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I know it's awfully specific and abstract, but that's exactly why I need help. We need a script for an animated series, but the thing is, we want it to be mostly improvisation based with little context while still having it follow a set story and set events (Think of the Dream SMP or those Sonic the Hedgehog livedubs). This is clearly very new to me. I have never written script, let alone for voice acting. The only writing I do is poetry and creative writing. There are ideas circulating around our little group and we have the full concept for the first episode, but that's all we got. I don't even know if the script should be in written form. Here's a little piece.

RL: Tell the contestants they’re good to enter the building now that they’re all here

(keep first impressions very short, a few words or something as it is literally just your character pulling up, the order isn’t important just a guideline) 
CS first impression 
Sr first impression 
PC first impression 
GB first impression 
Wi + Lo enter at the same time / first impression 
Cl first impression 
Nt first impression 
CM first impression 
CI first impression


(Silence for a count of 11 seconds, PC takes a breath to say something then cut off by ring light) 
RL: Thank you all so much for coming! Now that we’re all here, we can start the contest. Welcome to, [show name].


{super cool intro}
F1Krazy
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1 Answers1

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On TVtropes, look up "Groucho Does Something Funny". The trope is for a script writing technique where the writers would write a note in the script for an actor who they know can do better improvised than they could writing a line. (In the case of Groucho Marx, this was often written on the script). Most scripts have dialog scripted so the actors know the gist of what needs to get said, but are then given the freedom to play around with the dialog. For animation, it's often best done with a real scripted dialog, but have both actors in the scene record their lines in the same booth and have them play off of their interaction with each other. Animation works for this because the lines are often recorded well before the film begins animation. Usually, it's so that they can have the animators take some character blocking from how the Voice actors move while recording... but it also gives them some time to animate props that the characters improvise in dialog. Alladin was so infamous for this (with two improve masters in Robin Williams and Gilbert Gottfried as part of the cast) that the film was disqualified for a "Best Writing" award at the Academy Awards because the amount of scripted dialog that was actually in the film didn't meet the minimum requirements for the award.

If you look at any "making of" feature of an animated comedy film, don't be surprised to see the voice actors who are recored in the same booth often using props that fit the scene they are recording (In "The Road to Eldorado" the actors recorded sword fighting scene in the opening while having a sword fight with each other (they were foam swords) in the recording booth... and then when they did the lines in the script, the put the script down... but not the swords and continued their mock fight and the flynning that the scene needed... the dialog used in the final cut was from this goofing off and was not in the script.

hszmv
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