Treatments, storyboards, scripts—professional
video makers employ all these forms of program
development, sometimes mixing and matching
them as needed. For example, a program may be
documented completely in script form, which is
supplemented by storyboards of action sequences
or other activities that demand precise visual
pre-planning.
When you make fairly short, simple
programs, it is usually enough to write down
your concept, develop a narrative treatment
that covers the major components of your video,
and perhaps storyboard critical sequences for
camera angles and continuity. As your productions
grow in scope and complexity, you will probably
move up to fully scripted programs, with or
without more extensive storyboarding.
Whatever form or forms you choose, the result
is the blueprint from which you create your
video program.
Storyboards or Scripts: Which
Method Is Best?
Professional Scripting Software
Several word processing programs are designed
exclusively to simplify script writing. Though there
is no production industry standard, the most widely
used software is Final Draft®, which is available
in two different versions: a screenplay version
for fiction scripts and an AV version for scripts
demanding two-column format. Final Draft has
two big advantages: it has pre-formatted styles
for each type of paragraph, and its smart typing
function remembers character names and standard
commands. For example, if you have a character
named Alexander, the second time you start to
enter the name in a “character” paragraph, as soon
as you type Al the program offers to enter exander
automatically. If you also have a character named
Albert, the program first offers you both names to
choose from by clicking one. If you then type “a
b,” it offers just Albert. Since script writing involves
so much repetitive typing, this feature saves a
great amount of time. The same is true of scene
locations and standard transitions.
Final Draft Screenplay
The figure below calls out the standard formatted
paragraphs used by Final Draft. These include:
●
A—Character name (always capitalized
automatically)
●
B—Parentheses for short descriptions of the
speech below.
●
C—Dialogue
●
D—Action
●
E—Transition
●
F—Script header
●
G—Scene description (also all-caps)
The black line indicates a page break.
Parts of two typical Final Draft screenplay pages.
(Final Draft)
172 Video Digital Communication & Production