Unit 19 - Learning Aim B

SCRIPT 

Formats and conventions of scripts 

• Film 

• Radio 

• Television  

Film  

‘Joker’ 

Joker movie is written by Todd Philips and Scott Silver. 

In Gotham City, mentally troubled comedian Arthur Fleck is disregarded and mistreated by society. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. This path brings him face-to-face with his alter-ego: the Joker. 

  

 

 

Joker is a psychological thriller film directed and produced by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver. There is one scene at the beginning of dialogue, where they have made a Transition on the first page for film editing instructions. 

Format and Conventions 

At the beginning of the script is the scene heading, which has three parts: the time of day, the location, and whether it is outside or inside. Following this, are the stage direction lines that are important for the characters and those who must perform them because they provide vital information on how the events should unfold.  

The action lines in this script track the movement of two people in the office, who are having a conversation. The main character's voice (the Joker) can be heard in the social worker's office at the start of the story. In this part of the script, the Joker's dialogue is at the bottom of the page, and he continues to talk on the following page because he has more to say. The techniques used in this script are effective because they provide much more information about the scene and how it should be played out. The extension of the Joker’s dialogue leading through to the next page also illustrates that, the script of the Joker is created for psychological drama and is synonymous in the world of movie making.  

Target Audience 

The Joker’s script destroys screenwriter traditions because of his desire for crime and fear and more prominently his visible facial features influence those around him. He is a rebel with his own cause, in this case, retribution. The primary target audience for the 'Joker' script are adolescent adults. However, the script’s target audience must be adults who enjoy the main character Batman who is the essential hero and antidote to the Joker’s evil reign of terror.  It has a script that captivates people who struggle with their mental health because of the story line and characters involved. More often than not, the audiences are people who want to make a difference as reformers because eerily, they may see the Joker as a lonely character who needs to fight back against the rules of convention, rules that can be too much. 

‘The Truman Show’ 
scriptwriter by Andrew M. Niccol 

Originally a dark sci-fi thriller set in New York City and titled “The Malcolm Show,” Niccol’s one-page treatment would go on to become one of the greatest high concepts in movie history and best screenplays of all time. Nominated for the best screenplay Oscar but lost out to the schmaltzy Shakespeare In Love. 

 

 

 

Formats and Conventions 

The Truman Show is a comedy-drama based on Truman's everyday experience and the activities that happen in his life. These are the first scenes from the comedy-drama film's script. According to the two scene headings, the scenes take place first in Truman's house (in the kitchen). where he speaks with Meryl and then outside the house where he has little dialogue with Spencer. There are lot of action lines in the script, they action lines indicate what the director wants Truman to perform in this part of the scene, as well as how the entire scene should be performed. The font size for a script is always the same, scene heading and character names are always in capitals, in this part of script off screens are written as O.S. The extension of how the voice will be heard on the screen, in this part of the script extension is excluded from the screen that is displayed next to Meryl's name in the dialogue between her and Truman. All these formats and conventions are effective because there are a lot of technics that provide much more information about the scene and how it should be played out. This is because a script can be difficult to understand. It may be assumed based on the film's genre that it is a comedy-drama with both humorous and serious elements. There is far more comedy than drama in this section of the script. As this is the opening part of the film's script, it opens with the dialogue between Truman and Meryl with Truman talking first and finishes with the scriptwriter stressing longer action lines that depict the main character. 

Target Audience 

As The Truman Show is a comedy-drama, the entire audience could most probably be people between the ages of 18 and 50 from all around the world. Just as the film's main character is a funny man, it's possible that most of the audience will be men. People that watch this type of film are most likely looking for a way to relax after a long and hard day. This type of film appeals to everyone who wants to rest and have a lot of fun in their spare time. 

Radio 

‘The Book of Yehudit’ 

The book of Yehudit is written by Adam Usden. 

Yehudit, a young Orthodox Jewish woman, is desperate for a divorce. But in the Jewish world, a divorce can only be granted if the husband is willing to give his wife a get, and Yehudit's husband has other ideas. 

 

 

Formats and Conventions 

Yehudit, a young Orthodox Jewish woman is desperate for a divorce. But in the Jewish world a divorce can only be granted if the husband is willing to give his wife a get and Yehudit's husband has other ideas. The radio script opens with a conversation between the characters in this section of the script. To clarify the scene's location, the scriptwriter includes action lines right after a character's segment, parentheticals use in a scene in which a few characters are talking in separate places.  On the script, there is also a scene heading that indicates the location of the action. The scene heading and the names of the characters are in capital letters as is usual, so everything is in the same font. The formats and conventions can be much more effective on this script but because this is a radio script, not all the formats that can be found in one script are presented in this section of the script, this is because a script can be difficult to understand. The radio script has a three-act format. The three-act structure is conventionally formatted, with the first part introducing the characters and the issue, the second part recognizing the problem and then attempting to address it, and the third part finally resolves the problem. The tension and dialogue between the characters in separate places, one is outside in the corridor, while the others are confined inside the toilet. The audience feels dramatic tension because this is a script from a drama radio show, indicating that it is about drama.  

Target Audience 

People between the ages of 25 and 45 who are married, as well as those who are interested in historical traditions, make up the whole audience of this drama radio. People who are interested in traditions or who are in a toxic relationship full of conflicts and unhappiness are likely to listen to this type of radio. 

 

‘Damned, Damned, Damned’ 

The Damned, damned, damned is written by Frank Cottrell Boyce. 

 

 

‘Damned, Damned, Damned’   

The Damned, damned, damned is written by Frank Cottrell Boyce.   

