Screenplay, Teleplay and Novel: (What’s the Difference?)
Fri 1 Nov, 2024

If you have been following my educative newsletters about some helpful writing tips, you will understand my mission to steer you towards writing certified screenplays that can be nominated for awards and greenlit for production.

Today, I want us to differentiate the look-alike terms so far as screenwriting is concern. Don’t get it twisted.

THE SCREENPLAY
Technically, the screenplay and the teleplay are the same in terms of methodology. Both require skills and intellect. But while both are described as writing for the screen-which of course they are,there exist some differences, in terms of style, no matter how slight. As earlier mentioned briefly in my course, the screenplay is considered visual rather than aural.

The screenplay is a film script. And in the Oxford Advance Dictionary definition, it is the “words that are written for a film or movie, together with instructions for how it is to be acted and filmed”. And by virtue of our knowledge of film history, film languages and the general characteristics of film, a film script or a screen-play tells the story mostly by pictures, without restriction in terms of location and story content and treatment which explains why films are classified.
Now let’s talk about Teleplay…

TELEPLAY

The teleplay is specifically written for the television broadcast, and therefore requires censorship in view of the mass viewership of the medium.

The teleplay combines picture and much dialogue in telling a story, while the screenplay is more effective with less dialogue.

A stage play will not achieve much in terms of understanding without much dialogue. Every information to be passed to the audience is virtually through dialogue, and symbols on set.
The radio play combines dialogue and sound effects for effective communication.
I am working on a more detail article about teleplay, visit my blog frequently for more tips and resources that will shape your writing career.

NOVEL WRITING

In novel writing, the writer virtually is the narrator or story-teller. He uses words to paint a picture. Here the story depends largely on the author’s use of language, sense of description and understanding of metaphors; and of course humor. Since, unlike film, characters are not going to be seen or heard saying the lines, the writer must be able to describe the character’s look, attitude, speaking culture, gestures etc. as well as the location. Readers should be made to see in their mind’s eyes what scene looks like through the use of description-metaphorical and otherwise, by the writer.
Wishing you the best in your writing career. If you want to jump into screenplay, then my complete screenplay coaching video series is your best shot. Sign up for our newsletter for latest updates.

Iorwuese I. Iorshagher
Author/Instructor: Screenplay In 30 Days

P.S. – “Be Optimistic and open, if opportunity(s) don’t come, create one”


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