Writing for Visual Media

Writing for Visual Media

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Writing for Visual Media

Third Edition

Anthony Friedmann

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Friedmann , Anthony.

Writing for visual media / Anthony Friedmann. — 3rd ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-240-81235-9 (alk. paper)

1. Mass media — Authorship. 2. Visual communication. I. Title.

P96.A86F75 2010

808 ’ .066302 — dc22

2009046287

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN : 978-0-240-81235-9

Forinformation on all Focal Press publications

visit our website at www.elsevierdirect.com

10 11 12 13 14 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the United States of America

v

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION ........................................................................................ xv

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION ..........................................................................................xvii

INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................xxi

WHAT’S ON THE WEBSITE ......................................................................................................xxvii

PART 1 Defi ning the Problem

CHAPTER 1 Describing one medium through another ......................................................3

Writing not to be read but to be made .................................................................................3

Writing, producing, and directing ........................................................................................4

Moving from being a viewer to being a creator ..................................................................6

The producer cannot read your mind...................................................................................6

Instructions to the production crew .....................................................................................7

What is the role of a scriptwriter? ........................................................................................7

The “Script” writer is a new kind of writer .................................................................8

What is visual writing? .........................................................................................................9

Meta-writing ........................................................................................................................11

Where do we go from here? ................................................................................................12

Differences compared to stage plays .................................................................................12

Writing with dialogue .........................................................................................................12

Writing without dialogue ....................................................................................................13

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................15

CHAPTER 2 A seven-step method for developing a creative concept ............................17

Step 1: Defi ne the communication problem ......................................................................18

Ivy college: An admissions video .......................................................................................19

American Express: American travel in Europe .................................................................20

PSA for battered women .....................................................................................................20

Shell gas international .........................................................................................................21

Contents

vi

Step 2: Defi ne the target audience .....................................................................................23

Information overload ....................................................................................................24

Demographics ......................................................................................................................25

Age ................................................................................................................................25

Gender ...........................................................................................................................25

Race and ethnic origin .................................................................................................26

Education ......................................................................................................................26

Income ...........................................................................................................................26

Psychographics ....................................................................................................................27

Emotion .........................................................................................................................28

Attitude .........................................................................................................................29

Step 3: Defi ne the objective ................................................................................................30

Step 4: Defi ne the strategy .................................................................................................32

Attention Span ..............................................................................................................32

Step 5: Defi ne the content ..................................................................................................33

Step 6: Defi ne the appropriate medium .............................................................................34

Step 7: Create the concept ..................................................................................................35

A concept for an antismoking PSA .....................................................................................39

The communication problem .......................................................................................40

The target audience .....................................................................................................40

The objective ................................................................................................................40

The strategy ..................................................................................................................40

The content ...................................................................................................................40

The medium ..................................................................................................................40

The concept ...................................................................................................................40

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................41

CHAPTER 3 The stages of script development ................................................................43

Background research and investigation ............................................................................44

Interviewing ..................................................................................................................46

Location research .........................................................................................................48

Brainstorming and freeing your imagination ....................................................................49

Concept .................................................................................................................................49

A concept for a PSA: Smoked to death .......................................................................50

Pitching .........................................................................................................................50

Treatment ......................................................................................................................51

A treatment for a PSA: Smoked to death ...................................................................51

First draft script ...................................................................................................................52

A fi rst draft script for a PSA: Smoked to death .................................................................52

Voice narration and dialogue ..............................................................................................54

Contents

Contents vii

Revision ................................................................................................................................55

Final draft .............................................................................................................................56

Shooting script .....................................................................................................................56

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................57

CHAPTER 4 Describing sight and sound ..........................................................................59

Describing time and place ..................................................................................................60

Describing action .................................................................................................................61

Describing the camera frame or the shot ..........................................................................62

Describing camera movement .....................................................................................64

Describing graphics and effects .........................................................................................64

Describing transitions between shots ...............................................................................65

Describing sound .................................................................................................................66

Writing for voice ...........................................................................................................67

Format for radio ............................................................................................................67

Shot, scene, and sequence ..................................................................................................69

