Timing of Scenes and story lines in other sitcoms
One of the obstacles writing my scripts was the length of my scenes. To get a better understanding of how long a scene should be and when is a good time to cut a scene off. My method of doing this is watching the episode with a stopwatch and each time a scene changes/a location I, time it.
* (Please scroll to the bottom of this blog post to see what I have understood and how my research has effected my script).
Sc Hallway - 1m 9s, Sc Dining Room - 1m 48s, Sc Hallway - 11s, Sc Kitchen - 11s, Sc Hallway - 26s, Sc Dining Room - 1m 55s, Sc Hallway - 12s, Sc at door - 2m 10s, Sc Dining Room - 1m 31s, Sc Pavement - 24s, Sc Chinese - 30s, Sc Outside Chinese - 1s, Sc Chinese - 2m 9s, Sc outside house- 1s, Sc in car - 1m 23s, Sc outside house - 47s, Sc in car - 50s, Sc hallway - 39s, Sc kitchen - 5s, Sc stairs - 4s, Sc car 9s, Sc stairs - 8s, Sc living room - 8s, Sc door - 11s
What happens in this episode:
It open with Adam nearly crashing with "bitch face" who will be part of that episode. From the beginning you get a good understanding of her obsession with her Mercedes. When Adam walks into the house, they all shout surprise for his birthday, and its revealed that his dad, Martin, will make tonights dinner. Throughout the night, it revealed that the grandmother cannot wait to try her bikini on and the creepy neighbour has come over again. As a prank Jonny tells him that a good Jewish gift is to bring a basket full of fruit.
When dinner is supposed to be ready, it turns out Martin burnt the food, so the family decide to go to a Chinese restaurant. Whilst there they bump into "bitch face" who comes over to the table and talks about her Mercedes as well as her mothers death. The boys can't stop laughing because she keeps talking about her car. At the end of the night, they have to drive to "bitch face" house because they mixed up their jackets, when leaving Martin reverses into her Mercedes. Back at the house, the grandmother tries on her bikini and gets locked out of the house causing the mum to crawl down the stairs to let her back in.
Sc Monica's Living room - 43s, Sc Kitchen - 33s, Sc Living room - 34s, Sc Opening credits - 44s, Sc Central perk - 1m 40s, Sc Saks & Company - 1m 23s, Sc Central Perk - 1m 6s, Sc Saks & Company - 46s, Sc Monica's living room - 50s, Sc Kitchen - 10s, Sc Living room - 11s, Sc Kitchen - 55s, Sc living room/kitchen - 2m 31s, Sc living room 24s, Sc door - 8s, Sc Living room - 1m 28s, Sc Joey/Chandler kitchen - 1m 32s, Sc outside Central Perk - 10s, Sc inside Central Perk - 1m 42s, Sc Saks & Company - 2m, Sc Central Perk 2m 13s, Sc Kitchen - 30s
Ross's son comes by to spend the night with him. Chandler and Joey freak out about breast feeding and Ross assures them that it's a very natural process. Julie, Ross's new girlfriend, invites Monica to go shopping with her but the gang warn her no to because Rachel will be mad. As the series progresses, Phoebe and Joey try the breast milk which completely freaks Ross and Chandler out and Monica is arranging dates with Julie. Rachel finds out and gets really mad, but the girls make up after a good cry. Ross eventually tries the breast milk
Sc Cafeteria - 1m 53s, Sc Opening credits - 19s, Sc Sheldon living room/kitchen - 1m 46s, Sc Cafeteria - 2m, Sc Raj's living room - 51s, Sc Sheldon's kitchen - 1m 51s, Sc restaurant - 34s, Sc Sheldon living room - 2m 11s, Sc restaurant - 1m 47s, Sc hallway - 21s, Sc restaurant - 1m 9s, Sc Sheldon's room - 36s, Sc Shedlon's kitchen - 48s, Sc Hawkin's office - 16s, Sc Cafeteria - 1m 32s, Sc Hawkin's office - 1m 22s
