D1 Met the requirements?

M1 Script Conventions

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. 

P2 Initial Ideas

 The Brief    (scroll down for initial ideas) 

Immediate response 

This is our brief for UNIT 22 which asks us to create a script based on our UNIT 21 TV drama idea. We have been asked to script 10-15 minutes of the script, which if formatted correctly should equate to 10-15 A4 pages (1 min per page) including probably around 4 scenes - unless I decide to take a different approach. This means I will be looking at my episode breakdown which I created from my drama in order to find an episode I find most interesting where I could create a captivating 15 min extract. 

 Target audience 

To fit BBC3’s brief, this programme will be aimed a 16-21 year olds because the BBC would like to encourage a younger audience’s interest in the channel when it is released back on TV in 2022. The target audience will be unisex and the program will feature problems and characters relevant to both genders and although sexuality is not a key theme it will be outlined briefly through character relationships. The programme will be targeted at UK viewers primarily in the North as it will mainly be shot in Yorkshire but feature some scenes in London and around the UK. To emphasise this UK target audience the characters will be British and possible British traditions will be outlined. These characters will be very diverse in ethnicity as this will better represent the UK’s multiculturalism and broaden the audience. 

Purpose of product 

This project would satisfy two of Bulmer and Katz’s reasons that people consume media. The first being escapism/diversion – audiences seeking pure entertainment and thrill. This is a key purpose of TV dramas typically and my programme would satisfy this by having fast paced action scenes, engaging character arcs (to slightly satisfy the identification purpose,) interesting mis–en–scene and soundtrack. The other main purpose of this programme would be surveillance – it would serve to educate viewers about racial conflict, sexism, manipulation and climate change. It would also educate the viewer about the pros and cons of drug use as well as highlighting the conflict between young and old regarding drug use and race. Similar to extremely successful tv dramas in recent years such as Killing Eve and Line of Duty, this programme would also approach the topics of police and government corruption in order to build public understanding and encourage further thinking from the older generations about these organisations – possibly reflecting on the major protests in the past couple years.

Script type 

This script will be a shooting script as opposed to a spec script because we have already been given the green light to create this drama. This means including shot types, SFX, everything. 

What is most important? / set -up or cliffhanger? 

This small extract would be intended to get further backing for the programme meaning it has to captivate the viewer and build interest which means choosing an episode or part of the episode packed with action and relatability. This might mean avoiding slow paced set up episodes however they do feature important plot lines. 

Extract ideas 

In this mind-map and following table I briefly look at 6 different ideas for 15 minute extracts of my TV drama which I could write a script for.

Extract 1-  Ep1, 00:00-15:00. This is the very first extract of the entire show and is very slow paced whilst introducing each of the characters and their relationships to each other. It is set in an apartment in Leeds featuring all of the student characters. 

Extract 2- Ep2, 45:00-60:00. This is the end 15 minutes of the first episodes and gives us more insight into the drug that Ini is creating and ends with him successfully creating and testing it as they all celebrate. 

Extract 3- Ep3, 25:00-40:00. At this point in the plot the distribution and popularity of the drug is increasing which means that there is lots more action. In addition, this is when the narrative splits and we see the police perspective. 

Extract 4- Ep4, 45:00-60:00. At this point in the plot the drug is gaining international attention and this is when the main characters goes into hiding in the countryside whilst the police are building more evidence and catching more people. 

Extract 5- Ep5, 20:00-35:00. In this extract the main character is really deteriorating mentally whilst still in hiding as one of his former closest friends is caught and the police move closer to catching him. 

Extract 6- Ep6, 45:00-60:00. This is the very last 15 minutes of the season and ends with the main character being arrested by the police in an airport returning from a trip to Spain to talk with suppliers. Ends on that as a cliffhanger. 

P1 Script types and Job roles

 Script types / script analysis  

Job roles 

Here is quick outline of the different roles involved in creating a media product, looking at each roles' responsibilities, skills and most importantly how they use the script.