FORMATTING YOUR SPEC SCRIPT: A PRIMER, PART 21

If you’re applying to a fellowship or taking a TV writing class or just trying to learn the mechanics of TV writing as you build your portfolio, we likely have scripts you want to look at in the library for your research—scripts that you can’t find anywhere else. You might be frustrated you can’t come in and look at them.  

If you feel stymied by our in-person closure (or live outside LA), this blog series is for you. These primers are meant to supply the notes you’d take if you came to read scripts in-person.

As always, we aren’t able to send out scripts in full as we are not the copyright holders, but we hope this primer jump-starts your research and writing. If you have further, more specific questions about the shows covered in this (or any other) formatting post, please e-mail us at library@wgfoundation.org and we can help clarify or provide more info.

FOR ALL MANKIND (Apple TV+)

Average page count: 61-66

Average scene count: varies -- as low as 20 as high as 86

Broken into acts? No

Other things to consider:

• For All Mankind scripts are not broken into acts, but most scripts have a main title cue. This cue usually occurs about 3-15 pages into the script (usually close to 4 pages in) and is formatted: MAIN TITLE in all CAPS, centered, bolded and underlined.

• The show utilizes lots of archival footage. When archival footage is shown on screen, the scripts specify (ARCHIVAL) in parentheses and bold in the scene heading… or in the description.

• Any archival video or audio (both in description and dialogue) is italicized.

• When dialogue emanates from the TV or radio, the writers put (TV) or (RADIO) (V.O.) next to the speaker’s name in parentheses, e.g. RONALD REAGAN (RADIO) (V.O.) or DAN RATHER (TV). Sometimes real, historic speeches are used.

• In the shooting scripts, there are lots of camera directions written in CAPITAL letters.

• Sometimes dates and locations are presented as text on screen. This text is always bolded. Sometimes it’s preceded by “CHYRON:” but not always.

• Much of the action takes place at the Johnson Space Center. In the scene headings, this is abbreviated “JSC” but for the purposes of your spec, you might want to write it out the long way, so the reader isn’t confused.

GIRLS5EVA (Peacock)

Average page count: between 30-32

Average scene count: 18-24

Broken into acts? Yes, 3

Other things to consider:

• Scene headings are underlined.

• Scripts are broken into three acts. Act headings are formatted: ACT ONE / END OF ACT ONE, centered, underlined and sometimes bolded.

• The end of act three ends: END OF EPISODE, centered and underlined and is typically preceded by “FADE OUT.” on the right-hand side in all caps.

• If something is sung, the words are presented in all-CAPS in the dialogue.

• The description includes lots of visual gags – and is often as funny as the spoken dialogue.

• The scene headings use brackets instead of parentheticals. If we’re seeing news footage or a flashback, this is specified in brackets at the end of the scene heading. e.g. “EXT. A ROOF IN FLORIDA [W-TIT NEWS TAMPA FOOTAGE]” or INT. "INT. "LARRY KING LIVE" STUDIO - 1999 [FLASHBACK]”

THE GREAT NORTH (Fox)

Average page count: 49-51

Average scene count: 30-45

Broken into acts? Yes, 4

Other things to consider:

• Scene/act headings are bolded.

• Scripts are broken into four acts. Acts one, two and three fall into the 8-18 page range. Generally, act one is the longest. Act four tends to be shortest, around 5-8 pages.

• Act breaks are formatted: ACT ONE / END OF ACT ONE, then at the end of the act four: END OF EPISODE. The act headings are bolded in the same way as the scene headings.

• In animated shows like these, sometimes the writers include an establishing scene heading to show the exterior of a location before we go inside, e.g. “EXT. TOBIN FAMILY HOME – ESTABLISHING – DAWN” to “EXT. TOBIN FAMILY HOME – ROOF – CONTINUOUS”

• Scene transitions, if used, are on the right-hand side in bold and all-CAPS, e.g. “WIPE TO:” or “FADE OUT.” These scene transitions are most often used at act breaks.

• Dialogue is double-spaced much like in a multi-cam sitcom.

• There are no extra spaces between dialogue, description and scene headings.

• Flashbacks are noted in the scene heading. When the flashback ends, the next scene heading says “BACK TO SCENE”

TACOMA FD (TruTV)

Average page count: 30

Average scene count: 16-22

Broken into acts? Yes, cold open + 4 acts

Other things to consider:

• Scripts are divided into four acts and a cold open.

• The cold open is typically 2-3 pages long, formatted: COLD OPEN / END OF COLD OPEN, centered and underlined.

• Acts one and two run between 6-11 pages. Act three runs a little shorter at 5-7 pages. Act four runs 1-3 pages. It might be helpful to think of act four more like a tag. Instead of END OF ACT FOUR, the last act ends: END OF SHOW, centered and underlined.