Format and Conventions 

This section of a comedy radio script begins with a scene heading that describes the scene and where it takes place. Then there's a more detailed explanation of the opening scene, in which the sound from the background is described. In this part of the radio the dialogue takes place between five characters Lee, Phil, Wayne, Mick and Announcer eating dinner. The font used in this script is the same as it is in all other radio scripts, the character and scene heading are all in capital letters, everything else is normal. Mores or continued is used between pages to indicate the same character is still speaking. In this part of the script, it is used when Mick’s dialogue is between action lines and he continues to talk after the action line is done because he has more than that to say. The scriptwriter in this script does not include as many formats that might be described which makes the script less successful because it needs all the formats and conventions, this is because a script can be difficult to understand. 

Target Audience 

For the comedy radio Damned, Damned, Damned the target audience could most probably be people between the ages of 20 and 50 from all around the world. People that watch this type of film are most likely looking for a way to relax after a long and hard day. This type of film appeals to everyone who wants to rest and have a lot of fun in their spare time. 

 

Television 

‘New Girl’ 

The New Girl television series is written by Elizabeth Meriwether. 

This is a single-camera ensemble comedy aimed at a general audience that has proved to be one of the most popular TV shows over recent years. What is interesting about the protagonist is that, according to the creators, she would have been a side character in any other series. (Originally called Chicks and Dicks.) 

 

 

'New Girl’   

The New Girl television series is written by Elizabeth Meriwether.   

This is a single-camera ensemble comedy aimed at a general audience that has proved to be one of the most popular TV shows over recent years. What is interesting about the protagonist is that, according to the creators, she would have been a side character in any other series. (Originally called Chicks and Dicks.)   

Format and Conventions 

The New Girls is a comedy television series. The script format starts with a part of continuous text, in which one of the characters continues to speak. Another example of a continuation is when there is an action line between the dialogues that provides some instruction or information for easier understanding of the script. Then there's a dialogue between two talking characters. There are a few examples of extensions in this section of the script of how the voice will be heard on screen. In this part of the script extension is voice over which means when character is speaking over the action but is not heard by the other characters in the scene. A scene heading appears a bit later in the script, indicating the time of day and the location of a specific scene. There is also an action line that provides further information about the script, but it can also be used to describe a specific character. Character's name, scene heading, extensions and continues always was written in capital letters. It may be assumed based on the film's genre that it is a comedy-drama with both humorous and serious elements.  

Target Audience 

The New Girl is a comedy television series, is a comedy television series that encourages viewers to have fun, laugh enjoy and relax from their problems. The target audience for this TV show is girls and women aged 18 to 35 who live a similar lifestyle, as the main characters are female and talk female things. It emphasises that it attracts a greater number of female audiences. 

 

‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine' 

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine television series is written by Dan Goor and Michael Schur. 

The detectives of Brooklyn's 99th Precinct -- hotshot Jake Peralta, overachiever Amy Santiago, tough-as-nails Rosa Diaz, sweetheart Charles Boyle, devoted family head Sgt. Terry Jeffords and clueless best friends Scully and Hitchcock -- make up a loveable and offbeat squad that must get its act together when the office gets a new captain, the no-nonsense, unflappable Raymond Holt. Along with civilian office manager and social butterfly Gina Linetti, nothing will stop the crew from doing what it does best -- bust the bad guys. 

 

 

 

Formats and Conventions 

The Bookly Nine-Nine is a police procedural comedy television series. These are the two sides that are at the start of the script; this section begins with a short conversation between several characters. In the same script, the reader can see a scene heading that appears to indicate the location and time of day of a specific scene, scriptwriters use it to help the director and anyone else who wants to read the script. A few action lines are also shown here, which provide a narrative explanation of a scene's events also instruct actors on what to do. It is mostly used in the introduction part of the film because this is the first scene, for this initial part of the script it is used as additional information and direction on how to play. These technical phrases are effective since there are many other script technical terms that provide much more information about the scene and how it should be played out. 

Target Audience 

People between the ages of 18 and 38 can watch this police comedy Television series from anywhere in the world. It can attract the interest of anyone interested in learning more about what they do and how they do it because the genre is defined by the word "fun,". So, police are more closely associated with males, they may make up most of the audience for this TV show. 

EVALUATION 

In all three sectors of scenarios there are similar but also different formats. As for the similar formats that can be seen in all three sectors of the script, they are the dialogue which is also the most important in the script, the action lines that give much more explanation for something in the script itself. In all three sectors of the script action lines are included that give a more visual image of the scenes themselves and they are always written in the present tense. Scene heading that are also important script formats are present in every sector, as far as action lines, character names and scene heading are capital everywhere. However, in terms of diversity all three parts of the scripts are different. The radio script is very different from the television and film scripts. Radio is less effective than television and cinema scripts because it has less forms. The different font of the text in the radio script from the television and film scripts, which have the same, and have a different style of presenting the scripts, can also be said to be a difference. In comparison to television and film, radio has much more dialogue, but action lines are much more popular in television and film. There is no radio extension that provides additional sound, and there are no differences between television and film scripts. All these factors come together to make television and film much more efficient and effective than radio. 

The Joker movie has a more effective script because the scriptwriter used practically all formats and therefore made the script easier to understand for the audience. To make it optional, the formats are done carefully. This is one of those scripts that illustrates how effective a script should be. On the other hand, the least effective script is a The Bookly of Yehudit radio script in which the scriptwriter did not focus as much emphasis on the formats because they are only included in a bit part. They can be more dominant and more important for the narrative, while it is true that radio does not require as many formats as it does now, there is space for something more in this case. This script is one of the least effective because it focuses mostly on dialogue rather than other formats.