Sunday 23 March 2014
After having our lecture about documentary scripting, on monday 17th march, i done some extra research to see if there's further information i could get about documentary factual scriptwriting, in regards to work flow, organisation, and how other producers/directors would format their scripts.
Heres the research results that i came up with:
HOW TO WRITE A DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT
A MONOGRAPH
BY
TRISHA DAS
pages 3-4
There are two stages of documentary scriptwriting:
(i) The Pre-shoot or Shooting Script
(ii) The Post-shoot Script
A pre-shoot or shooting script is like carrying a map when you set out on a road trip.
You may stumble across many unseen barriers or unexpected surprises. You may
discover wonderful, uncharted areas off the beaten track. You may decide to go in one
direction or the next or perhaps even a third. A map helps you on your way and prevents
you from getting lost. A shooting script is a conceptual map for your shooting journey. It
consolidates research and outlines the film’s story, providing a visual guideline for the
shoot. It uses the same format and elements as a post-shoot script and can be as
comprehensive or generic depending on the information available to the scriptwriter at
that stage.
A shooting script should not be confused with a shot list. A shot list is a production tool
which contains shot numbers, descriptions and transitions along with production details.
Even though some director-scriptwriters often combine the shooting script and shot list,
the two are separate entities. A shooting script rarely delves into detailed aspects of production unless integral to the story. It is more conceptual in nature; descriptive, but
leaving room for interpretation.
The post-shoot script is the final version of the shooting script. This is often a modified
or re-written version of the shooting script and is created between the shooting and
editing processes of the documentary. The post-shoot script combines conceptual
elements along with audiovisual information gathered at the production stage and may
also include any new knowledge gathered along the way. It then weaves it all together
into a cinematic story, which is used by the filmmaker to edit the documentary. The post-
shoot script often includes descriptions of shots and actions and is quite comprehensive.
Reversed engineered scripts
Again, the post-shoot script should not be confused with a paper-edit, which contains
detailed shot and production information. Even though the two are often combined by
director-scriptwriters, they are separate entities.
The paper-edit is a tool for the editor to cut the footage and includes elements like time-counters, tape numbers, shot in-points and out-points etc. The script is conceptual and descriptive of action but should leave some room for creative interpretation at the editing stage.
Both the pre-shoot and post-shoot scripts are time-specific versions of the same entity. The same elements and technique can be used to create both depending on the amount of information available at that time.
The paper-edit is a tool for the editor to cut the footage and includes elements like time-counters, tape numbers, shot in-points and out-points etc. The script is conceptual and descriptive of action but should leave some room for creative interpretation at the editing stage.
Both the pre-shoot and post-shoot scripts are time-specific versions of the same entity. The same elements and technique can be used to create both depending on the amount of information available at that time.
Reversed engineered scripts
Taken from: http://wtbrandt.com/2011/10/03/reverse-engineered-scripts/
"This post is an exercise in writing shooting scripts. The objective is to look at two different 30-second commercials and reverse engineer them, resulting in shooting scripts that would be used by directors, actors, and production workers to deliver an end product representative of the story or vision."
The good thing with this website is, it's by a student whom was studying for his master's degree, and he had a conceptual unit that he done, which also involved creating a script for a factual documentary, on his course however, this was one of the workshops that he done in order to prepare for factual script writing.
Lecture example
Writing for Screen
It's really important to get your idea down on paper before you start shooting. This can't be overstated! The type of document you need to create depends on the type of production you are working on and, for the purposes of this introduction, there are two main categories: fiction and factual.
Factual
Less well understood, but equally important, are the other kinds of scripting skills needed for the production of factual and observational TV. The problem here is that you don't know in advance what's going to happen or exactly what people are going to say.
Time is too precious to just go out and shoot and hope for the best, so crews will almost always go out with a very clear idea of what they need to shoot. Every producer / director has their own take on this, but the basic idea is to have a skeleton of the production down on paper with as much detail as possible while still allowing for flexibility and development once shooting starts.
A script for a documentary will usually contain some known and unknown components. In general, the more unknown elements there are, the more authentic the observation. And the more expensive!
Glossary of Script Components
The main components of a factual production, e.g. a news report or documentary, are:
- Piece to Camera (PTC) - We see and hear a presenter talking to us (looking into the camera)
- Interview (I/V) - We see and hear a person talking to a presenter (looking off camera)
- Voice over (VO) - We hear the presenter/narrator talking but are looking at something else
- Actuality - We hear the sound from a scene we’re observing
- Vox Pops - Very short soundbites chopped together to represent, literally, the voice of the people
- Dialogue - Scripted lines performed by actors
These elements can be put into a two or three column format along with descriptions of the pictures and, optionally, the soundtrack as shown in this ridiculously contrived example:
Just brief extra tips on scriptwriting that i thought had some useful info on there that i could use, it pretty much went towards my overall research, and has given me useful info to preparing the post-shoot script.
Heres some other script format styles, all of them bare similar resemblance although may very a little bit.
Conclusion
This research has been very useful in helping me to prepare to write a script for this documentary, as it has eased the pressure for me, and given me a broader perspective as to what is required of a factual scriptwriter, and also that when you create your script(pre-shoot script), unlike a screenplay script; where you write with the expectation of what ever it is you've put down will be there, a factual script is comprised mainly of things that you would hope to capture at the live event, sort of like a list of sequences you wish to capture, and this can only be achieved due to prior planning and researched conducted in the earlier stages, such as knowing the location your filming at, knowing how the 'business' operates and so forth.
So hopefully, from this research conducted, it will help me to create my pre-shoot script for The Cathedral Apprentice.
Excellent research here - the shooting script will evolve but is a tool to allow you to explore your story and how you will tell it. This will then become your edit script and you can use it to prepare for the edit - well done!
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