Writing drama isn't a "one size fits all", writers have to be clear which dramatic medium they are writing for from the start of a project.
Writing Drama for Stage, Television or Film?
While a story can be told on stage, video or film, the written drama does not transfer automatically from theatre to big screen or vice versa. Television productions cannot simply be switched to stage or film, without a lot of adaptation. So what makes stage, film and television different?
The Focus of the Audience
Writers have to be aware of how much of their story is contained in the spoken word, and how much is conveyed by the actors. The balance between dialogue and visual content varies according to the different media. Theatre will require more words, film will require more "space to breathe" for locations, actors and atmosphere, and television is somewhere in between.
The Audience's Perspective
The easiest way for the writer to handle the issue is to approach the writing of drama with a very clear visual picture of the story unfolding. In other words, writers must always be aware of the audience's perspective or view of the action.
Writing for Theatre
If a writer imagines the play as it will be seen from the audience's point of view, the limitations - and advantages – become obvious.
Theatre relies very strongly on words. A high proportion of the drama of the story is contained in the dialogue, and long speeches can be particularly effective if the actor has good stage presence.
There are even differences between the large proscenium arch theatre and the small studio theatre, especially with regard to the facial expressions of actors. So the writer must be aware of the possibilities while he or she is writing.
- What actions and reactions will the audience be able to see?
- What emotions will the audience be able to see?
- Does a line have to be added, to compensate?
E.g. the audience isn't likely to see a tear rolling down a character's face (which they would see instantly on television or on film) so the writer must think of another way to let the audience know that the character is crying.
Theatre lends itself well to "big" drama, "big" emotions. Comedy or tragedy can be heightened by the crowd experience of watching in an audience.
Writing Scripts for Television
Television is still a verbal medium, but long speeches don't work so well on it as the television audience is slightly removed from the actors. However, quick-fire dialogue works very well, and quick cuts between characters can enhance comic timing. Television relies less on the spoken word than theatre. Many lines can be cut because a well-timed close up can convey everything necessary.
Television scriptwriters must always be aware that the audience threshold for boredom is very low, distraction in a person's home environment and the proximity of the remote control, mean that a television drama must always be working hard to pull in and keep the viewer.
Writing Films or Movies
Watching a film on the big screen brings together the advantage of close-ups that television offers, and the big picture and crowd experience that the proscenium arch theatre offers. The audience is more patient, partly because of being trapped and partly because there are no remote controls nearby.
The restrictions of film are the constraints on time (a film script allows around 110 pages to tell a complete story) and the least reliance on words or dialogue. Films are the most visual of all forms and although the visual aspects can be used to a writer's advantage to enhance a story, it's also possible that a story can be hijacked or become lost in a visual trip that a director wants to go on.
Read more about the basics of writing for stage and screen.
Janice Hally - Janice Hally has written more than 300 broadcast hours of prime-time TV drama in the UK, as well as fiction and non-fiction books.
