Script Writing - Crime Drama

Writing the Script 

The script is the first assessed piece of the coursework and it is vital that you produce a high quality piece of work which not only adheres to the codes and conventions of television crime drama but also emulates the format and style of a real industry standard screenplay.

Screenplays have a very strict form and style and you must write your script according to this.  Look at the document below - it provides the basic rules of screenwriting and shows how a screenplay should look.
Screenplay Format



Further Advice

A page of properly formatted screenplay is roughly equivalent to about a minute of screen time.

Scene headings change every time the scene does (that is, whenever the time or location change).  A scene could very easily be just one sentence long - especially if it is an establishing shot.

The first time we are introduced to a new place or person, give a brief description of them.  This shouldn't be in depth but should simply raise a couple of vivid visual points about the person or place which summarise the rest of it.

Don't go heavy on the dialogue.  Less is more when it comes to dialogue - a screenplay is much more than simply what people are saying.  Often the dialogue gets in the way of the action and slows it down.  Shorten it wherever you can.

Break up your action into small blocks of no more than about 5 lines.  There is nothing wrong with having a block of action which is only a single line long.  Show the pacing of your script with the way you write your action.  A fast paced fight scene would consist of very short sentences.  A slow paced mood-setting scene would consist of much longer paragraphs.

Real Examples

The absolute best way of getting to grips with the correct form and style of professional screenplays is to read some examples.

Below are links to the full scripts from various television shows.  There some excellent examples of crime dramas amongst them.  Read as many as you can and see how the screenplay form is used in reality.  Your job is to emulate (copy) this style and form as much as you possibly can.  Write a script which looks and reads like these examples.


Life on Mars - Series 1 Episode 1

Spooks - Series 6 Episode 1

Ashes to Ashes Series 1 Episode 1

Luther Series 1 Episode 1

Luther Series 1 Episode 6

Luther Series 1 Episode 2

Luther Series 1 Episode 3

New Tricks Series 9 Episode

Sherlock Series 1 Episode 2

Being Human Series 1 Episode 1