Scoring a Script

Scoring your script for success!

What is Scoring?

• Scoring a script is the notation of the placement of beats, blocking, voice elements such as inflections, stresses, and speaking tempos.

Elements of a Score

• Beats
• Vocal Inflection
• Emotional Mapping
• Blocking

What is a beat?

A beat is a single unit of action. A scene may comprise one or more of these*

Beat Change - The point during a scene where a new action begins.

It occurs when a new piece of information is introduced or an event takes place over which the character has no control and which by its very nature must change what the actor is doing.*

*as defined by “A Practical Handbook for the Actor”

Beat

Beat

How to score a Beat

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Vocal Inflection

• Vocal Inflection- Picking a word or phrase in the text that you will emphasize or inflect to deliver a certain emotion
• In most cases the playwright identifies these words for you by italicizing them.

Some Examples

• How could you do this to me?
• How could you do this to me?
• How could you do this to me?
• How could you do this to me?

How to score

Vocal Inflections

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Rose: “I thought you did it for me, Momma.” “I thought you did it for me, Momma…” I thought you made a no-talent ox into a star because you like doing things the hard way, Momma. And you haven’t got any talent! Not what I call talent, Miss Gypsy Rose Lee! I made you! And you wanna know why? You wanna know what I did it for?! Because I was born too soon and started too late, that’s why! With what I have in me, I could’ve been better than any of you! What I got in me-- what I been holding down inside of me-- if I ever let it out, there wouldn’t be signs big enough! There wouldn’t be lights bright enough!

Rose: “I thought you did it for me, Momma.” “I thought you did it for me, Momma…” I thought you made a no-talent ox into a star because you like doing things the hard way, Momma . And you haven’t got any talent! Not what I call talent, Miss Gypsy Rose Lee! I made you! And you wanna know why? You wanna know what I did it for?! Because I was born too soon and started too late , that’s why! With what I have in me, I could’ve been better than any of you! What I got in me-- what I been holding down inside of me-- if I ever let it out, there wouldn’t be signs big enough! There wouldn’t be lights bright enough!

Rose: “I thought you did it for me, Momma.” “I thought you did it for me, Momma…” I thought you made a no-talent ox into a star because you like doing things the hard way, Momma. (Louder) And you haven’t got any talent! Not what I call talent, Miss Gypsy Rose Lee! I made you! And you wanna know why? You wanna know what I did it for?! (Louder) Because I was born too soon and started too late, that’s why! With what I have in me, I could’ve been better than ANY OF YOU! What I got in me-- what I been holding down inside of me-- if I ever let it out, there wouldn’t be signs big enough! There wouldn’t be lights bright enough!

Emotional Mapping

• Emotional Mapping - The process of identifying and tracking the emotions that are taking place in the text

Some Examples

• In a break up scene
• You might start off calm
• Then you might get angry
• And then you might panic

How to score the

Emotional Mapping

Rose: “I thought you did it for me, Momma.” “I thought you did it for me, Momma…” I thought you made a no-talent ox into a star because you like doing things the hard way, Momma.

And you haven’t got any talent! Not what I call talent, Miss Gypsy Rose Lee! I made you! And you wanna know why? You wanna know what I did it for?!

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Because I was born too soon and started too late, that’s why! With what I have in me, I could’ve been better than any of you! What I got in me-- what I been holding down inside of me-- if I ever let it out, there wouldn’t be signs big enough! There wouldn’t be lights bright enough!

Sarcastic

Spiteful

Blocking

• Blocking- movement and positioning of actors on a stage

At C = Center

To DSL = Down

Stage Left

H Exits