Script-of-the-Week: Simpsons “Bart The Dare Devil”

by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky (42 pages)

Awards: None that I could find.

Points of Interest:

• Pacing: Quick. Pages fly by. Act One ends with a strong cliffhanger. Act Two ends with anticipation of a cliffhanger -- Bart jumping a gorge on his skateboard.

• Screen Visibility: More description than in live action, but still not overly specific.

• Formatting: Generous spacing. Double for dialogue and characters. Single for Action. Parenthetical comments are in the dialogue tab.

• Dialogue: Mainly comprised of witty one liners.

• Action: Heavier than other live action shows previous reviewed. In one extreme example there are 16 lines of descriptive action. Camera angles and shot descriptions are also common.

• Act Structure: Act One, Act Two, Act Three. Approx. 38 scenes.

Note: Early scripts of the Simpsons had Homer’s
“D’Oh” written as a moan in parenthesis. Upon viewing the actual episode, various lines of dialogue were omitted or replaced along with action sequences that don’t appear in the script. Finally, I feel some of the changes did not make the story stronger but rather detracted or didn’t create noticeable change.

Script-of-the-Week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer “School Hard”

by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt (58 pages)

Awards: None that I could find.

Points of Interest:

• Pacing: Act one pacing is adequate ending in threat of death for Buffy. Act two ends on another cliffhanger with Buffy’s angry mom waiting in the car while Spike has shown up early to kill Buffy. Act three is action heavy but ends on a strong cliffhanger with someone about the hit Buffy in the back of the head with an ax.

• Screen Visibility: Minimal, except for scenes described as scenes from other movies or events.

• Formatting: Good use of visual direction. “[Spike is] closer and closer....and suddenly gone.” As in previous scripts, Whedon writes action and offers asides to the reader for more information.

• Dialogue: Distinct for most characters by using dialogue/vocabulary that is distinct for that personality type.

• Action: Threatening comment made by Principal Snyder “registers” with Buffy. This is a good way to relay understanding with the character for whom the comment is intended. The comment can also “register less so/more so” with other characters. References to other movies (Gross Point Blank and Thelma & Louise) help to create a strong visual when telling the story.

• Act Structure: TEASER, ACT ONE, ACT TWO, ACT THREE, ACT FOUR. Approximately 86 Scenes (give or take additions and omissions)

Note: Nothing additional this week.

Script-of-the-Week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Phases”

by Rob DesHotel & Dean Batali (58 pages)

Awards: None that I could find.

Points of Interest:

• Pacing: Long 6 page teaser. Act I ends on a good cliffhanger. Act II feels long as well, but ends with a twist identifying Oz as the werewolf and not Larry as we were mislead to believe. By the end of Act III we learn Oz is the werewolf, but the amount of time the characters spend thinking about who the wolfman is (and Oz acting oddly), one would think his name would have already come up.

• Screen Visibility: In one scene, Giles assembles a high-tech rifle. Considering his old-school sensibilities I think an “antique werewolf rifle” would have been more appropriate. In the script Giles doesn’t seem like a high-tech kind of guy.

• Formatting: Writing with some “attitude” directed towards the reader. “There’s a werewolf SNARLING at Willow, remember?” This creates an inclusive “live” storytelling feel to the script.

• Dialogue: Great line from Willow when she comments on Cordelia being the “girl next door” if you lived next to a brothel.

• Act Structure: Teaser, Act I, Act II, Act III, Act IV. Around 43 scenes.

Note: “PRELAP” is used as a transition. I don’t know what this means. Good twist with Larry being gay instead of being “outed” as a werewolf and then making a serious comment about homophobia that should be heard and understood by people experiences conflicted emotions.

Script-of-the-Week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer “The Harvest”

by Joss Whedon (53 pages)

Awards: None that I could find.

Points of Interest:

• Pacing: A bit slow after the teaser ends but Act 2 ends on a cliffhanger to move the story forward. Pace quickens with acts 3 and 4 ending with a big finish and suggestion of future episodes dealing with more than just vampires.

• Screen Visibility:

• Formatting: Good transitions between action and character dialogue.

• Dialogue: Consisting of strong one-liners like, “You are like a shadow to me now”.

• Act Structure: Teaser, Act I, Act 2, Act 3, Act 4. 54 Scenes.

Note: This is part 2 of a two part episode however part 1 is called “Hellmouth”. Hellmouth ends on a cliffhanger so the end of Act 4 (Hellmouth) is the teaser at the beginning of this episode (The Harvest).

Page 14 is missing.

Script-of-the-Week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Hellmouth”

by Joss Whedon (56 pages)

Awards: None that I could find

Points of Interest:

• Pacing: Quick opening with strong character development. Each act ends on a cliffhanger including the end of the episode -- To Be Continued.

• Screen Visibility: Character description is lithe but visual.

• Formatting: Sharp formatting that flows seamlessly from scene to scene.

• Act Structure: Teaser, Act I, Act II, Act III, Act IV. Approximately 45 Scenes.

Note: Pilot episode for the TV show based on the movie of the same name.