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To the Rescue of Busy Professionals
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Chillibreeze Interview with Bhavna Chopra
2. Do you think it is necessary for a scriptwriter to have worked in the print media as well to be truly successful? How about script writing for radio shows? To be a successful scriptwriter, it is not essential to have worked for print media, but yes, an exposure to a different medium helps you to understand the difference between the written word and the spoken word. What I mean is that when one writes for print media, one has to be very articulate, clear, informative and factual with their piece of writing. But when it comes to script writing, how you present your content is what matters the most. One has to be very careful of how his/her written sentence will sound when spoken aloud, which is the key to a good script for the TV medium. It has to be precise and descriptive at the same time along with being entertaining and engrossing. Television as we all know is a visual medium and when writing for TV, one has to keep the visuals in mind first and then spin a story in and around the subject. In comparison to television, script writing for radio is similar at most levels but majorly differs in the manner it is presented. For example, in TV your written script can either enhance the visuals or make them look drab, but in radio, your writing can help the RJ sound interesting or boring to the listener. In the electronic media, content is the king! 3. Do script-writing courses help aspiring writers? Do you think young scriptwriters could do with better training opportunities? Any recommendations (books/websites) for amateurs in the field of writing? Yes, script-writing courses to some extent do help aspiring writers as it structures you to think and write accordingly. But in the end it entirely depends on where your interest lies. One can condition themselves to write for a medium, learn the tricks of the trade but to grasp the knowledge imparted, one should also be passionate and interested in the subject, be it film, television, print or radio. To all amateurs out there who would like to pursue script writing my piece of advice would be, if TV is what they want to write for then be much attuned to your favourite genre/shows, learn and understand the presentation while viewing the program. If film writing is what they are interested in then visit websites like script-o-rama etc. for free availability of films scripts and read to understand how a scene is written down. One can also intern with production houses and radio stations to get a better hang of the procedure involved as I strongly recommend hands on learning is the best way to be trained in the field.
I have been fortunate enough to have started my script writing journey with a subject that I was well aware of, which is Interior designing. Being a diploma holder in the subject, I knew exactly what is to be highlighted and what information is to be imparted to the viewers in my first ever TV show, ‘Home Shanti Home’. My passion for writing helped me put my knowledge into writing. And along the way I learnt that when you are writing for TV, you cannot do a thesis on the subject, you have to be crisp and witty. My education in advertising helped me to come up with one-liners and interest in print media helped me formulate headlines that caught one’s attention. From all my experience, I would like to share that when script writing, be well aware and well-read but use only the hardest hitting facts, and present them in a fresh perspective.
When I first started travelling for a TV travel show, a travelogue of sorts, I had a different perspective on travel writing, one that stemmed from having read great features and articles in print. But when I started scripting for a television travel show I realised that the experience you are sharing with your viewer is a real, very ‘right there’ situation and true to the moment. The viewer is travelling with you and when you are writing for such shows, it is important to be armed with as much information, history, anecdotes and interesting facts as possible. At the end of the show the viewer decides whether he’d like to travel to that destination or not and it depends on how well or loosely you project it. 6. What do you think of the reality show cult that we see today? How much of these reality shows is actually scripted? Television is a very dynamic medium. Changing trends, change in taste and viewership is inevitable. Reality shows are reflecting that change. Voyeurism is on rise and the thin line between fiction and reality is diminishing so one cannot comment much on the subject. The people featured on the show are real. Their actions cannot be scripted, yes they can be plotted in a fictionalised set up but what you see which is very much real. 7. What kind of projects interested you? How do you keep yourself motivated? I am working on a film script presently. As I mentioned earlier, I would love to do work that I can relate to. Screenplay writing has always interested me and that is what I am currently dabbling in. I never took up fiction writing (except for youth based sitcom Roomie) as I never related to fictional drama on Indian television. My advice to all out there would be, choose a subject that you are passionate about and grow in. It will always keep you motivated. Check the results of the writing contest for the First Quarter, 2012 Check the results of the writing contest for the Second Quarter, 2012 Related links: Chillibreeze Interview with Bindu Saxena
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A self-proclaimed travel aficionado, with varied interest in all things entertaining and creative, Bhavna Chopra is a professional scriptwriter. Having written for Bollywood and non-Bollywood productions, she is happy to have found her passion in writing, her true calling of sorts and the real purpose in life.
