Script Terms and Abbreviations

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Willis Barry Ross
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1 Video Grammar Some people say that, unlike writing, video and film production don't have standardized grammar (e.g., conventions or structure). Although video has abandoned much of the grammar established by early filmmaking, even in this MTV, YouTube era we can use various techniques to add structure to formal productions. In dramatic productions, lap-dissolves (when two video sources overlap for a few seconds during the transition from one to the other) often signal a change in time or place. Fade-ins and fade-outs, which apply to both audio and video, can be likened to the beginning and end of book chapters. A fade-out consists of a two- or three-second transition from a full signal to black and silence. A fade-in is the reverse. Fade-ins and fade-outs often signal a major change or division in a production, such as a major passage of time. (But "often" is a long way from "always.") Traditionally, teleplays (television plays) and screenplays (film scripts) start with a fade-in and close with a fade-out. Although we don't focus on dramatic film scripts here, one film writer-producer told us about a saying he has taped over his desk: 'It's the story, stupid.' Script Terms and Abbreviations A number of terms and abbreviations are used in scriptwriting. Some describe camera movements. When the entire camera is moved toward or away from the subject, it's referred to as a dolly. A zoom, an optical version of a dolly, achieves somewhat the same effect. A script notation might say, "Camera zooms in for close-up of John" or "Camera zooms out to show John is not alone."

A lateral move is a truck. Note the illustration on the left. Some terms designate shots. Cuts or takes are instant transitions from one video source to another.

2 A lateral move is a truck. Note the illustration on the left. Some terms designate shots. Cuts or takes are instant transitions from one video source to another. In grammatical terms, shots can be likened to sentences where each shot is a visual statement. The cover shot or establishing shot are designated on a script by "wide-shot" (WS) or "long shot" (LS). Occasionally, the abbreviations XLS for extreme long shot or VLS for very long shot are used. These all can give the audience a basic orientation to the geography of a scene (i.e., who is standing where) after which you'll cut to closer shots. On small screen devices or in the relatively low-resolution medium of standard-definition television (SDTV), this type of shot is visually weak because important details aren't easy to see. Film and HDTV (high-definition television) don't have quite the same problem. Cover or establishing shots should be held only long enough to orient viewers to the relationship between major scene elements. (How close is the burning shed to the house?) Thereafter, they can be momentarily used as reminders or updates on scene changes as reestablishing shots. TV scripts are usually divided into audio and video columns, with shot designations in the left video column. So that you can see how some of these things come together, here are some sample scripts. Simple video script Dramatic film/video script format Commercial script News script Television and film scripts are available on the Internet for study. (See the section on Internet Resources at the end of this module.) You'll find the following shot designations relating to people: An LS (long shot) or FS (full shot) is a shot from the top of the head to the feet.

3 An MS (medium shot) is normally a shot from the waist up. (To save space, we've used a vertical rather than a horizontal format in this illustration.) An MCU (medium close-up) is a shot cropped between the shoulders and the belt line, rather than at the waist. A relatively straight-on CU (close-up) is the most desirable for interviews. Changing facial expressions, which are important to understanding a conversation, can easily be seen. XCUs are extreme close-ups. This type of shot is reserved for dramatic impact. The XCU may show just the eyes of an individual. With objects, an XCU is often necessary to reveal important detail. A two-shot or three-shot (2-S or 3-S) designates a shot of two or three people in one scene. The term subjective shot indicates that the audience (camera) will see what the character sees. It often indicates a handheld camera that follows a subject by walking or running. Subjective camera shots can add drama and frenzy to chase scenes. We sometimes indicate camera angles, such as bird's eye view, high angle, eye level, and low angle on scripts. A canted shot or Dutch angle shot (note photo on left) is tilted 25 to 45 degrees to one side, causing horizontal lines to run up or down hill. Although scriptwriters occasionally feel it necessary to indicate camera shots and angles on a script, this is an area that's best left to the director to decide. Even so, in dramatic scripts you may see the following terms: camera finds: the camera moves in on a particular portion of a scene camera goes with: the camera moves with a person or object reverse angle: a near 180-degree shift in camera position shot widens: signals a zoom or dolly back. We use a number of other abbreviations: EXT and INT: exterior and interior settings SOT (sound-on-tape): The voice, music, or background sound is from the audio track of a videotape.

4 SOF (sound-on-film): This is not much used anymore. Even if a production starts out on film, it's converted into a video recording before being "rolled into" a production VTR: videotape, videotape recording. Video and audiotape have now been largely replaced by computer disks and solid-state memory VO (voice over): narration heard at higher volume than music or background sound OSV (off-screen voice): voice from a person not visible to the audience MIC: microphone (pronounced "mike") POV (point of view). Dramatic scripts may indicate that a shot will be seen from the point of view of a particular actor. OS (over-the-shoulder shot): The picture shows the back of a person's head and possibly one shoulder with the main subject in the distance facing the camera. This is also designated as O/S and X/S. ANNCR: announcer KEY: electronic overlay of titles, credits or other video sources over background video SFX or F/X (special effects/visual effects): audio special effects (audio FX) or video special effects; altering normal audio and video, generally to achieve some dramatic effect With this basic background, we'll turn to some "bottom line" considerations in the next module. *After a 50-year career in broadcast news, David Brinkley died in June 2003, a few weeks before his 83rd birthday. He and his TV news co-anchor, Chet Huntley, are credited with establishing the popularity and credibility of TV news in the United States. Mr. Brinkley had to give up covering presidential candidates because he was so recognizable that when he accompanied the candidate, more people would gather around him than the candidate. Noted for his sage observations, he once pointed out that history provides many examples of generals seizing power and putting journalists in jail. But it provides no examples of reporters seizing power and

5 putting generals in jail.

Visual Storytelling, Shot Styles and Composition

Pre-Production 1.2 Visual Storytelling, Shot Styles and Composition Objectives: Students will know/be able to >> Understand the role of shot styles, camera movement, and composition in telling a story