Finding a format for the page .............................................................................................69

Master scene script .............................................................................................................70

Dual-column format .............................................................................................................71

Storyboard ............................................................................................................................73

TV studio multi-camera script .....................................................................................73

News anchor script format ..................................................................................................75

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................76

PART 2 Solving Communication Problems with Visual Media

CHAPTER 5 Ads and PSAs: Copywriting for visual media ..............................................79

Copywriting versus scriptwriting ......................................................................................80

Client needs and priorities ..................................................................................................81

The 20-, 30-, and 60-Second miniscripts ............................................................................81

Visual writing .......................................................................................................................82

Devices to capture audience attention ..............................................................................83

Defi ne the creative idea or concept ....................................................................................84

More on ADS and PSAs .......................................................................................................89

Humor ............................................................................................................................90

Shock..............................................................................................................................91

Suspense .......................................................................................................................92

Drama ............................................................................................................................92

Kids ................................................................................................................................92

Testimonial ....................................................................................................................93

viii Contents

Special effects ......................................................................................................................94

Sexuality ........................................................................................................................95

Recruiting the audience as a character .............................................................................95

Writing for audio and radio .................................................................................................96

Infomercials ..........................................................................................................................96

Video news releases ............................................................................................................97

Billboards and transportation Ads .....................................................................................97

Advertising on the world wide web ................................................................................100

Formats ...............................................................................................................................102

Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................102

CHAPTER 6 Corporate communications: Selling, telling, training, and promoting ......105

Video versus print media or interactive media ...............................................................106

Video as a corporate communications tool ......................................................................106

Corporate television ..........................................................................................................107

Training, instruction, and education ................................................................................108

Formative evaluation .................................................................................................109

Summative evaluation ................................................................................................109

Focus groups ......................................................................................................................110

Questionnaires ...................................................................................................................110

Typical corporate communication problems ...................................................................110

Getting background and product knowledge .................................................................113

Using subject matter experts ...........................................................................................114

Devices for video exposition .............................................................................................114

Show and tell ......................................................................................................................114

Job and task description ...................................................................................................115

Educational/instructional use of video ............................................................................116

How-to-do-it videos ...........................................................................................................116

Interactive applications .....................................................................................................117

Other corporate uses of media .........................................................................................117

Meetings with a visual focus ............................................................................................118

Devices that teach and entertain .....................................................................................119

Devices that work for corporate messages .....................................................................119

Dramatization..............................................................................................................120

Humor ..........................................................................................................................122

Visual metaphor ..........................................................................................................123

Narrators and anchors on camera .............................................................................125

Television formats ......................................................................................................126

Documentary ...............................................................................................................126

Vox pops ......................................................................................................................127

Logical argument in documentary narrative ............................................................128

Contents ix

Graphics ......................................................................................................................129

Visual seduction .........................................................................................................129

Interview .....................................................................................................................130

Case histories .............................................................................................................130

The story of a day .......................................................................................................131

Writing the corporate treatment ......................................................................................131

Script formats for corporate videos ..................................................................................132

Length, pacing, and corporate style ................................................................................132

Writing voice commentary ................................................................................................132

Developing the script with client input ...........................................................................133

Selling creative ideas .........................................................................................................133

Working with budget limitations .....................................................................................134

Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................134

CHAPTER 7 Documentary and nonfi ction narrative .......................................................137

Documentary comes fi rst ..................................................................................................137

Truth or fi ction ...................................................................................................................140

Scripted and unscripted approaches................................................................................142

Research and formulating a theme ..................................................................................143

What is the role of the writer? ..........................................................................................143

The proposal ...............................................................................................................144

The treatment .............................................................................................................144

Types of documentary technique .....................................................................................144

Reportage ....................................................................................................................144

Observation .................................................................................................................144

Interviews ...................................................................................................................145

Investigative documentary ........................................................................................145

Narrative documentary ..............................................................................................146

Dramatized documentary...........................................................................................146

Expository documentary ............................................................................................147

Propaganda .................................................................................................................147

Other documentary applications ......................................................................................148