Sc living room - 25s, Sc party - 18s, Sc living room - 11s, Sc party - 22s, Sc living room - 10s, Sc baby shower - 23s, Sc living room - 2s, Sc opening credits - 9s, Sc shop - 2m 45s, Sc church - 2m 38s, Sc cemetery - 20s, Sc coffee shop 3m 30s, Sc party - 13s, Sc coffee shop - 1m 36s, Sc hospice - 57s, Sc hospice hallway - 24s, Sc hospice garden - 3s, Sc shop - 1m 19s, Sc coffee shop - 1m 57s, Sc parachute place - 2m 13s, Sc shop - 3m, Sc library - 55s, Sc children's section - 1m 16s, Sc shop - 1m 12s, Sc coffee shop - 2m 8s
Miranda attends her uncles funeral and realises that people wont have anything nice to say in her own eulogy at her funeral, she panics and decides that she will begin doing good deeds. She tries to help her mum organise a charity event but ends up getting kicked out of the group, she wants to become someones godmother so she can be with Gary but then regrets it and tries to do evil things. When she plans to do evil things so the parents notice she gets caught doing good things but then other people notice her doing doing the bad things. She decides to punch a vicar in front of the parents so they take away her being godmother. But, the people who saw her doing good things recognise her at the party and praise her, but Mirada just goes a long with it.
My Intake:
Through my research I have realised that scenes are short and quick and are approximately maximum 2 - 2.30 minutes long. Taking this into mind, I will edit and adjust my scenes in my sitcom so they do not exceed more than that limit to make them punchy and snappy, which puts the focus on the humour but also because sitcoms are short you have to get a lot said and done before your time slot is done.
* (Please scroll to the bottom of this blog post to see what I have understood and how my research has effected my script).
Friday Night Diner Season 1 Episode 5 - 21 minutes
Sc Hallway - 1m 9s, Sc Dining Room - 1m 48s, Sc Hallway - 11s, Sc Kitchen - 11s, Sc Hallway - 26s, Sc Dining Room - 1m 55s, Sc Hallway - 12s, Sc at door - 2m 10s, Sc Dining Room - 1m 31s, Sc Pavement - 24s, Sc Chinese - 30s, Sc Outside Chinese - 1s, Sc Chinese - 2m 9s, Sc outside house- 1s, Sc in car - 1m 23s, Sc outside house - 47s, Sc in car - 50s, Sc hallway - 39s, Sc kitchen - 5s, Sc stairs - 4s, Sc car 9s, Sc stairs - 8s, Sc living room - 8s, Sc door - 11s
What happens in this episode:
It open with Adam nearly crashing with "bitch face" who will be part of that episode. From the beginning you get a good understanding of her obsession with her Mercedes. When Adam walks into the house, they all shout surprise for his birthday, and its revealed that his dad, Martin, will make tonights dinner. Throughout the night, it revealed that the grandmother cannot wait to try her bikini on and the creepy neighbour has come over again. As a prank Jonny tells him that a good Jewish gift is to bring a basket full of fruit.
When dinner is supposed to be ready, it turns out Martin burnt the food, so the family decide to go to a Chinese restaurant. Whilst there they bump into "bitch face" who comes over to the table and talks about her Mercedes as well as her mothers death. The boys can't stop laughing because she keeps talking about her car. At the end of the night, they have to drive to "bitch face" house because they mixed up their jackets, when leaving Martin reverses into her Mercedes. Back at the house, the grandmother tries on her bikini and gets locked out of the house causing the mum to crawl down the stairs to let her back in.