• CHYRON or text on screen is presented in bold.

• The scripts bold, underline or italicize significant visuals and sounds. For comic effect, the writers use onomatopoeia, e.g. WAHHHHHHH!!!!!!! for an alarm sounding.

• If a character is speaking through the radio or from dispatch, the text is written in italics.

TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN (Amazon)

Average page count: 55-60

Average scene count: 62-87

Broken into acts? No

Other things to consider:

• Like many streaming shows, the scripts are not broken into acts, but end with END OF EPISODE centered and underlined. 

• New, significant locations are centered and bolded. 

• Flashbacks are in italics with the year we're flashing back to in parentheses in the scene heading like (1988). 

• These scripts are not afraid to have lots of description -- it's a visual show. They're also not afraid to use big, blocky monologues. 

• Scripts also occasionally underline or CAPITALIZE something significant in the action.

• For dialogue spoken in another language, they occasionally use a parenthetical before dialogue... or they just note it in the description. 

YELLOWJACKETS (Showtime)

Average page count: 53

Average scene count: 40-60, usually in the 50s

Broken into acts? No

Other things to consider:

• Scene headings are bolded and underlined.

• While there are no act breaks specified on the page, there is a main title cue. This happens usually around page 4, but could happen earlier or later. It happens on page 7 in one script. This is formatted MAIN TITLES, in CAPS and in bold on the left-hand side.

• The scene headings end with (1996) in parentheses or (PRESENT DAY) to specify which timeline we’re in., e.g. -- EXT. HUNTING CABIN - WILDERNESS - DAY (1996) or INT. SADECKI HOUSE - SHAUNA’S ROOM - DAY (PRESENT DAY). For scene headings in the wilderness, the writers often specify WILDERNESS preceded by the part of the wilderness.

• Episodes end: END EPISODE in bold on the left hand side.... 

Until next time, happy writing!

FORMATTING YOUR SPEC SCRIPT, A PRIMER - PART 20

With Fellowship Season ‘22 upon us, here is another post in what has become a mainstay series for the WGF Library: our TV Spec Script Formatting Primers.

If you’re applying to a fellowship or taking a TV writing class or just trying to learn the mechanics of TV writing as you build your portfolio, we likely have scripts you want to look at in the library for your research—scripts that you can’t find anywhere else. You might be frustrated you can’t come in and look at them.  

If you feel stymied by our in-person closure (or live outside LA), this blog series is for you. These primers are meant to supply the notes you’d take if you came to read scripts in-person.

As always, we aren’t able to send out scripts in full as we are not the copyright holders, but we hope this primer jump-starts your research and writing. If you have further, more specific questions about the shows covered in this (or any other) formatting post, please e-mail us at library@wgfoundation.org and we can help clarify or provide more info.

CALL ME KAT (Fox) 

Average page count: 42-45 

Average scene count:  

Broken in to acts? Yes, a cold open + four acts 

Other things to consider: 

• Call Me Kat is a multi-cam sitcom. The scripts use traditional multi-cam formatting. This means that all description is in CAPITAL letters, all dialogue is double-spaced and new scenes are lettered rather than numbered, e.g. - “SCENE B” is centered, bolded and underlined at the beginning of a new scene.

• Underneath each scene heading is a parenthetical which lists the characters in the scene in ALL-CAPS.

• At the beginning of season 1, Call Me Kat scripts consisted of a cold open, three acts and a tag, but the formatting evolved to a cold open and four acts. The cold open is typically 4 to 4.5 pages. Act one is 8-15 pages. Act two is 10-19 pages. Act three is 7-14 pages. Act four is 5-6 pages. Keep in mind, this is just a range to give you an idea. Your acts might be a little shorter or longer.

• Act breaks are formatted ACT ONE / END OF ACT ONE, centered and underlined.  

• Act four (the last act) ends END OF SHOW, centered and underlined. 

• The end of every act and the end of the episode is typically preceded with a “FADE OUT.” in ALL CAPS on the right-hand side. The show often utilizes transitions between scenes. Think: “POP TO:” or “CUT TO:” in all caps on the right-hand side. 

• The cold open ends with: MAIN TITLES centered and underlined (as opposed to END OF COLD OPEN).

• Like many multi-cam sitcoms, Call Me Kat notes sounds effects in BOLD on the left hand side, e.g.: SFX: DOORBELL RINGS

HIGHTOWN (Starz) 

Average page count: 53-58 

Average scene count: 44-45 

Broken into acts? No 

Other things to consider:  

• On the page, these scripts feel much like little feature screenplays.  

• The description is easy-going, casual, profane… fun to read. 

