  Drama
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How do I review scripts?
I've seen this basic question around the site, and it is something that eludes many people. When it comes to reviewing, scripts are a different animal than other types of writing. It's not an exact science, but I figured it was high time for a primer that will help readers get a better idea of what kind of feedback scriptwriters would like to receive. That way, there will be people willing to help ScriptFrenzy participants during the revision process.
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I do realize I said I was going to discuss the depiction of the Iraq war in fiction. However, I have not been able to complete the research I need to fairly discuss the issue. So it will wait until next month (and hopefully will be able to find more fiction pieces that deal with the Iraq war). I know I dropped the ball on having such an issue released on the fifth anniversary of the start of the war, but real life got in the way. Perhaps it's for the best.
Anyway, what about reviewing scripts? The mere format baffles people, which discourages many from even reading a script, let alone review one. The thing to remember with scripts is they are both stories and blueprints for production. The format is meant to guide the story from page to stage (or screen). Therefore, the format is actually pretty easy to read. Then there's the question of the type of script it is. Stage scripts and screen scripts have different objectives, so each one has to be written a little differently. To cover each one would require separate articles, so I'll save that for a later date. For now, I'd like to provide you with starting points that will work for either type of script. These guidelines are meant to help those who are not familiar with the intricacies of production so that the reviewer can focus on the script's content. If the reader does have some knowledge about the steps that might be needed if the script goes to production, he or she can certainly add those comments as well. General Points are things to look for in all scripts, while Format Points are things that will appear in all scripts but differ among the different types.
 GENERAL POINTS
 Can the reader tell what kind of script it is? This sounds harder than it really is. You can simply look at how settings are noted. Screen scripts use the abbreviations INT and EXT. With stage scripts, there is a more detailed description of the setting, and words such as inside and outside will be written out. Other cues will be covered further in the General Points list. If you cannot tell what kind of script it is and/or the author makes no note of the script type, ask. I urge you not to recommend that the author state what kind of script it is in the actual item.
When are characters introduced? How? One difference between stage scripts and screen scripts is character introduction. With stage scripts, they're introduced at the beginning before the actual script starts. In screen scripts, the characters are introduced when they first appear in the script. I have yet to read a script where a character isn't introduced until halfway through, but it's not outside the realm of possibility for screen scripts. It's a little dicier to pull that off in stage scripts, so look at such introductions on an individual basis.
Are the acts and scenes logically divided up? Depending on the type of script, acts and scenes will be designated in different ways. There are many ways screen scripts are sectioned off, depending on the type of screen script it is. Sixty minute TV show episodes have X number of acts, while TV movies have Y number of acts. Stage scripts have a little more leeway in this department, leaving the starting and stopping points of the play to each writer's discretion. You'll be able to tell as you read a script how well each break works.
FORMAT POINTS
How are the settings detailed? Setting detail in scripts will not be as detailed as you see in prose. However, some setting will be depicted. In stage scripts, there's a paragraph of setting description at the beginning of each act, and minor changes can be presented at the beginning of scenes. The detail level in these descriptions can include significant props that should appear, any environmental factors (plants, nearby buildings, bodies of water, etc.) and even a specific year if needed. Not all of these things will be present in each setting description, but they'll pop up at some point. Screen scripts are a little different. The detail level is much lower and more generalized. Likewise, if there are any words that will appear on the screen, these are generally included with setting descriptions. With screen scripts, a lot of detail is not a good thing, as it eats up space (which is at a premium in this form of writing).
How intricate are the (stage) directions? Are there any special instructions the writer gives that might detract from reading the script? Describing actions is never a bad thing. With scripts, though, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. This is especially true of screen scripts. If you see a lot of actions written into a script, be careful. Some forms of scripts do allow for more control over what the characters do action-wise and how they do it. However, if you know for sure that the script is merely a spec script (or one that has yet to be approved for production), a lot of directions indicates a writer who is also trying to direct the script even though there's a chance he or she will not be directing/producing the performance. In this case, ask the writer if (s)he is directing or producing the script. If so, the directions can stay; it's possible the directions will be changed or tweaked during the production process. If not, then you can suggest what should stay and what directions really don't need to be there. The same applies for camera angles in screen scripts. If it's a shooting script, then camera angles can stay. If it's a spec script, some trimming of the more specific angles might be needed. While the suggestions are ultimately up to the reviewer to make, it's important to realize that there are some limits and exceptions among the different types of scripts scripts.
Does the writer match the script format? Is he or she able to do so? Most scripts that are production-ready are centered and in courier font. Yes, I have seen this for stage works as well as for the screen. In fact, the first time I even saw this format was when I auditioned for the school's production of Annie. However, you will not see that format used too much on the site. Aside from the fact that it's not quite as easy to read on a computer as it is on paper, the WritingML tags and space needed to create the format do eat up space. This can be an issue for memberships with free or basic memberships, as the most space allotted to each of their static items is only 50KB. 50KB may sound like a lot, but it's a drop in the bucket for longer scripts (i.e. TV movies, full length feature films or even musicals [for those brave enough to try them]). Likewise, some scripts that might be 30KB in a condensed form might go slightly over 50KB if centered, spaced out and put in courier font. Something you'll see quite a bit around here is the anthology format, which looks like this.
