SCRIPTS & TREATMENTS

C O M M 1 1 9 : B R OA D C A S T P R O D U C T I O N

SCRIPTS & TREATMENTS• Broadcast Production Treatments come in different forms with particular purposes so the type of treatment you do will obviously be based on the type of production you’re making – your book details many of these differences in Chapter 8• A treatment can help you prepare for your recording or shoot by working out on paper exactly what you are going to film and/or record• A well-prepared treatment allows you to gather all the necessary resources and information while in the pre-production phase

SCRIPTS & TREATMENTSA well-prepared treatment will help you understand certain things about your project:• The structure and narrative• The number of locations/places you have to visit/use•How many cast members you need (dramatized project)•How many interviewees/contributors (news)•How long the piece is likely to be

SCRIPTS & TREATMENTSA well-prepared treatment will also raise important questions about your project:•How I got too much to do?•Have I forgotten anything?• Is there anything I need to get permission/permits for?•Do I need specific props and/or costumes?

STORYBOARDS AND BREAKDOWNSIf your production is dramatized (fiction), there are two main types of treatment that will help you work out what you need to do:•The STORYBOARD•The SCENE BREAKDOWN

SCRIPTSBut before you can do either a STORYBOARD or a SCENE BREAKDOWN, you need a SCRIPT first as that dictates everything else.• An effective script does more than just tell actors what to

say, it also provides valuable pre-production information by conveying:

–Where each scene is to be set –How many locations there are–The type of action required–What the cast looks like and what they are wearing–Any effects and/or props that are needed

SCRIPTS• On pages 46-49 you will find templates for both a TV and a

Radio script• You’ll see that each of the scenes is given a number and

much of the dialogue is given a number• These numbers perform an important function by helping

everyone know where they are in the script – professionals find that it’s often much easier to find numbers such as these when using scripts than finding specific words as the numbers stand out more• Also notice that the writer(s) haven’t just provided dialogue;

much of the writing is telling the reader what the character(s) look like, what the scenery looks like, what the characters are doing, and how they’re doing it – it’s all there!

STORYBOARDS• Once you have a script organized, the second stage is often a

STORYBOARD (They are most often used in dramatized projects but not as often in factual/news due to its “real life” nature)• STORYBOARDS are used to help you think about the kinds of shots

you need and to get a sense of how the story should start to actually look on screen• STORYBOARDS help you work out details like:

– What shots you need– Size of the shots– Angle of the shots– Moves on the shots– Depth of field

STORYBOARDS•Here is a link to a recent GOOGLE search with examples of STORYBOARDS but, remember, they don’t have to be professional to be effective and useful - in fact, often times rudimentary shapes and stick figures will work just fine.

A PROFESSIONAL STORYBOARD EXAMPLE

A SIMPLER/AMATEUR STORYBOARD EXAMPLE

SCENE BREAKDOWNS• SCENE BREAKDOWNS are especially useful when you are shooting

more than one scene for your production• Think of a SCENE BREAKDOWN like a timetable; they help you make

the most of your time and helps everyone understand who needs to be where when and what they need to bring• Look at TEMPLATE 8.5 in your book (page 52) to get an idea of how

SCENE BREAKDOWNS are used to make the most of a production schedule that encompasses multiple scenes, actors, props, costumes, and locations• A good SCENE BREAKDOWN will allow you to maximize your

production time in the smartest way possible – for example, shooting all your production’s scenes set in a classroom at once by arranging for the different actors, props, costumes, etc. to be on hand, rather than coming back multiple times

NEWS/FACTUAL OUTLINES/TREATMENTS• When working in Factual/News RADIO productions an

outline/treatment typically takes a two-column approach with the left column for the SOUND FX (the Actuality or “Nat Sounds”*) and the right column for the AUDIO of the interviewees or announcer• When working in Factual/News TELEVISION productions an

outline/treatment typically takes a two-column approach with the left column for the VISUALS and the right column for the AUDIO/Voice-over• See Radio and TV Templates for Factual/News treatments on

pages 54-58 of your book.– *Nat Sounds = NATural Sounds, meaning the sounds of the actual

news scene/event being covered

SCRIPTS & TREATMENTS-BOARD DISCUSSION• Go to WEEK #6 and participate in this week’s discussion by coming up with the basis for one scene script for our TV Project, FINAL BREAK. You need to follow the format as shown on page 46-48 of your book

– Include at least 3 characters– Include descriptions of settings and actions when

needed–Your scene does not need to directly connect to any

one else’s scene – this is an exercise in Script Templates more than anything

–Your scene should be at least 15 lines total– I've done a sample one to get you all started