Script Research

I have no idea how to write a script. I've seen some, but I don't have the slightest clue on how to format it or even begin. So I turned to the best resource for video makers I know. StudioBinder. Here they have a whole blog going over what exactly a script is and breaking down the different aspects of it.

Above is a breakdown of what a script typically looks like, including all the different elements and having a short explanation for each, which is super helpful for me. 

The first step was sluglines. This establishes the when and where the action is taking place. For my own script, I would open outside, or EXT., with a wide shot of the house that the robbers are...robbing. It would cut to the inside of the home, or INT., after the robbers shoot the owner of the home and we would stay there for the remainder of the opening. 

The next step would be the action lines. The studio binder blog explains that they should "always be written in the present tense and as visually descriptive as possible". The action lines include everything you will see and hear other than the dialogue. For me, it would consist of the owner coming home and the actions of the robbers inside the home. This would include them pacing around, their location in the home, etc. 

Dialogue is the next big step. Since it's so important to my piece, I want to hone in on this and make it as good as possible. Dialogue is pretty straightforward, just letting the characters speak for themselves based on the situation and what feels natural for the goal of progressing the scene. Different characters speaking is made clear through character cues, which is their name before dialogue. These cues may contain extensions that describe how the audio is heard by the audience, including CONT'D, V.O, O.S, INTO DEVICES, and PRE LAP. I would mainly be using O.S. or off-screen at the beginning of my opening when I have a wide shot of the home and the dialogue of the robbers is heard. 

Another important part of the characters and their delivery is parentheticals. It informs the actor of the delivery of their line and how they should be acting. It not only has to be external emotion but can also be more internal conflict. This could be important when directing my actors on how they should be acting and behaving. Some parentheticals include AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE, PAINFULLY, WHISPERING, ETC.

One can also include types of transitions and shots in the script. Studio Binder explains that this is more the case when the writer is the director or editor, which in this case, I am. Shots can include angles and movements and transitions can include smash cuts, dissolves, match cuts, etc. However, I think I may stay away from this since I can talk about it more in-depth in the storyboard that I will be making next week. 

Overall, researching and looking into the StudioBinder overview of how to write a script really helped me learn all of the little details. StudioBinder even has its own script/screenplay format that I can use to help me out when writing my own script, which is what I'm going to do and cover in my next blog.