4 Script analysis (P1)

An analysis of 4 scripts

The following is an analysis of 4 different scripts, one each from a video game, TV show, Radio Drama and Film.

Video Game Script

This is a script for a video game (due to them being difficult to find I'm not sure what game this extract is from). This script is very different from other kinds of script due to the player having choices that will change the way that characters act and having lines that will only be heard when a player reaches a certain location or goes to a specific place in a certain location.

We can see at the top of the page to the left that there is a selection of dialogue for "Bleu" while "Lily" explores. This is dialogue that would be played while a player is exploring a certain location, to help the player to connect more with the character saying the lines.

The section at the bottom of the page to the left is a script as we would expect to see it. This is because it will be for a pre-rendered cut-scene that will allow the artists to control every element of the conversation, including the environment, lighting and the way that the characters look. 

This section of the script includes typical features such as character names being in capital letters, stage directions and scene descriptions.

These features are included because in some cases voice actors for characters will also do motion capture while they deliver their lines. This means that the actor will act the scene out, with all of the details like costumes and props being added by an asset artist when the scene is put together digitally.

This section of the extract looks more like a typical script to help voice actors to deliver their lines in a way that conveys the emotion of a scene properly. The stage directions and scene descriptions allow them to deliver their lines in the way that they would if they were actually completing the actions that the characters are completing.

Radio

This script is for a radio play (A Summer Night), it uses features that you would expect from a script, however the layout is different than expected due to everything being portrayed using sound.

Features that are used include names being in capital letters and dialogue being indented. However because there is no visual for this, a large amount of speech is area descriptions that will be read aloud instead of being in the script for the actors and set creators to read.

FX is used to show when a sound will be played. These sounds will help to tell the story to the people listening. For example "Live music plays" lets the people know that the characters are in a bar or outside event that has a band playing music.

TV Show

This is a script for a TV show (in this case Doctor Who), it looks like a typical script and follows the conventions of a script very closely.

This includes having character names in capital letters,using technical language to describe locations, character actions and transitions and having stage directions for the characters that allow the actor to know how the character should react while still giving them the freedom to put their own twist on it.

The layout of this script is very traditional with character names in capital letters when they are speaking and having dialogue indented further than stage directions and scene headings. "CUT TO:" is used to show when the location is changed, these are used to let the director know that characters have moved. Page numbers would be used to ensure that they are kept in the right number, however I don't see any on this extract of the script.

Scene headings are used to describe the location and time of a scene. For example "EXT. STREET 1. EVENING" lets us know that it is outside of a building, on a street and that it is the evening, and "EXT. STREET 2. EVENING" lets us know that we're still outside and it's still the evening, but we're on a different street.

The rest of the script would be very similar to this, continuing with describing the locations using scene headings and descriptions and dialogue between characters in the same layout. This will be kept consistent for the whole script (and the scripts for other episodes of the same show) to make them easy to follow for the actors, set builders, directors and visual effects artists. Other TV scripts may have small differences in the layout used, but they will use similar, or the same, language and features.

Movie

This is a script for a film (in this case Little Miss Sunshine). This script will be similar to the TV script, however there will be some key differences due to a film being on a larger scale than a TV show (with no guarantee of a sequel).

Once again this script follows the conventions of a script closely with character names in capital letters and dialogue being indented, however this time we can see a wider range of technical language being used (thanks to this extract being from page 75 of the script). 

An example of this technical language would be the use of "(cont'd)" which is used at the start of the extract when Dwayne's dialogue is interrupted by a stage direction. This is used to show that the character is still talking and that they haven't been interrupted by another character talking.

Parenthetical comments such as "(mock-tender)" are used to let the actor know the way that the character feels and thus, how they should deliver the line. 

Once again scene headings are used to let us know where the scene will be taking place, but this time they have more detail in them. "INT. VW BUS - ON THE ROAD - DAY" lets us know that the characters and inside the VW Bus and that the bus is on the road during the day. 

Transitions are used again to let the editor know that this scene needs to be a certain pace. In this extract "JUMP TO:" is used to let the editor know that the characters are in a rush to get to a certain place. The character are also shown to be in a rush by having 2 consecutive scenes where Frank is checking his watch and telling the other characters the time, while only having the two scenes be 5 minutes apart (shown by him saying "2:50...!" and then "2:55!" in the next scene)

The rest of the script would be in a similar layout to this, with dialogue indented, parenthetical comments and stage directions used to convey emotions to actors and transitions used to let the editor know the general feel of a scene before they even watch the footage that has been captured.