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NEW SCRIPT WRITING AND DIRECTION TECHNIQUES:TV Script

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Introduction to Broadcasting ­ MCM 411
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LESSON 27
NEW SCRIPT WRITING AND DIRECTION TECHNIQUES
Though gradually, the TV programs started showing their own self. As the criticism got
intensified that TV is strictly following radio broadcast, the TV managers put their head down
and thought seriously to transform the radio broadcast to a TV broadcast.
It was a heroic effort on part of some TV producers to show imagination with very little support
available in the sense of equipment, finances and expertise, and take the TV broadcast to a
more meaningful level in rather a short span of time.
Since TV is a visual medium, it is more difficult to handle it. The techniques applied in radio
broadcast, particularly in writing script and directing different programs are totally different for
a TV broadcast.
TV Script
Script is always linked with the medium through which a message has to be carried. For print
medium a script will give full details of an action so that a reader should understand what the
script writer is intending to convey. Likewise, on radio the demand of the script is different;
since a listener is not seeing a performer or the things in the surrounding, he/she is made to
understand with the help of script.
For TV, there is hardly a need to put in words things which viewers can see. Here you may
say; why this (a chair, for example) is put in this room. The viewer will know `this' means chair.
But for a radio script, you have to say; why this `chair' is put in this room for the listeners need
to know what the word `this' means.
In the early days of TV broadcast, most script writers had come from radio, there had been
problems in description of feelings and objects. On TV you can show a person feeling
headache but on radio you have to mention the same in words. You need to say what a
beautiful red curtains these are for a radio play. For the one on TV you may say what a
beautiful curtain these are. The viewers would know the color of the curtains by seeing them.
News Script
Very soon it was realized that the news script for radio would no longer serve the purpose of
news casting on television. In typical TV news, the news reader may assume silence for more
than 10 seconds while footage runs to explain the event. On radio a silence of more than
three seconds may cause panic at the central control room!
Although an attempt is made to make news reading as much objective as possible and sans
sentiments, in practice it is difficult to execute. Now, on TV newsreel broadcasters are allowed
to pass a light smile to support certain news like victory of country's cricket team against arch
rival. Or cutting down petrol prices or news of rain after a long summer spell etc may also
accompany some facial expression.
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Introduction to Broadcasting ­ MCM 411
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Drama Script
More than any other area of TV broadcast, it is drama script which is drastically different from
the one meant for radio. There is always some scene, objects or action which do not need a
verbal expression to explain them, making matters rather easy for the script writer. Although it
may cause some problem as well for there may be something ­ picture, wall-hanging or
telephone which the writer would not suggest but due to insistence of the set designer these
props have to be put there. Sometimes this leads to disputes between the playwright and
other staff engaged in making TV drama.
Running Commentary
Area which is generally ignored while finding points of difference for a talk on radio and TV is
the running commentary on games like hockey and cricket. For radio the commentator has to
give fullest description of the game ­ and continue to speak even when game is stopped for
some reason, on TV it is altogether different. The most thrilling event in a game, which people
are seeing themselves, a commentator is required to utter very particular remarks which he
thinks may not be occurring to common viewers. No need to get louder with the pacing up of
the action, and absolutely no need to pass remarks which in any manner are contrary to what
most people can see on the screen. For instance there is no room the say that it was a case
of clear LBW, when one can see there was much doubt in giving an LBW decision.
Gestures replace words in Talk Shows
The talk shows are common for both broadcasts - radio as well as TV. But script which the
two talents would follow is different. On radio if the anchorpersons wants someone to speak,
he/ she would ask the speaker to say, or reply or comment. On a similar talk show on TV, the
anchorperson may be turning his/ her face to a speaker and with the gesture of hands may
urge the speaker to say something. There are so many other things which are there which a
TV compere doesn't need to explain but a radio talent would need to explain those in words
so that listeners may know what is in the surrounding, especially if a talk show is arranged
outside the studio.
Direction
A sea change has been observed in the area of direction with the arrival of TV broadcast. A
detailed overview of this change would be available in the course meant for learning TV
production but a brief account is given here.
A director at a radio drama studio is more concerned about the speech, distance of a
performer from the mikes and the sound effects given at a very appropriate movement for
conveying the total impact of the scene.
At a TV broadcast it is much different. A director is more concerned about the entry of a
performer, his/ her facial expression, body language and movement of hands and head as the
performer delivers dialogue. The sound effects are required but more than the sound effects,
the director in this case is more anxious about the lighting arrangement ­ for a gloomy scene
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Introduction to Broadcasting ­ MCM 411
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or show cheerfulness different lighting effects are required. Any unbalanced lighting may spoil
the whole scene.