• The writers CAPITALIZE significant props, visuals, sounds… This might not be supremely important in a spec script, but it helps in production — and is a good practice to get into if you want to write TV.

• Scripts end with THE END – centered, underlined and sometimes bolded.

PHYSICAL (AppleTV+) 

Average page count: 32-36 

Average scene count: 28-41 

Broken into acts? No 

Other things to consider:  

• Scene headings are underlined. 

• Physical utilizes lots of voiceover on the show. Sometimes Sheila will have voice-over after saying a line of dialogue. In this case, the voice-over is given a separate dialogue line. The voice-over often presents Sheila’s self-disgust and her disgust with people and things surrounding her. 

• The tone is very wry and witty.  

• Lines of description are often preceded by dashes or ellipses to give everything a fluid, fast-cutting feel.  

• Again, it’s good practice to CAPITALIZE significant props and actions. Physical does this.  

• Episodes end with END OF EPISODE, centered, bolded and underlined.

RESERVATION DOGS (FX) 

**As it’s the only episode we have in the library, the stats presented here are from the pilot script.  

Page count: 36 (subsequent episodes are probably a little shorter) 

Scene count: 48 (but it likely fluctuates depending on the episode) 

Broken into acts? No 

Other things to consider: 

• The pilot script is not broken into acts, but it does have a main title cue. It occurs on page 8 and is formatted: TITLE CARD: RESERVATION DOGS in bold on the left side of the page.  

• If you wanted to give a nod to the pilot in your spec, start the script with “FADE IN:” at the top on the right-hand side.  

• Character descriptions are usually done with a parenthetical and are concise and funny.

• The pilot script formats its scene headings with a period after the main location rather than a dash, e.g. – “EXT. SALVAGE YARD. GATE – DAY” or “INT. BEAR’S HOUSE. BEDROOM – DAY” as opposed to “INT. BEAR’S HOUSE – BEDROOM – DAY”  

• Montages or quick shots are noted with a single dash before the line of description. 

• If Bear has an encounter with William Knife Man, the spirit, it’s noted in the scene heading, e.g. “EXT. VILLAGE. VISION SEQUENCE – DAY.” William Knife Man is simply referred to as “Spirit” in the pilot dialogue. See show creator Sterlin Harjo talk about this first vision sequence here.

• The pilot episode ends without a formal “THE END” or “END OF EPISODE.” It’s formatted more like a feature script.  

SUPERMAN & LOIS (The CW) 

Average page count: 48-49 

Average scene count: somewhere in the range of 50-100 

Broken into acts? Yes, six 

Other things to consider:  

• Like most CW shows, Superman & Lois is broken into six acts. Act one is typically the longest, clocking in at 9-13 pages. Act two is around 9 pages. Act three is 6-8. Act four 5-6. Act five 5-6. Act six is 6-9. Again, this averages are not completely set in stone. The most important thing to note is that the acts get shorter as the episode progresses and picks up the pace near its conclusion.

• Somewhere within the first 5 pages of each script is a title cue. This is written right into the description like “we cut to titles” or “we cut to main titles…” The word TITLES or MAIN TITLES is capitalized and bolded.

• The scripts use onomatopoeia in their action description: BOOM!, FLASH!, CRASH! It’s a Superman story after all…

• Act breaks are formatted: ACT ONE / END OF ACT ONE, centered, bolded and underlined.  

• At the end of act six: END OF EPISODE, centered, bolded and underlined.  

• Flashbacks are note in the scene heading, e.g. – “EXT. BADLANDS – DAY – FLASHBACK” (and the world FLASHBACK is in bold. Then all text that is a part of the flashback scene is in italics.  

THE WONDER YEARS (ABC)

Average page count: 26-31

Average scene count: 18-32

Broken into acts? Yes, a cold open + three acts

Other things to consider:

• A staple of The Wonder Years is the main character Dean's voice-over as an adult. This voice over is written "ADULT DEAN (V.O.)" When Dean is a kid, it's just DEAN.

• The scripts are broken into three acts and a cold open. The cold open is 2-6 pages. Acts one, two and three are in the 6-12 page range.... 9 is about average. Keep in mind the third act is usually a little shorter (think 5-6 pages).

• The act breaks are formatted: ACT ONE centered and underlined / END OF ACT ONE centered/bolded and underlined.

• The end of the third act is formatted: END OF SHOW (or END OF EPISODE), centered, bolded, underlined.

• Music cues are a huge part of the show. These are formatted: MUSIC CUE: "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding in bold. The words MUSIC CUE are in ALL-CAPS. See show creator Saladin K. Patterson discuss writing music cues on The Wonder Years here.

• Flashbacks are simply noted at the end of a scene heading, e.g.: "EXT. WILLIAMS HOUSE - CAR PORT - NIGHT - FLASHBACK"

• Text on screen is noted with a CHYRON.

