Nicholas Palazzo
Well-Known Member
Welcome to Season 6 everyone. I'm really excited about this season and all the new faces we have. I'm posting here an updated version of the procedures Marie posted last season. I will also be using this thread to put out script assignments for this season. No need to panic, assignments will only go out to people who have specifically expressed interest in writing a particular episode.
Here is the procedure for how the scriptwriting works.
First, we open a thread in this forum to discuss the content of the episode. Usually, threads will open 1-2 weeks prior to the script discussion of that episode. That is the best time to bring up suggestions for scenes or events that can play out in that particular episode, or bring the storylines together. Everything that we were saying was too much detail to get into in the pre-season? Now it's time for those ideas! Conflicting suggestions are welcome - the more ideas we have available, the better decisions we can make during the script discussion.
Then, we hold a Script Discussion (Friday nights at 8 PM Eastern Time) in which we put together an episode outline. Anyone is welcome to participate, and there are multiple methods of doing so. You can join the discussion on video via Zoom (ask any member of the script team for the link of how to join that). You may be audio only, if that is your preference. Or, you may leave typed comments in either Zoom's chat box, or Twitch's chat. The video of the script discussion is available immediately afterwards on SignumU's Twitch channel. We do not currently have audio file availability.
The Episode Outline is posted in the thread after the script discussion. Sometimes these discussions run quite late, so do give me a day to get it posted. The Outline is posted as a Google Doc, and when you click on the link, you can leave comments or suggestions directly on the document if you have any questions about particular items or additions to suggest making. You may also continue to comment in the thread, so we can make any necessary edits to the outline. The expectation is that one week after the script discussion, the outline will be in a finished form.
Within one week of the Script Discussion, we will try to have a script writer selected. If you are interested in writing a script for a particular episode, you must post in this thread or contact a member of the script team to let us know of your interest within that one week window. The script writer is encouraged to listen to the Script Discussion (participation is better), and begin writing a script based on the episode outline. 'In Progress' scripts can be shared via private message here (we'll have a 'writers room' set up for just such a purpose). When that script is in a state in which the writer is comfortable sharing it with others, the document will be uploaded as a google doc and the link will be posted on the episode thread, with the 'anyone with the link can comment' option. This allows anyone on the boards to view the script, and also to suggest edits or add comments throughout the script, directly on the document. The script writer retains full editing authority, so that suggestions are only incorporated at the script writer's discretion. This allows for collaborative feedback without creating chaos
Once the script has been uploaded and gone through initial edits and review, the script team will decide that we are ready to share the script with the hosts on their podcast. Marie will make a pdf of the document and send it along to the hosts. That means...there is a deadline. Scripts should be posted no later than two weeks before the podcast date, to give everyone time to read them over and suggest any edits they think necessary. Ideally, the script writer will get feedback from everyone who participated in the initial script discussion during this review process. A script that does not really follow the outline or that is incomplete would be unlikely to be shared on the podcast, but we can have discussions about that if necessary. The script team does have the ability to hold back scripts for these reasons.
For the podcast, the hosts will be given a copy of the script outline and the finished script (in pdf form without any comments/suggested edits visible). They will then be able to review the script and discuss that episode, suggesting any changes or improvements. We can then continue to edit the document posted here in light of that podcast discussion to reach a (more or less) final draft version of a Silm Film script!
I know that's a lot, so if you have any questions, please ask! Nick is our Script Editor, so he will be overseeing this process. He will post the episode threads and host and moderate the script discussions, as he has done in previous seasons. We needed a more involved procedure this season, because we are holding the script discussions before the hosts of the podcast discuss the individual episodes.
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