The color scheme of the set and contrast ratio of light which may highlight the color
arrangement is also very much in the view of the director who has to notice whether light-color
combination is in keeping with the demand of the scene and the story, or it just negates it.
To control shadows of the performers, acting under artificial lights at a studio is a hell lot of a
problem, a director has to fight again and again.
It is here that an answer is to be traced of a question raised at a previous sitting ­ is it easy, or
difficult to communicate in a visual medium?
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Table of Contents:
  1. BROADCASTING:Historical Facts about Radio, Wireless and Radio
  2. CLASSIFICATION OF PROGRAMS:NEWS, Language, Sensationalizing
  3. CURRENT AFFAIRS:Talk Shows, Discussions, Seminars, Live Shows
  4. OUTDOOR BROADCASTING I:VIP Movement, Suddenly Assigned Events
  5. OUTDOOR BROADCASTING II:Pakistan Day March Past, General Elections
  6. CURTAIN RAISER:Political, Financial, Sports, Academics
  7. RADIO FEATURE:Personality Features, Features on Events
  8. MUSICAL PROGRAMS:Classical Music, Light and Film Music, Folk Music
  9. RADIO DOCUMENTARY:Narrative, Dramatized, Imagination, Close to places
  10. DISC JOCKEY:Women in Focus, Daily/ Weekly Division, Making Titles
  11. VOICE IN BROADCASTING:Speech, Accent, Loudness, Stress
  12. NOISE:Physical, Medium itself, Problem at sender’s end, Semantics
  13. STUDIO:Drama Studio, Studios for Talk Shows/ Discussions, Music Studios,
  14. RADIO DRAMA I:Stage Dramas, Early Radio Dramas, Ethics, Classification
  15. RADIO DRAMA II:Selection of director, The Playwrights, Script, Voices
  16. ADVERTISEMENT – INCOME GENERATION:Similarities, More Analysis
  17. ADVERTISERS’ APPROACH:Dramatized, Dialogue based, News
  18. FM – A NEW GENERATION IN BROADCASTING:Low Cost, The Difference
  19. MICROPHONE TO TRANSMITTER:Amplifiers, Modulator, Transmitter
  20. WRITING SCRIPT FOR RADIO BROADCAST:NEWS Script, Interviews
  21. INTERACTIVE BROADCASTING:On-line, E-mails, Interview, Views in News
  22. REVISION:CURRENT AFFAIRS, RADIO FEATURE, MUSICAL PROGRAMS
  23. HISTORY OF TELEVISION:Early History, The Black & White Images, Color Television
  24. PAKISTAN TELEVISION (PTV):The Excitement, Timing, Live Broadcast
  25. BROADCASTING LAWS:Laws in the 19th century, Press Council of Pakistan
  26. REPLICAS OF RADIO BROADCAST:The Staff, News Reading, Programming
  27. NEW SCRIPT WRITING AND DIRECTION TECHNIQUES:TV Script
  28. SETS:Permanent Sets, Hot & Cover Sets, Special Sets, Economical
  29. CAMERA SHOTS – THE VISUAL LANGUAGE:Angle Shots, Movement shots
  30. LIGHTS IN VISUAL BROADCASTING:Light Temperature, Light and Distance
  31. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR:NEWS and Interviews, Dramas and Music
  32. BROADCASTING AND MEDIA IMPERIALISM:The truth in the debate
  33. ENVIRONMENT OF TV BROADCAST:Optical Illusions, POV, Depth of Field
  34. BUDGET:First Part, Second Part, Third Part, The Sponsors
  35. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF DIFFERENT RADIO AND TV FORMATS:TV NEWS
  36. CURRENT AFFAIRS – FROM RADIO TO TV:Seminars, Interviews
  37. PRE-PRODUCTION:Brain Storming, Scripting a new program, Approval
  38. PRODUCTION & POST-PRODUCTION:Booking Shifts, Rehearsals
  39. TV ADVERTISEMENTS – MONEY WITH ENTERTAINMENT:Early Phase, Getting Spots
  40. ENIGMA OF MORE CHANNELS:The Investment, Fresh Ideas, Closure of channels
  41. ANCHORPERSON:Appearance and Confidence, Job Opportunities
  42. COMPARISON BETWEEN RADIO AND TV BROADCAST:The Difference, Script
  43. TERRESTRIAL TO SATELLITE TO CABLE TV:Cable Network, CD Channels
  44. CAREER IN BROADCASTING:Production, Direction, Lighting Director, Script Writer
  45. REVISION (LESSON 23 TO 44):Broadcasting Laws, PEMRA, Budget