a narrative TV show is nothing without a good script don't ever tell me what I can't do ever while scripts for television have some overlap with feature screenplays there are many crucial differences so what goes into a TV script and how is it formatted this is anatomy of a screenplay part three before we start surfing channels remember to subscribe to Studio binder and click the Bell to stay updated on all our videos what is all this now let's turn our attention to the small screen for most of the 20th century there were self-evident differences between television and film with the rise of prestige TV however the two mediums have begun to look much more similar but the differences between TV and film Scripts still largely exist to this day of course there are exceptions to many of the television writing rules will outline but in this video we will cover the best practices the most professional TV writers adhere to it is important for any writer to understand these rules first they allow a writer to better understand the pacing of different television genres second t TV writers are often considered for jobs by writing a spec episode of a series and they need to have the correct style and format to Showcase they understand the show and its conventions there are two different production approaches in television single camera which more closely resembles film by shooting with one camera and multi- Camera which shoots with several cameras in front of a live audience oh my God what let's begin with single camera formatting by and large most television scripts for single camera shows have similar layouts to Features both film and TV for example follow an act structure but in television scripts this act structure is typically delineated more overtly with act brakes this is because act Brakes in television also operate as commercial Brakes in the script a writer will note when an act begins and ends the formatting varies but usually these brakes are in all caps bolded and underlined sometimes centered on the page no no look we're trying to decontaminate to Mark The End end of an act the writer will write end of act followed by the ACT number there are exceptions to the ACT rule many shows today will not have to be broken up for commercials and this has resulted in many TV writers abandoning the clear delineation of Acts this can be seen in The Duffer Brothers script for The Stranger Things pilot which even though it contains the ACT beats reads more like a feature than an episode of [Music] Television a TV script may include shorter sequences at the beginning or end of an episode a short sequence at the opening of an episode is called a teaser or cold open usually a teaser is for dramas and a cold open is for comedies but both serve to Peak an audience's interest pick up pick up pick up pick up they are marked just like an act in the script centered bolded and underlined with teaser or cold open in the beginning and end of Cold open or teaser at the end the IT Tech Guy and me did not get off to a great start a short isolated sequence at the very end of an episode is called a tag which is marked in the same way though it usually ends with end of show in a comedy a tag serves to get in one last joke on the next Arrested Development George Michael gets a new roommate in a drama it may be a cliffhanger let's go to work scripts for half hour episodes should generally be around 25 to 35 Pages this rule can be bent both ways for example the pilot for the last man on Earth is only 2 Pages while the pilot for vep is 45 as these examples illustrate series written for services with commercials will typically be on the shorter side our long episodes of course are longer usually Landing between 45 to 65 Pages again this length is affected by whether or not the episode will break for commercials tell me kid am I ly I got to go there is one form of Television that takes a very different approach to page length and layout let's look at multicamera formatting multicam series are shot very differently from their single camera counterparts fine by me these shows are shot in front of a live audience and utilize multiple cameras to capture scenes in their totality as a result the format for multicam Series has much more in common with theater acts are presented in uppercase and underlined centered on the page the scene is then usually demarcated with a letter also underlined the scene heading looks simil ilar to single camera scripts except they include the story day number in parenthesis a story day refers to what day it is within The Narrative of the show marking it allows the crew to more easily maintain continuity from scene to scene if it's a different day characters will wear different clothes I've rarely seen these students so engaged there again I've rarely seen these students I really should pop into class more often the scene or act number numbers are also often marked under the page number in the top right corner often at the beginning of each scene the characters included are listed in parentheses any action is then written in all caps sound effects within the action are underlined and so are characters dialogue meanwhile is double spaced this unique formatting makes multicam scripts much longer a half hour comedy will run around 50 50 to 60 pages with formatting out of the way let's look at how different types of Television are structured we have to go back as is evident in its formatting television often has a more rigid structure than film but this structure differs depending on the style of TV you are writing narrative TV can be broken up into four types serialized drama episodic drama Dr multicam sitcom and single cam sitcom serialized dramas use each episode to tell a larger overarching story examples include Madmen pose the wire and Game of Thrones this form of TV typically breaks the script into four acts in act one we are introduced to the normal world and its characters which is shaken up at the end of the act in act two the protagonist gets acquainted with a new normal you understood what I've just said to you yes lung cancer inoperable in act three the protagonist makes a crucial decision to get them through this new normal I'm thinking maybe you and I could partner up you want to cook crystal math act four finds resolution but also typically acts as a cliffhanger pressing problems may have been resolved but there are other larger obstacles on the horizon episodic dramas have a five act structure along with a teaser I bet you've never even drawn your weapon yeah I hope by never have to Nick walk this guy out the door now let's go these hourong shows have self-contained story lines from episode to episode they call it speed dating owner says our victim had 15 dates well you know what they say Frank speed kills like Law and Order house or NCIS I'm not afraid to die I will slit her [Music] throat in the the audience is presented with the problem that has to be solved by the end of the episode in a crime show this is the crime in medical dramas this is the [Music] patient in Act One the primary characters learn about the problem often seeing it may not be as simple as they thought death row guy I want the case act two is typically where a problem becomes personal for a character exactly I'm black I sympathize with guys who grew up in the inner city kept down by the man makes sense to me in act three the stakes are raised forcing the protagonists to make difficult [Applause] decisions act four is where the characters sustain major setbacks when a good person dies there should be an impact on the world somebody should notice somebody should be UPS set and act five is where a solution is found that tumor caused random shots of adrenaline which obviously led to the rage attacks that made him become a murderer in the first place my God you're right though they look different multi-cam and single cam sitcoms can have similar structures this is the magic trick huh illusion Michael trick is something a does from money or candy depending on the number of commercial brakes they need sitcoms can have between two to four acts surprise got Parks and Recreation uses three acts the First Act introduces us to the world well I've worked at the parks department for 6 years and I've handled a lot of things that I'm proud of and ends with a problem this pit the chance to build a whole new park from scratch this this could be my Hoover Dam in the second act the characters try to solve the problem and the entire government of pony would like to let you know that we will do everything we can to help you and in the third act they find resolution I am going to make a vow now that I will do whatever it takes to get this pit filled in no matter the structure acts all typically end on a note that makes you want to keep watching and an episode ends on a note that makes you want to start the next one I Ross I Ross Take the Emily take the Rachel Emily Emily television is evolving rapidly and the formatting and structure Norms in place are constantly adapting in the end like with any kind of screenplay Clarity is King start writing your TV script with Studio binder screenwriting software goodbye for now and this is the end of our tag is that enough of a reference for you and Michael finds it difficult to get his father out of jail you love it here a I'm having the time of my life hey people