Elements of the Sitcom

by Mr. Cunha with help from screenstyle.com

The Cover

Name of the show Episode title Writer(s)

30 Rock

“Hardball”

by…

Fade In/Fade Out

Used to open and close the script All caps and underlined FADE IN left justified FADE OUT right justified

FADE IN

FADE OUT

CUT TO/DISSOLVE TO

Used at end of each scene CUT TO – small passage of time or

parallel occurring event or scene DISSOLVE TO – longer passage of

time between scenes Left justify in all caps and underlined

CUT TO:DISSOLVE TO:

Scene Numbering

Numbered using capital letters Centered Underlined

ACT ONE

SCENE A

Slugline

A.K.A. “scene heading” or “scene caption”

Explain where, time of day Capitalized and underlined

INT. TRACY JORDAN’S DRESSING ROOM, DAY

Scene Action

All caps, single-spaced List the characters Place in parentheses What are they doing as scene begins?

(TRACY AND HIS ENTOURAGE, GRIZZ AND DOT.COM ARE HANGING OUT PLAYING VIDEO GAMES.)

Character Intros/Camera Instructions

All caps Underlined Entrances left justified, exits right justified Examples:KENNETH ENTERS

CLOSE UP ON TRACY

KENNETH LEAVES

Character Names/Dialogue

Character names are in all caps and centered

Dialogue is tabbed twice and double-spacedTRACY

I love that cornbread so much, I want to take

it out behind the middle school and get it

pregnant.

Personal Direction

Appears within dialogue All caps Enclosed in parentheses

KENNETH (AMUSED)

Mr. Jordan, (HANDS TRACY THE

CORNBREAD) pregnant cornbread!

Power of Three

Cause and effect order A causes B causes C Builds suspense (in a drama) Involves the complications in a sitcom

Scriptwriting Rules

Limit stage directions

Avoid parentheticals

Avoid long speeches or monologues

Now get writing!