Step 4 - Exisiting screenplays

http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/graduate.txt - Graduate by Buck Henry (Romance)
Just by reading the first couple of pages of this script, I can see that a lot a detail has been written about. It has taught me that not only does the script have to include stage directions, characters dialogue and location of the scene, but in depth detail about the camera shots too.
Reading further on into the script, I have learnt that when I write my own script, I am going to have to keep the audience entertained from the very beginning. To do this, I am going to have to create a scenario which many things could evolve from. By doing this, it keeps the audience entertained as they are sub-consciously trying to work out what is going to happen in the end.

http://www.zen134237.zen.co.uk/The_Sarah_Jane_Adventures/Sarah_Jane_Adventures_3x01_-_Prisoner_of_the_Judoon_pt1.pdf - Sarah Jane Adventures, episode 1 by Phil Ford (UK Drama)
Because 'The Sarah Jane Adventures' is a television drama, the script is different to a short film drama. This is because in each episode of the series, there is a small scenario which is solved, but the problem which needs to be solved is not very big. Although the problem is not very big, each of the problems in the series have to link which makes it difficult to write a television series. As well as this, most television series' have more than one writer so there are more people to suggest ideas and elaborate on them. By reading this script, it has made me more aware of how good script presentation makes it better as it is much easier to read because of the amount of characters and different locations.
Another difference of this being a T.V drama instead of a film drama is that it doesn't bring the audience is straight away unlike a film. This is because it is able to leave each series on a cliffhanger to make the audience want to watch the next episode, whereas films need to grip the audience from the beginning so that they watch all the way to the end.

http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/40_year_old_virgin.pdf - 40 Year Old Virgin by Judd Apetow & Steve Carell (Comedy, Romance)
Just by reading the script and knowing the general rule of 1 script page to every screen minute, I can understand that this film has around a minute and a half of non-dialogue action. This introduces the audience to a variety of characters early on and gives them a good understanding of what each character is about. The first pieces of dialogue give the audience some more information about their personality on top of what they already know about what they do as their day job. The opening dialogue scenes also set up the rest of the film with the mention of a simple scenario. Again, keeping the audience interested in what might happen in the scenario, in this case a game of poker at somebodys house.

after looking at these scripts, it has made it apparent to me that I need to introduce a simple scenario very early on into my own short film in which I intend to write. The key thing is that you keep the audience entertained from the very beginning!