BPC-Screenplay
Encyclopedia
BPC-Screenplay is a software program designed for screenwriters and writer-directors, which has recently (March 2008) been ratified by the UK Government Curriculum Online programme
for use in UK Schools and Colleges. BPC-Screenplay has been developed by the Berlin Picture Company in Germany.
traditionally contain 4 main categories of information, referring to location (place), action (events), characters
(people) and dialogue
(direct and indirect speech), with secondary references to time of day, music and cinematic effect
, (slow motion, mixes, etc) and follow a structure established soon after the introduction of synchronous sound recording for cinema films. The basic convention is that location and events are written across the page, while characters and dialogue are centred. Broadcast television
revised this structure by placing speech towards the right hand side of the page and introduced a wider range of notion for technical purposes, mainly associated with the needs of 'live' broadcasts. There are many variations on these basic layouts devised by production companies and broadcasters around the world for different production forms and genres. More complex notations, drawing from dance, or orchestral scores have not been adapted, or found necessary, for mainstream production. The four main categories of a traditional script, however, provide only a partial description of the potential production, which constrain the writer's conceptualisation of their work and expression of their ideas.
The digitalisation of media production is changing the status of the script as a morphological framework for production, as requirements for 'cross media' production and wider training and media competences encourages the use of 'authoring' software, now widely established in tv newsrooms and increasingly in 'asset management systems' for broadcasters. Screenwriters often work freelance or on a speculative basis and do not have ready access to such industry-scale systems.
BPC-Screenplay contributes to this development by enabling the writer to work on a traditional script, while simultaneously creating and manipulating an animatic of their work which brings their dialogue to a timeline as audio from each speech, for combination with visuals (as jpeg files
) and other audio (e.g. music) as wave files
, from their own resources, or from the BPC-Screenplay Image Library. This enhances the level of visualisation available to the writer, allowing a feel for the rhythm and pacing of their work, while working on their script. The 'movie' can be seen before it goes into production.
Curriculum Online
Curriculum Online was part of the UK government's drive to get more ICT and multimedia resources in classrooms across the country. This was done primarily through the eLearning Credits scheme, which was operated by Curriculum Online. The project was closed down in the autumn of 2008, when the ELC...
for use in UK Schools and Colleges. BPC-Screenplay has been developed by the Berlin Picture Company in Germany.
Pre-production and Development
Scripts and screenplaysScreenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
traditionally contain 4 main categories of information, referring to location (place), action (events), characters
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
(people) and dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
(direct and indirect speech), with secondary references to time of day, music and cinematic effect
Special effect
The illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
, (slow motion, mixes, etc) and follow a structure established soon after the introduction of synchronous sound recording for cinema films. The basic convention is that location and events are written across the page, while characters and dialogue are centred. Broadcast television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
revised this structure by placing speech towards the right hand side of the page and introduced a wider range of notion for technical purposes, mainly associated with the needs of 'live' broadcasts. There are many variations on these basic layouts devised by production companies and broadcasters around the world for different production forms and genres. More complex notations, drawing from dance, or orchestral scores have not been adapted, or found necessary, for mainstream production. The four main categories of a traditional script, however, provide only a partial description of the potential production, which constrain the writer's conceptualisation of their work and expression of their ideas.
The digitalisation of media production is changing the status of the script as a morphological framework for production, as requirements for 'cross media' production and wider training and media competences encourages the use of 'authoring' software, now widely established in tv newsrooms and increasingly in 'asset management systems' for broadcasters. Screenwriters often work freelance or on a speculative basis and do not have ready access to such industry-scale systems.
BPC-Screenplay contributes to this development by enabling the writer to work on a traditional script, while simultaneously creating and manipulating an animatic of their work which brings their dialogue to a timeline as audio from each speech, for combination with visuals (as jpeg files
JPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
) and other audio (e.g. music) as wave files
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
, from their own resources, or from the BPC-Screenplay Image Library. This enhances the level of visualisation available to the writer, allowing a feel for the rhythm and pacing of their work, while working on their script. The 'movie' can be seen before it goes into production.
External links
- BPC-Screenplay Official Website.
- http://www.curriculumonline.gov.uk/TitleSearch/Resource.htm?oid=36290&t=bpc%2Dscreenplay