P4 Writing the script (all drafts)

First Draft 

This is the first draft of my shooting script for a 15 minute extract of "The Perfect Drug". This uses the Warner brother script formatting template which helps to ensure everything is formatted correctly and 1 minute equates to around a page. I want this extract to be very experimental and disorientating to the viewer, showing a plethora of possible outcomes or plot lines in the show to build interest whilst still confusing the viewer (no spoilers.) First draft is 8 pages long. 

Second Draft 

After receiving feedback on my first draft I started by fixing a few presentation issues such as the brackets on the title page and the capitalisation of names in character blocks when we first meet them. The main things I altered and had to improve on were the scene descriptions and intercutting sequence. I moved from using bracketed numbers  in the intercutting sequence to copying the scene heading every-time. The main thing I had to improve from the first draft was adding descriptions at the start of any new scene as well as describing new characters more deeply. 

Third and final draft 

From the second draft the only feedback I was given were to improve on little details predominantly regarding punctuation. This meant adding question marks, exclamation marks where needed as well as adding full stops at the end of some action blocks. 

P3 Plan for script - gantt chart chart

Screenplay plan from "The Perfect Drug" 15 page hybrid extract using Ep1 00:00-15:00 as base. 

This series is an experimental crime drama aimed at 18-21 year old British viewers on BBC3 when it relaunches onto television. 

I will be writing a shooting script as we have already been theoretically been given the budget to make the product as we have already pitched so don't need a spec script. This means editing and shooting instructions and language will be used.

I will be writing a script for a promotional extract for the series in order to build interest for the series preempting its release. This script is written from a third person perspective following Jake as well as showing his POV briefly a few times. 

In this script the base scene will show Jake walking around their apartment and interacting/ viewing his friends however there will be flash backs and flash forwards to different scenes many times. 

I will be using the present tense in my action blocks and my dialogue will be written exactly how the character says it, using their slang and dialect as well as possibly speaking in different languages. Accents include: Leeds, Jamaican, London, Central asian/British. With modern British slang and local dialects used. No voice over will be seen in this script however there may be OS as many scenes will be overplayed in an audible overload psychedelic manner. 

To fit the format of a screenplay I will be using 12pt courier (minute per page) as well as aligning dialogue and action in the ways we are supposed to which I outlined in my script analysis e.g dialogue central. 

In this extract we meet all of the key characters seen throughout the season. 

P2 Developed Ideas

 In this section of P2 I chose two extract ideas from the previous section and looked at them in more detail, developing the ideas whilst looking at how I could present my idea, the characters involved etc. 

Idea 1 

This idea is a raw 15 minute extract from the middle of episode 5, packed with action and scenes but possibly not enough background info or character development. 

Idea 2

This idea uses the first 15 minutes of Ep1 as a base however there are flash forwards and alternate endings shown throughout as its's very psychedelic and a bit scary to show the side-effects of usual drugs right off the bat. Packing it with action and still showing enough info but not giving too much away because we give alternate possibilities. 

Summary/Choice 

I have chosen Idea 2 as the extract which I would like to create a script for because I think it is a much more effective idea in building interest for the program and would definitely better represent the characters and the experimental nature of the program. 

In relation to the brief I feel that this extract style will most appeal to a young audience due to the higher amounts of action but also because of the availability to involve emotive and relatable content. I'm also confident that this script will be more enjoyable to write and watch for 15 pages as it introduces the experimental aspect of this season. 

It will peak the interest of the audience by showing different possible endings for each character, all ending on cliffhangers to grip the audience as well as confuse them a bit so they want to watch in order to figure it out. 

It exhibits all the strongest parts of the plot alongside parts that aren't even in the plot, like dreams or possibilities. I believe this is fairly experimental and relates well to the nature of the program.