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There are two new posts, which finishes the ghost story.
Here is the new posting http://www.theresachaze.com/files/days3-20-09.pdf
This is the final chapter in the ghost story.http://www.theresachaze.com/files/days3-21-09.pdf
There will be one more special posting soon.
However, if you are just starting to read the script, you will want to start at the next link in order to understand the plots. This is what I previously posted on the NBC Days boards not all of the posting are in the current proper format. However the posts at the bottom are in the format that I will be submitting to other soaps in hope of getting a writing gig.
http://geocities.com/tirgana/daysofourlives.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/Days10-16.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days10-26-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days10-31-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days11-2-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days11-15-08.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/Days12-2-08.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/Days12-8-08.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/day12-14-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days12-30-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/easternguardian/days1-20-09
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/days2-16-09.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/Days3-8-09.pdf
Here's the deal. I am cleaning up and formatting the script that I have already posted into the correct format. I will be using it as resume material to get a writing gig on one of the other soaps. Although much of it will be familiar who have been keeping up, there have been a reshuffling of the scenes as well as some tweaking. Originally, I put little effort into the scrip, especially in the beginning. This better reflects me as a professional writer. However, since the program I am using doesn't have a spell check, there may still be some typos. If you see any, please let me know in the comments section. Thanks.
Episode on:
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/DOOLepione.pdf
Episode two: http://www.theresachaze.com/files/dayseptwo.pdf
If you like what you are reading and would like me to take over as head writer, please contact the following:
Corday Productions Fax number
818)840-4968
Production phone number: 818-295-2820
Sony Pictures owns the rights to Days
Michael Lynton
Chairman & CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Amy Pascal
Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment
12102 West Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232-3195
Phone: (310) 244-4000
Fax: (310) 244-2626
another phone line: 310-244-5722
NBC
NBCUNI.COM FEEDBACK
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
The GE Building at Rockefeller Plaza is NBC's corporate headquarters\
Phone: 212-664-4444. Fax: 212-664-4085
GE information
Jeffrey Immelt, CEO
General Electric Company
3135 Easton Turnpike
Fairfield, CT 06828
(203) 373-2211
Showing posts with label soap opera script. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soap opera script. Show all posts
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Days of Our Lives--No longer just a One Soap Opera Blog
Some of you will notice that I changed the title to my blog. There is a reason. Although I love Days of Our Lives very much, after January 23 I will no longer be watching it. It was a very difficult to decision to make. I have been watching since nearly the beginning. I have grown up with many of the characters. Alice and Tom Horton were as near and dear to me as my own grandparents. The romance, suspense and humor was a constant in my life; unfortunately, that show has been missing for a long time. For nearly two years, Days hasn't been the show that I loved. The writing has rapidly degraded into to being nothing more than soft porn. Favorite characters have been dismissed, rewritten to be shadows of their former selves, and ignored. There hasn't been an actually storyline for over a year. The firing of Dee and Drake for me was the finally straw. The ratings prove that I am not the only one who misses the good old Days.
In April, I started writing alternative storylines in protest to the bad writing. It started as a way to embarrass the writers to doing their job. However, it became so popular that I not only kept it going, but applied for the head writer gig. In hind sight, I'm not surprised that I didn't get taken seriously. At best the application was amateurish; at worse, just plain wrong. If there was another mistake I could have done, I certainly can't think of it. Anyway, the past is the past. I would still like the head writer gig, but at this rate it would be a temp job. Instead, I'm going to edit the script for format and style, bringing it into industry standards. After which, I'm going to apply to the other soaps for a paying gig on the staff. With Days, I know the history and the characters; but I'm a quick study. With a little help from the actors, I can catch up.
In April, I started writing alternative storylines in protest to the bad writing. It started as a way to embarrass the writers to doing their job. However, it became so popular that I not only kept it going, but applied for the head writer gig. In hind sight, I'm not surprised that I didn't get taken seriously. At best the application was amateurish; at worse, just plain wrong. If there was another mistake I could have done, I certainly can't think of it. Anyway, the past is the past. I would still like the head writer gig, but at this rate it would be a temp job. Instead, I'm going to edit the script for format and style, bringing it into industry standards. After which, I'm going to apply to the other soaps for a paying gig on the staff. With Days, I know the history and the characters; but I'm a quick study. With a little help from the actors, I can catch up.
Formatting Soap Opera Scripts
Formatting Soap Opera Scripts
In style, television and movie script are similar; however, television programs must format around commercials and station identification. While movies contain a full hour of entertainment, broadcast television is broken down into approximately 22 minutes of entertainment and 8 minutes of commercials per half hour.
Most one hour shows have six 2.02 minute breaks with two 1.34, which fall at the top and bottom of the hour. Generally this leaves 22 minutes per half hour for the actual show, which is broken down further into the teaser/open, three acts and bottom of the hour teaser/bridge for the local break. The second half hour also has three acts, but it is ended with a teaser/closing credits and the top of the hour break.