Until next time, happy writing!

TV FORMAT FUNDAMENTALS: SERIALIZED DRAMA

Welcome to TV Formatting Fundamentals! In this blog series, we explore the on-page structure of different types of TV series.

In earlier posts we’ve looked at multi-cam sitcoms, episodic dramas and single-cam sitcoms. All previous posts have explored scripts with clearly delineated commercial/act breaks—meaning they’re scripts that tell you where each new act starts and stops.

This week we’re charting new territory and diving into serialized dramas, the kind you find on streaming services and the upper channels of your cable subscription.

Serialized dramas include Game of Thrones, The Handmaid’s Tale, Pose, The Wire, Breaking Bad…. Unlike episodic drama, serialized drama tends to treat each episode like a chapter in a book. Episodes might have some self-contained elements, but for the most part, they’re pieces or fragments of a much bigger season and series narrative. A standard episode of serialized drama typically includes four acts or four acts and a teaser.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, HBO shows like Oz, The Sopranos, etc. didn’t include act breaks in their scripts. The episodes weren’t airing with commercial interruption, so there was no need for them. As a result, these shows have a more cinematic feel.

These days, it’s rare to find serialized drama scripts that actually include act breaks on the page. It’s particularly rare amongst shows that drop/air on streaming platforms.

Neophyte TV writers might assume that because a script doesn’t explicitly note its act breaks on the page that a script does not contain act breaks.

Such an assumption is easy to make. Even some of our earlier blog posts about spec script formatting are somewhat perplexing on this matter. If a script doesn’t delineate its act breaks, we say it doesn’t have any.

But almost every TV show is broken into acts, even if those acts are not spelled out on the page.

Good stories have turning points, mysteries, and revelations in order to keep a spectator interested. Just because a writer doesn’t flat out state that this is the end of act one doesn’t mean the end of act one isn’t there. Feature screenplays are often broken into acts, but the writer doesn’t announce “END OF ACT ONE” on the page.

So, with this blog post, we’ll do a little something different. We’ll offer instruction on how to spot the act breaks in cable/streaming scripts that don’t explicitly show them.

We’ll stop looking at scripts without act breaks like this:

And start to see them more like this:

This knowledge will come in handy when you’re spec-ing a serialized drama show, writing a serialized drama pilot… or trying to get more efficient with outlining and drafting.

The best way to learn serialized act structure is, of course, to read scripts. It’s especially helpful to start with shows that air(ed) with commercials… shows like Pose or Breaking Bad. This way you can see specifically where the acts stop and start on the page. 

As mentioned before, you’ll find that scripts of this nature often have four acts. Sometimes they include a teaser or even a fifth act, but four acts seems to be the standard.

The great serialized dramas tend to feature huge ensemble casts, but those huge ensemble casts are usually anchored by one protagonist (or sometimes a small group of them). Part of what makes a season of serialized drama feel like a movie is that we follow that one central character (or, again, a few of them) in the way that we follow one central character in a film. 

In fact, the structure of one serialized drama episode can feel a bit screenplay-like in nature, especially if you’re looking at a pilot. 

ACT ONE is where we meet the protagonist in their ordinary world. By the end of that act, there’s a catalyst, a big decisive action or an event that shakes things up. In the shooting draft of the Pose pilot, the first act is 16 pages long. We meet protagonist, Blanca, in New York City in the late 1980s. She walks/competes in balls for the House of Abundance. After testing positive for HIV, Blanca decides to pursue her dream. At the end of the act, she leaves House of Abundance to start her own house. This is not unlike the first act in the pilot for Breaking Bad, where Walter White lives a quiet, dull life as a chemistry teacher, but then one day collapses at the car wash.

ACT TWO finds our protagonist(s) in a new situation, pursuing something new with great agency and meeting the people that will help or hinder them in that pursuit. In Pose, Blanca meets Damon, a brilliant dancer and a runaway from Pennsylvania, who has no place else to go. By the end of the act (on page 35), Damon joins Blanca’s new house—The House of Evangelista—and his dancing talent will help them compete in the balls. In Breaking Bad, Walt officially gets diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, but he spots a former student, Jesse, who now cooks and deals meth. He blackmails Jesse into letting him join his operation.

In a way, you might say that ACT THREE is where the protagonist makes the decision or takes on the task that will be the backbone of the entire series. Blanca decides that House of Evangelista must challenge House of Abundance. She wants a name for herself. In Breaking Bad, Walt and Jesse gather equipment and an RV and cook their first batch. Right at the end of the third act, Walt encounters some jocks making fun of his son, Walter, Jr., who has cerebral palsy. He stands up for his kid by kicking the instigating jock in the back of the leg. As the script says: “Walt feels a kind of power—one that’s completely brought on by an absence of fear.” This provides a hint of the profound character change that’s to come (and what the show will be).  

