A Collaborative Reflection Between Writer, Director and Actors: Table Read as Scriptwriting ‘Intervention’

Abstract

Comparing a script with the finished film can demonstrate how the words on the page translate into action on the screen. Without the development of the screen work, understanding this process in their own scripts can be more difficult for learners of screenwriting. This practice-led research project employed a read-through of a narrative comedy screenplay to examine how the creative collaboration of director and actors affected the script development process. The two-hour table reading involved professional actors and an experienced television comedy director and live student audience. As an example of collaborative reflection, the table reading suggests a strategy for scriptwriting as ‘intervention’ or formative assessment, which can help learners of scriptwriting to identify how effectively their words on the page convey their intended meaning. Rather than suggesting a seamless progression in the script development process, the table reading highlighted creative possibilities arising from collaborative approaches to script development.