Expedition documentary ............................................................................................148

Travel documentary ...................................................................................................148

Documentaries about the making of feature fi lms...................................................149

Wildlife documentary .................................................................................................149

Current affairs features ..............................................................................................149

Writing commentaries .......................................................................................................149

Narrative voice-over and postproduction .................................................................149

Wall-to-wall commentary ...........................................................................................150

Commentary counterpoint and commentary anchors .............................................150

x Contents

Dual commentators .....................................................................................................150

Commentary clichés ....................................................................................................151

On-camera/Off-camera combinations........................................................................151

Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................152

PART 3 Entertaining with Visual Media

CHAPTER 8 Dramatic structure and form ......................................................................157

Origins of drama .................................................................................................................157

Confl ict ................................................................................................................................158

Three-act structures for fi lm and television .....................................................................160

Three-act story structure ...................................................................................................165

Other narrative structures .................................................................................................165

The fl ashback ......................................................................................................................167

Genres .................................................................................................................................167

Westerns ......................................................................................................................167

Romantic comedies .....................................................................................................168

Horror movies ..............................................................................................................169

Road movies .................................................................................................................169

Science fi ction ..............................................................................................................170

War movies ..................................................................................................................170

Buddy movies ..............................................................................................................171

Crime movies ...............................................................................................................171

Private eye (fi lm noir) .................................................................................................171

Murder mysteries .......................................................................................................171

Gang movies ................................................................................................................172

Undercover cops ..........................................................................................................172

Disaster movies ...........................................................................................................172

Martial arts ...................................................................................................................172

Epics .............................................................................................................................173

Action-adventure .........................................................................................................173

Monster movies ...........................................................................................................173

Biography .....................................................................................................................174

Satire .............................................................................................................................174

Cross genre ..................................................................................................................174

Script development .............................................................................................................175

Adapting the seven-step method ..............................................................................175

Log lines .......................................................................................................................176

The premise .................................................................................................................177

Tag lines .......................................................................................................................178

Concept or synopsis ....................................................................................................178

Story engines ...............................................................................................................180

Contents xi

Writing a movie treatment ................................................................................................181

Screenplay ..........................................................................................................................182

Scene outline ......................................................................................................................184

Master scene script format ...............................................................................................184

Scripting software ..............................................................................................................185

Shooting script ...................................................................................................................185

Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................185

CHAPTER 9 Writing techniques for long-form scripts ...................................................187

Characters and character ..................................................................................................188

Dialogue and action ...........................................................................................................189

Plot or storyline ..................................................................................................................192

Comedy ...............................................................................................................................193

Comic devices .............................................................................................................193

The comic character as victim ...................................................................................194

Verbal comedy ............................................................................................................194

Running gag ................................................................................................................195

The cover-up/impersonation .....................................................................................195

Disguise and mistaken identity .................................................................................196

Dramatic irony.............................................................................................................196

Drama ..................................................................................................................................197

Cover-up/mistaken identity ......................................................................................197

Disguise .......................................................................................................................197

Dramatic irony.............................................................................................................198

Ambition/pride ...........................................................................................................199

Challenge and survival ..............................................................................................199

Greed ...........................................................................................................................199

Love gone wrong ........................................................................................................200

Desire/lust ...................................................................................................................200

Writing techniques for adaptation ...................................................................................202

The problem of adaptation ................................................................................................202

Length .................................................................................................................................205

Point of view.......................................................................................................................205

Narrative tense and screen time ......................................................................................206

Setting and period .............................................................................................................206

Dialogue versus action ......................................................................................................207

Descriptive detail and the camera frame .........................................................................209

Implied action.....................................................................................................................209

It’s a wonderful life ............................................................................................................210

Bartleby ..............................................................................................................................215

Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................220

xii Contents

CHAPTER 10 Television series, sitcoms, and soaps ......................................................223

The premise for series, sitcoms, and soaps ..................................................................224

Three-act structure and the TV time slot ......................................................................226

Using commercial breaks ................................................................................................227

Visualizing for the small screen .....................................................................................227

TV dialogue ......................................................................................................................228

