Some time ago we talked about the roles involved when making an audiovisual project and we mentioned the work of the screenwriter. Today we will delve a little deeper into the script, an important and essential roadmap for the development of a film, and the different type of scripts we can find.
First of all - and perhaps the best known - is the screenplay, a basic document that expresses in words what will later be transformed into a feature film. The director is generally very involved in this pre-production stage because the screenwriter must be able to tell the story from the director’s point of view. Sometimes there are several versions of this document until there is a final product that complies with all the requirements.
There are two classifications within the film script: American script and European script. The former is a single-column script where technical specifications are underlined (music, effects, voice-over, among others) and characters' dialogues are included. In the European script, the information is separated into at least two columns: the left-hand column includes the technical aspects, whereas the right-hand column contains the specific notes of the main characters.
You can also find the following scripts:
- Screenplay: it includes all the detailed ideas that will later be shoot.
- Shooting script: once the screenplay is clearly defined, the shooting script thoroughly contains how it will be filmed. For example, there is a column indicating the scene number, another with the shot, another with the framing, the action to be performed, among other points.
- Theater script: it is a document similar to the one of the shooting script, but used in a play. It contains the necessary details for the staging of the scene and expressions such as "the curtain goes up/comes down."
- Radio script: even though it is related to radio programs, it can also be used in any program of this format (e.g. podcast). It includes the details of what will happen in every minute of the program.
Stay tuned for more information!
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