Scriptwriting

Lecture 02
Danish Maqsood
 Lecture 01:

Introduction to Scriptwriting. Important Terms

etc.
Drama/Shows Categories
Soap:
A daily drama is known as soap or soap opera.
E.g.: K-Dramas from India. (Mon-Thu, Mon-Fri etc)
Serial:
A drama that airs once in a week.
E.g.: Baaghi, Aisi Hai Tanhai etc.
Tele-film:
A one hour or plus drama made for TV. The script is usually like a movie. In the
western world, the term used for telefilm is ‘TV Movie’.
Drama Categories
Sitcom:
A comedy drama that airs once in a week and has a bunch of stock characters. In
each episode, the storyline is a bit different but the main cast remains the same.
Sitcoms usually revolves around a certain setting.
E.g.: Shaadi Ka Laado, Bulbulay, Dolly Darling etc.
Satire:
Satire is a genre of literature, and sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which
vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the
intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into
improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose
is often constructive social criticism, using wit to draw attention to both particular
and wider issues in society.
E.g.: Hum Sab Umeed Se Hain etc.
Drama/Shows Categories
Reality Shows/Television:
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents supposedly
unscripted real-life situations, and often features an otherwise unknown cast of
individuals who are typically not professional actors, although in some
shows celebrities may participate. It differs from documentary television in that the
focus tends to be on drama, personal conflict, and entertainment rather than
educating viewers. An early term for the format was docu-soap
Talk Show:
A talk show or chat show is a television programming or radio programming genre
in which one person (or group of people) discusses various topics put forth by a talk
show host.
E.g.: Ellen Degeneres Show etc.
Drama/Shows Categories
Game Show:
A game show is a type of radio, television, or stage show in which contestants,
individually or as teams, play a game which involves answering questions or
solving puzzles, usually for money or prizes. Alternatively, a gameshow can be a
demonstrative program about a game (while usually retaining the spirit of an awards
ceremony).

E.g.: KBC, Jeeto Pakistan

Some Important Terms from the Film World
Reboot
A reboot is a movie that has discarded all continuity in an established series in order
to recreate its characters, timeline, and backstory from the beginning. Sony rebooted
its Spider-Man franchise with The Amazing Spider-Man movies and have now
partnered with Marvel to do it again.

Remake
A remake is a movie that is based on a pre-existing movie’s script. You’ll often see
these come from the studios due to the fact that a remake already has a pre-
determined audience and doesn’t need to be marketed as much — as far as concept,
story, characters, etc. Or the previous movie underperformed, but the concept and/or
source material is worth exploring once again.
Some Important Terms from the Film World
Sequel
A sequel is a literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues
the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of
a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same fictional
universe as an earlier work, usually chronologically following the events of that
work.
Stand-alone Sequels
When a work is set in the same universe, yet has very little if any narrative
connection to its predecessors and can be appreciated on its own without a thorough
understanding of the backstory, then the work can be referred to as a stand-alone
sequel. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood
Orchid, Final Destination 3 and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle are examples of
stand-alone sequels.
Some Important Terms from the Film World
Prequel:
A prequel is a literary, dramatic, or filmic work whose story precedes that of a
previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A
prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
All "prequels" are, by definition, essentially sequels in that they "expand on
a previous or preceding work." The term is a 20th-century neologism that is
a portmanteau of the prefix "pre-" (from Latin prae, "before") and "sequel".
FIVE ACT PLAY
Stephen Jay Gould presents the story of the revision of interpretation of the Burgess
Shale in the format of a five act play. What is he getting at, what is he implying by
this? The format of 5 acts is familiar from Shakespeare, and is grounded in the
concepts of unity in Aristotle's Poetics. Scholars have analyzed the five act
structure, notably Gustav Freytag who described a "pyramidal" structure, with Act
3 at the apex. Here is what to expect from the various acts:
• Act 1 -- Exposition. We meet the dramatis personae, and time and place are
established. We learn about the antecedents of the story. Attention is directed
toward the germ of conflict and dramatic tensions.
• Act 2 -- Complications. The course of action becomes more complicated, the
"tying of knots" takes place. Interests clash, intrigues are spawned, events
accelerate in a definite direction. Tension mounts, and momentum builds up.
FIVE ACT PLAY
• Act 3 -- The Climax of Action. The development of conflict reaches its high point,
the Hero stands at the crossroads, leading to victory or defeat, crashing or soaring.
• Act 4 -- Falling Action. Reversals. The consequences of Act 3 play out,
momentum slows, and tension is heightened by false hopes/fears. If it's a tragedy,
it looks like the Hero can be saved. If not, then it looks like all may be lost.
• Act 5 -- Catastrophe. The conflict is resolved, whether through a catastrophe, the
downfall of the hero, or through his victory and transfiguration.
FIVE ACT PLAY
CLASS ASSIGNMENT NO.2
Prepare a storyline or plot using the five act structure.
CLASS ASSIGNMENT NO.3
Write dialogues between two characters.