APPENDIX B

Multi-camera film format

Sample Script Pages

BETTER FRED THAN DEAD

A Simple Sample

ACT ONE

(A)

FADE IN:

INT. “BETTER FRED THAN DEAD” DINER — DAY
(Fred, Martha, Debbie, Bob, Curt, Diner Extras)

IT’S THE BREAKFAST RUSH. FRED’S BEHIND THE COUNTER.
MARTHA’S TAKING AN ORDER FROM DEBBIE, EARLY 20S,
ATHLETIC, LEAN.

DEBBIE

Ham and cheese omelet, side of
bacon, coffee.

MARTHA

(KNOWING) Atkins diet.

DEBBIE

Yes, ma’am.

MARTHA

(CALLS TO FRED) Ham and cheese
omelet, bacon.

FRED

Comin’ atcha.

HE CLIMBS ONTO THE DINER COUNTER.

(MORE)

2.
(A)

FRED (CONT’D)

Yo. Yo yo. Your attention right
here, if you please.
As you may
know, we’re all appearing in a
half-hour multi-camera television
production.

MARTHA

(LOOKING PAST CAMERA) That would
explain the live audience in the
bleachers, Fred.

FRED

Yes it does.

THE FRONT DOOR OPENS.  BOB ENTERS.

FRED (CONT’D)

What it doesn’t explain is the
deplorable lack of humorous
dialogue, pratfalls and the like.

BOB SLIPS ON A BANANA PEEL AND HITS THE DECK IN A MASTERFULLY EXECUTED BIT OF PHYSICAL COMEDY.

FRED (CONT’D)

I stand corrected.

MARTHA

So anyway —

FRED

So anyway, what we have here is a
little piece of situation comedy.
A simple little sample, as it
were.
But lacking a certain
je ne sais guoi.

3.
(A)

MARTHA

There, you’ve said it. What we
have here — —

FRED

Is a situation.

MARTHA

Without the comedy.

CURT COMES THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR AND SLIPS ON THE BANANA PEEL. HE TAKES OUT AN ENTIRE ROW OF TABLES ON HIS WAY DOWN. IT’S A SIGHT TO BEHOLD.

SFX: THE O.S. AUDIENCE LAUGHS.

DEBBIE

I stand corrected.

SFX: THE PHONE RINGS.

NO ONE ANSWERS IT. CURT LOOKS UP FROM WHERE HE LIES ON THE FLOOR.

CURT

Anyone gong to help me up?

DEBBIE

Nope.

FRED

Not a chance.

MARTHA

Don’t look at me. The longer
you’re on the floor, the funnier
it gets.

SFX: THE AUDIENCE HOWLS.

CURT CLIMBS TO HIS FEET. FRED CLAPS HIS HANDS FOR ATTENTION.

4.
(A)

FRED

Eyes this way, people. (WAITS)
So that’s about it.
(TURNS TO
O.S.
AUDIENCE) How’d we do?

SFX: HUGE APPLAUSE.

EVERYONE IN THE DINER STANDS, FACES THE AUDIENCE AND BOWS.

DISSOLVE TO: