Radioplay Script: First Slice
Posted 13th April 2009 at 05:00 PM by Peter Neal
Radioplay scripts are not much different from stage plays or movie scripts.
Their way of capturing the location and the action has simply another focus, as it's only the sound, music and dialogues we can depend on "telling" the story.
Here's an improvised example, which might already show how much fun you can have with writing a scary radioplay- in fact any radioplay.
:
There might be different models etc, but that's about the way how my scripts usually look.
SCENE 1
Characters: CLARICE COLLINS (soon-to-be-victim), TAXI DRIVER, our MYSTERIOUS KILLER
Location: a rainy city street
Sounds: Heavy rain, a car slowly slowing down and stopping at the sidewalk, a door opening.
CLARICE COLLINS (to the driver):
Here, keep the change!
TAXI DRIVER:
Are you sure that's the right
address?
This building has been deserted
for years....Still looks deserted, if
you ask me.
CLARICE COLLINS:
If that's the "Fletcher Tower", I'm at
the right place for my job interview!
TAXI DRIVER:
If you say so.....Good luck!
CLARICE COLLINS:
Thanks...
Sound: The door gets slammed and Clarice is trying to walk as fast as possible through the pouring rain to the building's door.
Slightly out of breath, she rings the doorbell.
After a few seconds of rainy silence, she rings the doorbell again.
We hear the cracking sound of a speaker and a breath of relief from Clarice.
KILLER (through the speaker):
Yes....?
ClLARICE COLLINS:
Hello, my name is Clarice Collins. I'm
here for the job interview.
Sorry if I'm a little early...
Sound: Her last word is accompanied by the sound of the doors being automatically opened.
Clarice is rushing into the building....
CLARICE COLLINS:
Why is it so dark in here....?
Sound: Before she even gets a chance to turn back, the doors are automatically closed. the hard sound of doors finally closing seems to echo through a big, empty hall.
CLARICE COLLINS (frightened):
What is this? What's happening?
(knocking against the closed doors)
Please let me out!
(Her breath goes faster. We can hear
her heartbeat)
Sounds: Somebody is slowly but steadily coming closer in the dark. We hear a metallic sound and the echo of breathing, which is probably coming from under a mask.
CLARICE COLLINS:
Don't come any closer! Leave me
alone!
Sounds: Clarice is starting to run in panic.
The metallic sound can be heard
again, like a knife scratching over a
wall...
SCARY "Goblin-type" music kicking in!
Their way of capturing the location and the action has simply another focus, as it's only the sound, music and dialogues we can depend on "telling" the story.
Here's an improvised example, which might already show how much fun you can have with writing a scary radioplay- in fact any radioplay.

There might be different models etc, but that's about the way how my scripts usually look.
SCENE 1
Characters: CLARICE COLLINS (soon-to-be-victim), TAXI DRIVER, our MYSTERIOUS KILLER
Location: a rainy city street
Sounds: Heavy rain, a car slowly slowing down and stopping at the sidewalk, a door opening.
CLARICE COLLINS (to the driver):
Here, keep the change!
TAXI DRIVER:
Are you sure that's the right
address?
This building has been deserted
for years....Still looks deserted, if
you ask me.
CLARICE COLLINS:
If that's the "Fletcher Tower", I'm at
the right place for my job interview!
TAXI DRIVER:
If you say so.....Good luck!
CLARICE COLLINS:
Thanks...
Sound: The door gets slammed and Clarice is trying to walk as fast as possible through the pouring rain to the building's door.
Slightly out of breath, she rings the doorbell.
After a few seconds of rainy silence, she rings the doorbell again.
We hear the cracking sound of a speaker and a breath of relief from Clarice.
KILLER (through the speaker):
Yes....?
ClLARICE COLLINS:
Hello, my name is Clarice Collins. I'm
here for the job interview.
Sorry if I'm a little early...
Sound: Her last word is accompanied by the sound of the doors being automatically opened.
Clarice is rushing into the building....
CLARICE COLLINS:
Why is it so dark in here....?
Sound: Before she even gets a chance to turn back, the doors are automatically closed. the hard sound of doors finally closing seems to echo through a big, empty hall.
CLARICE COLLINS (frightened):
What is this? What's happening?
(knocking against the closed doors)
Please let me out!
(Her breath goes faster. We can hear
her heartbeat)
Sounds: Somebody is slowly but steadily coming closer in the dark. We hear a metallic sound and the echo of breathing, which is probably coming from under a mask.
CLARICE COLLINS:
Don't come any closer! Leave me
alone!
Sounds: Clarice is starting to run in panic.
The metallic sound can be heard
again, like a knife scratching over a
wall...
SCARY "Goblin-type" music kicking in!

Total Comments 4
Comments
-
Posted 13th April 2009 at 07:26 PM by Almar@Cult Labs - That would be certainly a lot of fun- and much cheaper than starting to shoot movies, even shorts .
I love radio plays, because they're the perfect media bridge between books and movies.
They leave you enough room for your own imagination, yet give you the very best stimulation via suitable sound effects and scoring
You can do a small piece, a huge historical/scifi epic..it's basically only creativity setting the limits...
TBCPosted 13th April 2009 at 07:48 PM by Peter Neal -
Posted 16th April 2009 at 04:30 PM by Almar@Cult Labs - Hi there!
Anyone interested in horror radio plays should check out this site - http://www.themonsterclub.com/radiolibrary.htm
It's full of brilliant radio plays and they're all brilliant! I can't get enough of them - yes I do luuv them!And I know Peter does too
Posted 10th May 2009 at 01:05 PM by iluvdvds@Cult Labs
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