Whether starting at the top or bottom of the hour, the initial segment, contains the show teaser and opening; its run time varies between 2-4 minutes in length. The following three acts divide the remaining entertainment time between them without any set length; however, most stations, especially during ratings, identify themselves within a two minute margin at the quarter hour; therefore, there is usually a break written in to accommodate this standard. The second half hour also begins with a teaser, which identifies the show and the network, and is followed by a local commercial with identification. Most shows end with a 2-4 minute teaser of the next episode and the ending credits with another local break following.
Unless you have a talent that milks their part, usually one page of script equals one minute of air time. This generality helps the writer pace the storyline and time the scenes to maximize the suspense in order to hold the audience’s attention through the commercial breaks. By splitting the action between multiply scenes to create mini cliffhangers, the writer suspends the action in order to height the drama and prevent channel surfing. It is also how a creative writer creates an effective end of an episode cliffhanger to torment the viewers into returning to see what happens to their favorite characters.
Format for one hour television script
2-4 minutes teaser and show open
2.02 minute commercial break
Act 1
2.02 minute commercial break
Act 2
2.02 minute commercial break
Act 3
1:34 minute commercial break
20 second teaser- 10 seconds from each half hour
1:34 bottom of the hour local break
Act 4
2.02 minute commercial break
Act 5
2.02 minute commercial break
Act 6
2.02 minute commercial break
2-4 tag and end credits
1:34 local top of the hour break
No doubt many of you are asking why the script I have been writing for Days doesn’t meet this industry standard. Very simple. There are two reasons. When I started, it was a protest that I never thought would go any where. Originally I was going to write a few scenes to embarrass the writers into their job. However, I received so much positive feedback that I just kept going. Secondly, a major of my script writing experience was for the stage and screen. Even then, it had been a while since I worked on a long project. My information was not only dated, but I had forgotten a few little details. The new scenes will be in the correct format. I’ve also started the process of reformatting and restructuring the rest to not only meet the industry standards but to also put it into episodes. During the process a few scenes will have to be tweaked, but it will give me a chance to improve them as well. Although I knew how I wanted the storylines to unfold, everything that I have posted still qualifies for first draft status. The reality is that I had put little effort into the project yet it was still be better than the so called professionals; hat do you think I could do if I actually put work it to the project?
In style, television and movie script are similar; however, television programs must format around commercials and station identification. While movies contain a full hour of entertainment, broadcast television is broken down into approximately 22 minutes of entertainment and 8 minutes of commercials per half hour.
Most one hour shows have six 2.02 minute breaks with two 1.34, which fall at the top and bottom of the hour. Generally this leaves 22 minutes per half hour for the actual show, which is broken down further into the teaser/open, three acts and bottom of the hour teaser/bridge for the local break. The second half hour also has three acts, but it is ended with a teaser/closing credits and the top of the hour break.
Whether starting at the top or bottom of the hour, the initial segment, contains the show teaser and opening; its run time varies between 2-4 minutes in length. The following three acts divide the remaining entertainment time between them without any set length; however, most stations, especially during ratings, identify themselves within a two minute margin at the quarter hour; therefore, there is usually a break written in to accommodate this standard. The second half hour also begins with a teaser, which identifies the show and the network, and is followed by a local commercial with identification. Most shows end with a 2-4 minute teaser of the next episode and the ending credits with another local break following.
Unless you have a talent that milks their part, usually one page of script equals one minute of air time. This generality helps the writer pace the storyline and time the scenes to maximize the suspense in order to hold the audience’s attention through the commercial breaks. By splitting the action between multiply scenes to create mini cliffhangers, the writer suspends the action in order to height the drama and prevent channel surfing. It is also how a creative writer creates an effective end of an episode cliffhanger to torment the viewers into returning to see what happens to their favorite characters.
Format for one hour television script
2-4 minutes teaser and show open
2.02 minute commercial break
Act 1
2.02 minute commercial break
Act 2
2.02 minute commercial break
Act 3
1:34 minute commercial break
20 second teaser- 10 seconds from each half hour
1:34 bottom of the hour local break
Act 4
2.02 minute commercial break
Act 5
2.02 minute commercial break
Act 6
2.02 minute commercial break
2-4 tag and end credits
1:34 local top of the hour break
No doubt many of you are asking why the script I have been writing for Days doesn’t meet this industry standard. Very simple. There are two reasons. When I started, it was a protest that I never thought would go any where. Originally I was going to write a few scenes to embarrass the writers into their job. However, I received so much positive feedback that I just kept going. Secondly, a major of my script writing experience was for the stage and screen. Even then, it had been a while since I worked on a long project. My information was not only dated, but I had forgotten a few little details. The new scenes will be in the correct format. I’ve also started the process of reformatting and restructuring the rest to not only meet the industry standards but to also put it into episodes. During the process a few scenes will have to be tweaked, but it will give me a chance to improve them as well. Although I knew how I wanted the storylines to unfold, everything that I have posted still qualifies for first draft status. The reality is that I had put little effort into the project yet it was still be better than the so called professionals; hat do you think I could do if I actually put work it to the project?
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