ACT FOUR is the final act (but really it’s the beginning of the entire series). In Pose, in their first ball, Blanca and the House of Evangelista lose to the House of Abundance, but gain two new members in Angel and Pito. Despite losing, the house becomes more of a family and is equipped to meet future challenges head on. In Breaking Bad, after cooking starts a brush fire and the threat of sirens leave him spooked and beat, Walt possesses new vigor, energy and power in his life, which he too (with the partnership of Jesse) will bring to future challenges.

Both shows end their acts with “act outs” or cliffhangers that make a viewer want to come back after the commercial break. With this knowledge, let’s see if we can locate the act breaks in a show that does not specify them.  

CASE STUDY:

THE SOPRANOS Pilot

Written by David Chase

The general gist of The Sopranos is this: Balancing family and work life starts to take a huge toll on the mental health of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano. When he starts having severe panic attacks, he quietly visits a therapist.

Will it work for him? Will he find balance and well-being? Will he quell all the nagging, threatening voices around him? Is he doomed for a downfall?

The show wrestles with a lot of moral, existential questions. In the pilot, we’re introduced to Tony, his overarching problem, and the array of frustrating family members and colleagues around him. The script is subtly broken into a teaser and four acts—all structured around Tony’s panic attacks.

TEASER

• The episode begins with a teaser of sorts, where Tony visits Dr. Melfi’s office for the first time.

ACT ONE

• Sitting with Dr. Melfi, Tony recounts the events leading up to his first panic attack. As he does, we meet all the stressors in his life, a.k.a. his wife, kids, mother, and business family.

• Tony is deeply affected by ducks making a home in the pool in his backyard. Carmela (his wife), Meadow (his daughter) and Anthony, Jr. (his son) are bored and apathetic.  

• Meanwhile, his nephew Christopher is entitled and lacking real enthusiasm for the business.

• Also note: in screenwriting, we’re always told “show don’t tell” but Mahaffey yelping “Oh fuck, oh fuck, the bone’s poking through!” really says a lot about his character and would not be as funny(?) if his injury were simply shown.

• Uncle Junior plans to whack someone at Tony’s friend Artie’s restaurant… which is another stressful situation for Tony.

• Tony’s mother, Livia, is unhappy and seems to actually derive pleasure from making other people miserable.

• This pilot introduces the reader to everything and everyone stressing Tony Soprano out. The first act ends with his first panic attack, the one that brings him to Dr. Melfi. He collapses at a family barbecue, an event at which most of his triggers are present. (Remember Blanca getting diagnosed with HIV or Walt collapsing at the car wash?)

• Note the presence of the ducks.

ACT TWO

• This is the new situation. At first, Tony thinks he’s dying. See the exchange below with Carmela. Then, later he finds himself aligned with someone who can help him: a therapist, Dr. Melfi. This is the central relationship of the show. (Remember Walt teaming up with Jesse and Blanca finding Damon?)

• Now in therapy with Melfi, Tony expresses doubt as to whether counseling and anti-depressants actually work. In this memorable monologue, he insists men shouldn’t have to whine so much about their problems. What happened to the strong, silent type?

• We’re over-simplifying here and bypassing a few key plot points, but act two ends with BAM! Another panic attack as Tony takes his mother on a visit to a nursing home.

ACT THREE

• Remember, this is the act where the protagonist commits to the thing that’s going to drive the series.

• Tony starts taking his Prozac:

• Then, rather than skulk away from his wife when his wife confronts him about his shortcomings, he’s simply honest, which probably helps him avoid another panic attack.

ACT FOUR

• Back at Dr. Melfi’s office, Tony believes the medication is helping and that he doesn’t need therapy anymore.

• Check out this monologue that encapsulates perfectly what the series is about. The joke about “The Birds” is perfect.

• There’s also this great moment between Tony and his daughter, Meadow:

• Wrapping up some of the other storylines in the episode, Artie’s restaurant gets burned down, so Uncle Junior’s whacking of Little Pussy Malanga can’t occur there. Junior complains to Livia about Tony and wants to take a bigger hand in family business. “Something may have to be done, Livia, about Tony,” creates all kinds of suspense and anticipation, not to mention questions. What kind of mother would cast her own son aside like that?

• By the end of the pilot, we’re back at the site of Tony’s initial panic attack: a family barbecue. We know he’ll continue to see his therapist, and we know he’ll continue to struggle with finding peace amidst all the stresses in his life — and we can’t wait to see what happens next.

So, there you have it. We’ve identified the act breaks in a serialized drama pilot that does not specify them on the page.