Realism/realistic dialogue ...............................................................................................228

Breaking up dialogue ......................................................................................................231

Pacing ...............................................................................................................................231

The beat sheet .................................................................................................................231

Team writing....................................................................................................................233

Hook/teaser ......................................................................................................................233

The series bible ...............................................................................................................233

Condensing action and plot ............................................................................................233

Target audience ...............................................................................................................234

Script formats for television ............................................................................................234

TV comedy and its devices .............................................................................................235

Running gags ............................................................................................................236

Visual gags ...............................................................................................................241

Double takes .............................................................................................................242

One-liners and laugh lines.......................................................................................242

Sitcoms .............................................................................................................................243

New techniques and innovations ..................................................................................243

Spec scripts ......................................................................................................................244

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................245

PART 4 Writing for Interactive and Mobile Media

CHAPTER 11 Writing and interactive design .................................................................251

Defi ning interactive .........................................................................................................251

Linear and nonlinear paradigms ....................................................................................252

Combining media for interactive use ............................................................................254

Breakdown of script formats ..........................................................................................257

Branching..................................................................................................................258

Flowcharts ................................................................................................................260

Storyboards ...............................................................................................................260

Authoring tools and interactive concepts .....................................................................260

Multimedia components .................................................................................................264

Finding a script format ...................................................................................................264

Conclusion .......................................................................................................................266

Contents xiii

CHAPTER 12 Writing for interactive communications ...................................................267

Different writing for websites ........................................................................................269

Multilayered writing ................................................................................................271

Conceptual writing versus content writing ...........................................................272

Website concepts.............................................................................................................273

Writing to be read on the web .......................................................................................274

Navigation: The third dimension ...................................................................................275

Writing issues ..................................................................................................................276

Concept .....................................................................................................................276

Design document......................................................................................................276

Flowchart ..................................................................................................................276

Breakdown for production .......................................................................................276

Text ............................................................................................................................277

Video, stills, and audio .............................................................................................277

Applying the seven-step method ............................................................................277

Concept .....................................................................................................................278

Instructional and utilitarian programs ...........................................................................279

Interactive catalogues and brochures ...........................................................................279

Education and training ...................................................................................................280

Kiosks ...............................................................................................................................281

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................281

CHAPTER 13 Writing for interactive entertainment ......................................................283

Interactive reference works ............................................................................................283

E-Commerce and interactive books ...............................................................................284

Games, narrative, and entertainment ............................................................................285

Video games .............................................................................................................285

Graphics versus live action .............................................................................................290

The order of writing ........................................................................................................291

Formats.............................................................................................................................292

Interactive television .......................................................................................................294

Webisodes and television web content .........................................................................296

Interactive movies ...........................................................................................................296

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................297

CHAPTER 14 Writing for mobile media ..........................................................................299

Antecedents .....................................................................................................................300

Technical antecedents ....................................................................................................301

Video and cell phone use ................................................................................................304

Webisodes ........................................................................................................................308

xiv Contents

The mobisode™ ...............................................................................................................310

Writing dos and don’ts ....................................................................................................318

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................318

PART 5 Anticipating Professional Issues

CHAPTER 15 You can get paid to do this .......................................................................323

Writing for the entertainment world .............................................................................323

Writing contracts .............................................................................................................324

Pitching ............................................................................................................................326

Ideology, morality, and content ......................................................................................328

Emotional honesty and sentimentality ..........................................................................330

Writing for the corporate world ......................................................................................333

Client relationships .........................................................................................................334

Corporate contracts .........................................................................................................334

Work for hire ....................................................................................................................335

Marketing yourself and your work .........................................................................335

Copyright ..................................................................................................................336

Work-made-for-hire and freelance ..........................................................................337

Agents and submissions .................................................................................................338

Networking, conventions, and seminars .......................................................................338

Surfi ng the web ...............................................................................................................339

Hybrid careers .................................................................................................................339

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................339

APPENDIX: Script formats ............................................................................................................................341

BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................................................361

GLOSSARY ....................................................................................................................................................367

INDEX .............................................................................................................................................................389