin of the page. Formatting sluglines in bold is very key inside of a script as they become more popular  and becomes more consistent throughout

 

Logline

Film one

Napoleon Dynamite

Slug line:

A teenager that is alienated decides to help out his new friend win the class presidency

 

Character types:

Alienated teenager

Objective:

An alien helps out a new friend with being class president

Film two

Django Unchained

Slug line:

The help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to then rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner

Character types

Bounty hunter

Objective:

Rescues his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner

 

Film three

Star Wars: A New Hope

conduct a survey

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1logZb4xpf9u9iXxUfK1H0M9HeqHJv6iSIgeSQGVKyGw/edit

responses

Based on the response everyone is around the age of 18-25 and half and half are males and females. mostly there preferred genre is Action so this shows Action is the most popular genre at 71.4%. A female lead the opinions varies