We’ll close on a question that we sometimes get in the library.

Say you are spec-ing Stranger Things and can easily identify the act breaks in that show. Should you include act breaks in your spec even though the show itself does not include them?

Emphatically: No. You should study the script for act breaks and break your story according to those parameters, but always default to the scripts from the show. If a show has act breaks, your spec should include them. If a show does not have act breaks, you should not include them.

But it’s always good to know the act structure.

Happy writing!

WGF LIBRARY STAFF'S SCREENPLAY PICKS

Seasons Greetings! It’s Hilary, Javier and Lauren, the librarians/archivists at the Writers Guild Foundation. We miss you! We especially miss recommending scripts to you when you come to visit the library. With the release of the WGAW and WGAE’s 101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century… So Far, we’ve been talking a lot about feature screenplays and felt like sharing our Staff Picks.  

Yes, we’re still closed to in-person visitors for the time being, but hopefully that will change in the future. In the meantime, check out each of our personal recommendations below and know that we are still available to help even though our doors are closed. E-mail us at library@wgfoundation.org with questions or check out one of our bi-weekly Library Live sessions. If you’re looking to read scripts on our lists or the WGA’s new 101 list, we advise checking out some of our favorite sites like scriptslug.com and simplyscripts.com.

If you’re ever trying to find a script online, a good search tactic is this:

“Title of film” + “screenplay” or “script” + “pdf”

So that looks like:

Sound of Metal screenplay pdf

Of course, not every title is out there, but you can often find a lot using this simple trick. As soon as we know when we’ll re-open, you’ll find an announcement and lots of pertinent information in our newsletter and likely on Twitter.

**Also, just know we went back to the 20th Century for some of our picks…. We’re librarians/archivists and like to include a wide swath of time periods.

HILARY’S PICKS

1.) THE APARTMENT (1960)

Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond

Fran and Bud feel so real in their witty and sad and cautiously optimistic ways.

2.) BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)

Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale

It’s a great twist on time travel, making it less about science and more human, fun and relatable.  

3.) BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)

Written by William Goldman

I don’t often care about criminals, but I care about these criminals whose friendship and trust for one another matters more than anything.

4.) CHILDREN OF MEN (2006)

Screenplay by Alfonso Cuaron & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby, Based on the novel “The Children Of Men” by P. D. James

The world is bleak and sadly prescient but wins us over with hope.

5.) DESK SET (1957)

Screenplay by Phoebe Ephron & Henry Ephron, Based on the play by William Marchant

I love it because it’s about librarians! And the ideas of both fearing and revering technology still ring true.

6.) GROUNDHOG DAY (1993)

Written by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis, Story by Danny Rubin

We all wish we could go back and say something different. The writers gave us this chance in a hilarious and heartwarming way.

7.) HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971)

Written by Colin Higgins

I appreciate the bittersweet character arc of Harold and that it’s an unconventional romance that doesn’t end happily ever after.

8.) MEAN GIRLS (2004)

Screenplay by Tina Fey, Based on the book “Queen Bees and Wannabes” by Rosalind Wiseman

As a former teenage girl, I loved the unexpected sympathy I developed for Regina and the Plastics.

9.) MOONLIGHT (2016)

Screenplay by Barry Jenkins, Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney

The script feels like poetry.

10.) TITANIC (1997)

Written by James Cameron

I love historical fiction and details are important to me and Cameron delivered.

JAVIER’S PICKS

1.) Drive (2011)

Written by Hossein Amini, Based on a book by James Sallis

Rich with character, amazing prose and dialogue, and a great character arc. At 121 pages, the script is a little long and the prose a bit wordy, but you’ll still turn the pages until the very end.

2.) Halloween (1978)

Written by John Carpenter and Deborah Hill

My friend and film enthusiast calls this film a “horror machine”. At 98 pages and minimalistic prose, the script feels contemporary, not to mention the tension literally drips off the page.

3.) The Island (2005)

Screenplay by Caspian Tredwell-Owen and Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci

Amazing world-building. At 138 pages, it’s definitely too long, but the page count seems fitting for such an epic story.

4.) Kristy (2014)

Written by Anthony Jaswinki

Not just another slasher film script. Kristy really ramps up the terror after the below page.

5.) Nightcrawler (2014)

Written by Tony Gilroy

Unique protagonist, and no scene headings at all.

6.) Ordinary People (1980)

Screenplay by Alvin Sargent, From the novel by Judith Guest

The below page may not read like a traditional climax, where the hero defeats the villain, but in fact, it’s the perfect “dramatic” example of that kind of climax.

7.) Passengers (2016)

Written by John Spaihts

Like Nightcrawler, it also doesn’t have scene headings, except at the very start and the very end. Amazing love story.

