tv-writing Film vs TV Drama Screenplay Differences

[derek smith]

As the title says, is there a big difference in writing a Screenplay for a Feature Film, and writing a Screenplay for a TV Series (say a 3 parter)....Is the approach different, and structure etc???

 

[maz]

As the title says, is there a big difference in writing a Screenplay for a Feature Film, and writing a Screenplay for a TV Series (say a 3 parter)....Is the approach different, and structure etc???

I am no expert, but in a three part series you have the equivalent of 3 acts to play with, devoting more time to each one than in a typical feature. You would need to make sure each episode has its own internal structure too (a beginning, middle and end that satisfies a viewer in isolation and not just as part of the ongoing narrative).

In many ways, a 2x60min or 3x45min drama could easily be a feature anyway (and I think there have been some such shows that transferred to feature format just by removing the end credits between the episodes, and vice versa - can't recall them just now though).

 

[directorik]

Regarding structure; yes, there are differences. The approach isn't
any different.

And the structure of a three parter TV show is different than the
structure of a 22 episode season which is different than (say) three
12 episode seasons. And that structure will be different from an
episodic series.

 

[joelhall]

A teleplay has minor differences, if any at all, to a screenplay mostly based around details. However, it can depend on which television company or network is going to be using the teleplay, as there is no definite standard. I always use the BBC standard for teleplays:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts/screenplaytv.pdf