Purpose and Suitability of a Script

A script is a pre-production document for any media product that contains moving images or dialogue. It is the written plan that performers and crew follow, so everyone knows what is said, what happens and how it should be captured.

What a script records

The main content is the dialogue: the exact words a performer will say. Around it, the script names the characters in each scene, so casting and actor availability can be planned, and the locations, so the production manager can book each place in advance and everyone knows where to turn up on the day.

Directions, also called stage directions, tell actors and crew what to do: where to move, how to react, which actions to perform and how a line should be delivered. The script also supplies production information: which shots to frame, how the camera should move, and which sound effects to cue. In a short animation about a lost dog, for example, the script might call for a close up on its collar and a sound effect of passing traffic, telling the animator and sound designer exactly what to build.

Where a script is used

Before production, a script can form part of a pitch, helping to persuade decision-makers to fund the product. Actors may also read a draft aloud in a table read to test timing, tone and whether the dialogue works before anything is filmed or recorded.

When a script suits a product

Scripts are appropriate for film, television, animation, and computer games that use video sequences, storytelling or character interaction. They also suit radio broadcasts, jingles, podcasts, audio documentaries, and video or radio advertisements, because each one depends on spoken words.

A script is not needed where there are no moving images or dialogue, such as a static print poster or non-narrative interface screens. There is nothing for a performer to say and no action to direct.

Products with no pictures need words and sounds but no camera information: