Getting Started

What are the common factors that exist among all media forms, despite their basic differences?

Multimedia, Internet and Web page scripts have not been formalized in the same was as scripts for other

electronic media

Media Differences

• Each of the electronic media requires that scripts provide information in different formats to best serve the people using the scripts.

Radio scripts serve voices• Secondarily, they serve the director and production operator.

Film scripts provide the basic blueprint of the production.

Television and video scripts must balance serving both the aural and visual needs to be met by the script.

• Accurate narration• Detailed visuals• Timing information

Multimedia scripts must cover the same areas as a video script.

Basic Writing Skills

• Write for the audience’s comprehension levels; know your audience!

Reading to be heard

• Media writing must be written to be read out loud by narrators, actors, and newscasters.

• Written material that is intended only for the eyes of a reader may be much more complicated than material to be read by a performer.

Use the active voice

Avoid like-sounding words

• To, too, two• Their, there, they’re• Your you’re

Clear, concise, nontechnical language

Style comes after information

Information First!

Avoid the language of discrimination

Be sure to…

• Research your intended audience• Understand the power of your words• Write simple sentence structures using well-

known, understood vocabulary• Create scripts that your director and crew will

understand easily• Avoid plagiarism and protect your own work

Image sources• http://www.flickr.com/photos/geoff_mv/206329508/#/photos/geoff_mv/206329508/lightbox/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/2573762303/#/photos/yourdon/2573762303/lightbox/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/rock_creek/2668823205/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/gemmabou/4882118212/#/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/shannonkringen/2282265286/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekai/457004988/#/photos/ekai/457004988/lightbox/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/spencerfinnley/3105682577/#/photos/spencerfinnley/3105682577/lightbox/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/joodi/4839557400/#/photos/joodi/4839557400/lightbox/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/45848665/#/photos/jurvetson/45848665/lightbox/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/45848665/#/photos/jurvetson/45848665/lightbox/