8.) Salt (2010)

Written by Kurt Wimmer

It feels like a staircase going up, up, up, with the stakes literally rising every 10 pages.

9.) Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Screenplay by Evan Daugherty and John Lee Hancock and Hossein Amini

Epic story that is written so tightly, it all fits in 110 pages. Great study for how to really get in and out of scenes quickly.

10.) The Terminator (1984)

Written by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd

Cameron doesn’t write words, he paints pictures.

LAUREN’S PICKS

1.) Adam’s Rib (1949)

Written by Ruth Gordon & Garson Kanin

Chemistry between characters can be written. This script proves it.

2.) Bend It Like Beckham (2003)

Written by Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges and Guljit Bindra

This script is worth the read for how every single character has warmth and nuance, which I think is really a hallmark of great writing. And it's just so much fun.

3.) Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Written by John Singleton

This script is a blueprint for a movie, but it also feels like a great work of literature, which I think should be aspirational for any writer.

4.) Cabaret (1972)

Screenplay by Jay Presson Allen

Based on the plays “Cabaret” by Joe Masteroff and “I Am a Camera” by John Van Druten and on the short story “Berlin Stories” by Christopher Isherwood

Movies based on stage musicals are tough. It's just a hard medium to adapt, but Cabaret feels like the gold standard—and I think Jay Presson Allen deserves some credit in shaping how the musical numbers in the Kit Kat Klub serve as commentary on the story.

5.) Enough Said (2013)

Written by Nicole Holofcener

I love Nicole Holofcener's writing—and I LOVE that Albert (played in the movie by James Gandolfini) is a TV archivist.

6.) La Bamba (1987)

Written by Luis Valdez

One of my favorite film genres is the musical biopic. If you're trying to write one, La Bamba is a must-read.

7.) Milk (2005)

Written by Dustin Lance Black

I think Dustin Lance Black does such a beautiful job really unlocking Harvey Milk’s compassion. I’m really galvanized and inspired by this script.

8.) Norma Rae (1979)

Screenplay by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr.

This is my favorite script and I wish it were mentioned more in conversations about great scripts. You should read it.

9.) Private Benjamin (1980)

Written by Nancy Meyers & Charles Shyer & Harvey Miller

I re-watched this movie during quarantine and then re-read it and I think it's basically perfect. Also, I wanted to include at least one script with an expository scene where the characters sit around a fire and just talk....

10.) Short Term 12 (2013)

Written by Destin Daniel Cretton

It's hard to think of a script that more completely envelopes you in its setting, characters and real emotions than Short Term 12... and it does so subtly and quietly. I love writing that makes me cry.

TV FORMAT FUNDAMENTALS: SINGLE-CAM SITCOMS

TV Format Fundamentals is a new blog series that explores the background, elements and style of a handful of scripted TV formats. This week we look at single-cam sitcoms.  

Inheriting much of their structure from radio comedies, television sitcoms began in earnest in the late 1940s and early 1950s. As we covered in our first post in this series, I Love Lucy premiered in 1951. Filmed in front of a live studio audience using multiple cameras, it became the first “multi-cam” sitcom. With I Love Lucy’s success (and with the many shows that followed in its wake), there became two types of television sitcom: multi-cam and single-cam.

What we now define as the “single-cam sitcom” took off with The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which started as a radio program in 1944, then became a TV series in 1952, premiering one year after I Love Lucy.

Ozzie and Harriet (as well as a few shows the preceded it) was shot with a single camera, utilizing real-world locations as well as sound stages. This remains a stylistic hallmark of single-cam comedies to this day. Because they’re able to get out into the streets, the comedy and the stories often possess an element of grit and realism. Over the years, the unrestricted camera has given way to more unrestricted performers. The single-cam format is natural territory for improvisation. As we’ve noticed in the library, the scripts for most single-cam sitcoms are chock full of situations which invite improv.

Just like their multi-cam counterpart, in the early days, single-cam sitcoms tended to favor a two-act structure vis-à-vis I Love Lucy where the characters get into trouble in the first act and struggle to get out of it in the second.

Before there was formal act structure, there was Leave It to Beaver, whose scripts simply specified an opening commercial, a middle commercial and a closing commercial.

A few years later, The Andy Griffith Show codified these commercial breaks into “act breaks” and included a brief tag. In the 1970s and 80s, M*A*S*H used this exact same structure.

Throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s, the most prevalent structure featured two acts plus a teaser and a tag. In the library, we’ve noted this structure in The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island, Bewitched, Get Smart and even in contemporary sitcoms like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

In the early 2000s, the single-cam formatting evolved a bit. During its run, Malcolm in the Middle oscillated between two and three acts. Shows like Arrested Development and The Bernie Mac Show used three acts:

The Office used a cold open, three acts and a tag.

