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While there are important readers of a media script, ultimately the viewing or user experience supercedes the written word. The target audience has a sight and sound viewing or interactive experience.
Media Script Definition
A script is the written description of a chronological sequence of events, describing sounds, pictures, and ideas using media production terminology.
This definition emphasizes that the media script is destined to become action seen and heard on screen. That experience unfolds in time and space.
In writing motion picture scripts, visualization is largely written in master scene descriptions. Writers are actively discouraged from "directing" the film on the page with shot-by-shot camera descriptions. In the motion picture industry, the writer's contribution focuses on storytelling. Master scenes are broken down into production scripts as part of the pre-production process.
In media writing for business and educational programming, however, it's a different story. Subject matter is often technical. In researching content, the writer gains insight and knowledge that the director will not possess. For this reason, many media scripts go well beyond master scene descriptions.
Writers often use shot-by-shot camera descriptions (Long Shot, Medium Shot, Close-Up, for example) because the script serves as a roadmap or blueprint for the production crew. The script is literally a set of instructions on how to make the viewing experience.
This doesn't mean things won't change based on the director's interpretation or shooting logistics. And the master scene will still predominate for formats such as interviews or dramatizations. But especially when writing visuals to correspond with off-camera narration, scripts with shot-by-shot camera or graphic descriptions are the rule.
Visuals are cued to precise audio events. And there must be interplay between what viewers see and hear. The two function synergistically in a media script. Writing narration without pictures in mind results in a speech-not a sight and sound viewing experience.
So when writing for educational and business programs, the writer frequently does create a shooting script. More on shooting script formats and writing for the "eye" and "ear" in future columns.
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