- Jackie is trying to figure out what Martin and "bitch face" did on their date years ago
- Martin is struggling with making dinner
- Boys are trying to convince family to just go out and eat dinner
Friends Season 2 Episode 2 - 22 minutes
Sc Monica's Living room - 43s, Sc Kitchen - 33s, Sc Living room - 34s, Sc Opening credits - 44s, Sc Central perk - 1m 40s, Sc Saks & Company - 1m 23s, Sc Central Perk - 1m 6s, Sc Saks & Company - 46s, Sc Monica's living room - 50s, Sc Kitchen - 10s, Sc Living room - 11s, Sc Kitchen - 55s, Sc living room/kitchen - 2m 31s, Sc living room 24s, Sc door - 8s, Sc Living room - 1m 28s, Sc Joey/Chandler kitchen - 1m 32s, Sc outside Central Perk - 10s, Sc inside Central Perk - 1m 42s, Sc Saks & Company - 2m, Sc Central Perk 2m 13s, Sc Kitchen - 30s
Ross's son comes by to spend the night with him. Chandler and Joey freak out about breast feeding and Ross assures them that it's a very natural process. Julie, Ross's new girlfriend, invites Monica to go shopping with her but the gang warn her no to because Rachel will be mad. As the series progresses, Phoebe and Joey try the breast milk which completely freaks Ross and Chandler out and Monica is arranging dates with Julie. Rachel finds out and gets really mad, but the girls make up after a good cry. Ross eventually tries the breast milk
- Ross is afraid of trying the breast milk and the gang are trying to persuade him to try it
- Monica is secretly seeing Julie and is afraid of telling Rachel
Big Bang Theory Season 7 Episode 20 - 21 minutes
Sc Cafeteria - 1m 53s, Sc Opening credits - 19s, Sc Sheldon living room/kitchen - 1m 46s, Sc Cafeteria - 2m, Sc Raj's living room - 51s, Sc Sheldon's kitchen - 1m 51s, Sc restaurant - 34s, Sc Sheldon living room - 2m 11s, Sc restaurant - 1m 47s, Sc hallway - 21s, Sc restaurant - 1m 9s, Sc Sheldon's room - 36s, Sc Shedlon's kitchen - 48s, Sc Hawkin's office - 16s, Sc Cafeteria - 1m 32s, Sc Hawkin's office - 1m 22s
- Sheldon is trying to find a new theory to research on and is completely freaking out, he neds up getting drunk and drunk dials Hawkins
- Raj is going to introduce his new girlfriend to Howard
- Howard is afraid of everyone finding out that he already knows Raj's girlfriend, because he clogged up her toilet in the past
Miranda Season 2 Episode 2 - 29 minutes
Sc living room - 25s, Sc party - 18s, Sc living room - 11s, Sc party - 22s, Sc living room - 10s, Sc baby shower - 23s, Sc living room - 2s, Sc opening credits - 9s, Sc shop - 2m 45s, Sc church - 2m 38s, Sc cemetery - 20s, Sc coffee shop 3m 30s, Sc party - 13s, Sc coffee shop - 1m 36s, Sc hospice - 57s, Sc hospice hallway - 24s, Sc hospice garden - 3s, Sc shop - 1m 19s, Sc coffee shop - 1m 57s, Sc parachute place - 2m 13s, Sc shop - 3m, Sc library - 55s, Sc children's section - 1m 16s, Sc shop - 1m 12s, Sc coffee shop - 2m 8s
Miranda attends her uncles funeral and realises that people wont have anything nice to say in her own eulogy at her funeral, she panics and decides that she will begin doing good deeds. She tries to help her mum organise a charity event but ends up getting kicked out of the group, she wants to become someones godmother so she can be with Gary but then regrets it and tries to do evil things. When she plans to do evil things so the parents notice she gets caught doing good things but then other people notice her doing doing the bad things. She decides to punch a vicar in front of the parents so they take away her being godmother. But, the people who saw her doing good things recognise her at the party and praise her, but Mirada just goes a long with it.
My Intake:
Through my research I have realised that scenes are short and quick and are approximately maximum 2 - 2.30 minutes long. Taking this into mind, I will edit and adjust my scenes in my sitcom so they do not exceed more than that limit to make them punchy and snappy, which puts the focus on the humour but also because sitcoms are short you have to get a lot said and done before your time slot is done.
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