New Girl and Superstore use four acts often without specifying a cold open or a tag.

What we see most commonly today is four acts and a cold open. This is the act-structure of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

As we move into our case study this week, we find ourselves wanting to delve more deeply into three and four-act sitcom structure. When we previous looked at Living Single, the structure was very cut and dry. The heroines get into trouble in act one and struggle to get out of it in act two. How does it work when you have to include an extra commercial break or two?

Let’s take a look at the wonderful season 1 finale of Broad City.

CASE STUDY:

BROAD CITY “THE LAST SUPPER”

Written by Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer

Broad City is a quintessential example of contemporary single-cam comedy. The show does not confine itself to a soundstage, but rather exists brashly out in the street. The two broads – Abbi Abrams and Ilana Wexler – often help each other through hilarious crises or find themselves at odds with fellow weirdos or with sophisticated society. There’s always some new scenario where they’re out of place or have no self-awareness.

This episode finds the gals visiting a fancy restaurant for Abbi’s birthday. Remember that a characteristic of single-cam sitcoms is practical locations and realism, which can often leave the door open for improvisation.

In this episode, there’s one umbrella situation: Abbi’s birthday dinner. Each act in this episode’s three-act structure is a complication to Abbi having a nice birthday. Each act feels like a new twist added to an improvised scenario.

In terms of formatting, single-cam sitcoms are single spaced. Much like multi-cam sitcoms, any description is minimal and unrestrictive to the performers.

COLD OPEN

• Sometimes the cold open of a sitcom is self-contained and has absolutely nothing to do with the primary story of the episode. This is the case here as Abbi and Ilana debate the attractiveness of men playing basketball…. Or maybe they’re talking about something else….

ACT ONE

• Right at the top of act one, we’re presented with the main situation of the comedy. The girls are at Octavia – a very upscale restaurant – for Abbi’s birthday. Later on down the page, Abbi explains that she learned from Oprah: “… your birthday dictates the kind of year you’re gonna have.”

• This sets the stakes. This birthday dinner had better be amazing, then!

• Already the girls are out of place and at odds with the maître d. Also, what makes the exchange below hilarious (and makes Ilana endearing) is her utter lack of self-awareness.

• Later once the girls are seated (at a table where Jay-Z and Beyoncé recently sat, no less), we’re introduced to the concept of food allergies. Ilana blatantly dodges the waiter’s question about them.

• Amidst the birthday elegance, Abbi visits the bathroom and pees out a condom…… which is a gross and unsettling thing to happen on a regular day, but it’s ESPECIALLY gross and disruptive when it happens during your birthday dinner – the singular event that will determine the outcome of your entire year.

• Note: The end of act one – or the discovery of the condom – is the setup for act two. The writers give this new situation to us, so that we’ll come back after the commercial break.

ACT TWO

• So, Abbi tries to reassure herself after peeing out a condom, which, as mentioned, is the major act two complication.

• The broads then decide to go smoke weed before dinner. They meet Mario, a busboy, and talk about how animals from movies they loved as kids are definitely dead now. This is a subtle and poignant way to raise the stakes in the episode, too. Who wants to think about death and the passage of time on the day that will determine the outcome of one’s entire year?

• When they get back to the table, Ilana’s face is red and puffy – and she admits that she’s allergic to shellfish. Despite her concern, Abbi tries to ignore and push through her friend’s obvious suffering.

• Abbi goes to talk to Doug – the alleged leaver of the condom. When she returns to the table, she’s met with the complication that will kick off act three. Ilana’s shellfish allergy has caused her face and tongue to swell up gruesomely.

ACT THREE

• We learn Ilana pushed through her allergy because she didn’t want to ruin Abbi’s birthday. (Aww.)

• Her plan is to keep eating, then have Abbi stab her with an EpiPen, of course.

• Abbi ultimately…. Stabs herself with the pen.

• If you’re ever wondering how to describe physical comedy on the page, this is a solid example:

• Abbi – using her new superhuman strength – brings Ilana to the hospital, where they decide to revisit their bucket lists. The notion of the brevity of life comes back around, especially when the patient in the bed next to Ilana dies. It’s horrifying, caustic and real, but also funny.

• Abbi ultimately spends her birthday eating molten lava cake in a hospital room with Ilana.

TAG

• Sometimes Broad City includes a short fourth act. Sometimes they go with a tag. This particular episode uses a tag. The gals walk down the street and ponder what the year will bring.

• It’s a phenomenal season finale for an episodic show because it doesn’t provide much in the way of resolution. We’re simply left with two friends and more adventures to come. That’s how Abbi’s year will turn out.

It’s nice note to end on. Until our next TV formatting adventure, happy writing!