CHARACTER: Here's my dialgoue. You happy?
If the author doesn't have a lot of space to work with, I say let the author keep the format. However, if you can nudge them into following the standard format (shown below), I say go for it.
CHARACTER
Here's my dialogue. You happy?
In all cases, do highlight any incorrect use of punctuation. All stage/screen directions should go in brackets, which look like this  [ ]. I've seen a lot of directions in parentheses ()  , which kind of annoys me. It is a small thing, but it is something that can be addressed for all authors (not to mention it's one of the first things people learn about script writing format)
Is the length of dialogue reasonable? Feel free to harp on me for this one, as I'm guilty of rambling a bit in scripts.  In the case of any script, long paragraphs of dialogue teeter on the edge of excessive. While many plays we study in school contain prominent soliloquies, that is a rare thing to find in modern scripts. In fact, most screen scripts avoid them. You will see exceptions when characters give speeches, but they tend to work best when interspersed with some cuts to the audience to see their reaction and/or startegic pauses on the speaking character's part. Stage plays are somewhat more flexible with long dialogue. Still, if a character is going to be the only speaker for a good chunk of time, a whole page of monologue is too much. Even two thirds of a page is pushing the limits, as that kind of speaking demands a lot physically from the actor. Feel free to speak up about such long speeches if you think there is a better way to communicate the idea to the audience. The rule of thumb I've seen in script writing books is three lines maximum for one character to have at one time in an exchange. I think this is a good guide to use, as more than four lines can confuse people. Likewise, don't get bent out of shape if you see a sentence fragment. We speak in sentence fragments more often than we think.  On the other hand, those run-on sentences have got to go. In general, dialogue should be short unless there's a very compelling reason for a character to go into a monologue.
While I got into some detail here, I can assure you there are more particular points I could have mentioned when it comes to reviewing scripts. Still, this primer gives you some talking points and some insight as to how to read a script. Always remember, though, that it's not all just format and technical aspects. There's a story to be read, and if that story is not compelling, the formatting issues are a secondary concern.
Until next time,
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Want to try out reviewing scripts? These pieces are good places to start. 
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Once again, I was surprised by the feedback I received for the previous issue of the newsletter. I thought I was going to ruffle some feathers. Instead, I seemed to have given some of you some good advice. That almost nevers happens. 
From Joshiahis : A very helpful topic this week, even for those of us with forte's outside of historical drama. Thank you, this is one of the newsletters writers will be clicking back to for a long time.
Lee
Hello, Lee. I don't know how long writers will be using my newsletters as a reference, but I'm glad you found it helpful. I think historical writing has a lot of potential for bias in every stage. That's a shame, because history has so many angles that can be examined. There's something a little upsetting about a story being so densely painted with bias from the author, and I hope my guidelines ease that tendency. Even if it doesn't, the guidelines seem to be a good way to start for writers who are dabbling in historical writing for the first time.
From April Sunday : Very insightful. A gracious and intelligent look at how-to on historic writing. Where to start and how is in this nl as pulling out key issues ala a workable guide. Good take.
Thank you much, Teff. I'm glad some part of me is seen as gracious.  I enjoyed sharing the ways I've learned about history, especially when I hear so many people groan whenever I mention that H word. True, history classes are not for the faint of heart, but the knowledge and learning methods I encountered in my classes really made me pay more attention to my writing in general and also how I handle history. It's nice to see that my insights are well received.
From Anne Light : What an insightful and informative newsletter! All your points are important and valid. I'd like to add one point that makes writing history so troublesome and ideological: Most history is written to justify something in the present; it's teleological in nature. Simply the decision to name somebody a hero or a villain in history is a political statement about our time.
As for research, I found myself nodding along with me. My pet peeve in historical fiction is that characters are given modern features the mindset of described era doesn't have. Even Umberto Eco ran into this trap in "The Name of the Rose" when he gave his hero more modern and rational tools than the Middle Ages had. Admittedly, he does so in a learned and scholarly manner.
That's an excellent point to bring up, Anne. It makes you wonder about the whole study of history in general. I won't inflict that philosophical discussion on the general audience, though. All the same, I did take a history class where we watched several films and analyzed them for their comments on society during the times they were made (i.e. Cooley High and its nostalgia for life in the 1960s). It was an intriguing way to study both history itself and the process of writing history. In regards to research, I sometimes overlook anachronisms if the writing is convincing enough, but they are annoying. And I salute anyone who actually finished The Name of the Rose. I dealt with that book in my sophomore year of high school, and the class was in agony the whole time we studied it.
Next month I am DEFINITELY tackling the fictional exploration of the Iraqi war. All of the questions I asked before still stand. Know a good fiction piece on the war? Have some recommendations? Think there's something I should address with covering war drama in general? Let me know, and I'll tackle it one way or another!
And if you happen to miss or misplace a newsletter, feel free to stop by "The Drama Box" [13+]. |
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Drama: March 19, 2008 Issue [#2291]
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