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re; formatting a script for a sitcom
Hi:
I check out Scriptfrenzy; they have a lot of use ful info. B ut, Ii can not understand what a teaser , tag and other tv language is abpoout. They list it, tell you to write it but, don't explain what it is.
Can anyone help out?
Yes, I would love to take Writer's U. course re : tv writing but, I can't afford it. Ssure wish they woud do payment arrangements.
mary eliz. wrote:
Hi:
I check out Scriptfrenzy; they have a lot of use ful info. B ut, Ii can not understand what a teaser , tag and other tv language is abpoout. They list it, tell you to write it but, don't explain what it is.
Can anyone help out?
Yes, I would love to take Writer's U. course re : tv writing but, I can't afford it. Ssure wish they woud do payment arrangements.
A teaser is the short opening to start a television show. A tag is something that rounds out the end of a show that isn't about the show exactly...
For example: On Frasier, the teaser was the various openings that had nothing to do with the meat of the episode but did have something to do with character development (especially in the humour department) - Also, calls to the show. The tag was always shown during the ending song - it cleared up, in a humourous way, somethings that were not said during the episode.
You could save yourself a lot of questions by buying a writing for television book like Breaking Into TV Writing by Lee Goldberg or pretty much any tv writing book by Jurgen. They will help you a lot and give you a nice start.
Watch lots of tv!
mary eliz. wrote:
Hi:
I check out Scriptfrenzy; they have a lot of use ful info. B ut, Ii can not understand what a teaser , tag and other tv language is abpoout. They list it, tell you to write it but, don't explain what it is.
Can anyone help out?
Yes, I would love to take Writer's U. course re : tv writing but, I can't afford it. Ssure wish they woud do payment arrangements.
A teaser is the short opening to start a television show. A tag is something that rounds out the end of a show that isn't about the show exactly...
For example: On Frasier, the teaser was the various openings that had nothing to do with the meat of the episode but did have something to do with character development (especially in the humour department) - Also, calls to the show. The tag was always shown during the ending song - it cleared up, in a humourous way, somethings that were not said during the episode.
You could save yourself a lot of questions by buying a writing for television book like Breaking Into TV Writing by Lee Goldberg or pretty much any tv writing book by Jurgen. They will help you a lot and give you a nice start.
Watch lots of tv!
Hi Angel:
Thank you for your advice, help. I do watch tv believe me!& it does help.
I have to get my financces together and buy one of those books. I also try to pick up as many free scripts online and study those but, it's hard to locate ones that are formatted for production.
Take care,
mary eliz. wrote:
Hi Angel:
Thank you for your advice, help. I do watch tv believe me!& it does help.
I have to get my financces together and buy one of those books. I also try to pick up as many free scripts online and study those but, it's hard to locate ones that are formatted for production.
Take care,
Mary Eliz,
If you go to sites like http://www.simplyscripts.com/tv_all.html or http://www.twiztv.com or http://www.script-o-rama.com/tv/tvscript.shtml or http://www.dailyscript.com/tv.html or any other place you can go to by typing television scripts into your Google browser and you will find a ton of scripts. Maybe not the ones you were hoping to find, but definitely current ones. But what you should really look for are the ones that are "pdf" or "script". Some of the sites will tell you where they got their pdf or script copy from and if you go there, you are likely to find even more. Also, check out the website for the shows you watch. Sometimes, the writers have a blog and will like to scripts. I found the Veronica Mars pilot script (not the one they ended up using, but still) on Rob Thomas's website. That's beside the point - what I am trying to say is that the pdf or script version will be the closest to what they actually used for shooting and what they would expect to see from a spec script. Of course, if it is an actual shooting script, it will have more than what a writer needs to put in it (we don't have to worry about telling anyone where the camera will be).
Also, to simplify the teaser/tag thing - a teaser is any bit of the show that comes on before the credits and the tag is any bit that comes on after the resolution of the show or after/during the credits (or after a commercial after the resolution). Most shows now have some form of a teaser or a tag.
Also, I just found this format on the BBC website which I think, from my quick glance, could work well with any format if you aren't working with a specific tv drama.http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/screenplaytv.pdf
Good luck Mary Eliz and watch tv! (enjoy what you do!)
Hey,
There are books about tv script writing that I mentioned to someone else who asked if there are books about TV writing. Also, UCLA extenion has an online tv sitcom ouline class and script writing class. Just go to UCLA exention website. I took the one hour drama class and it was very helpful.
Jenn