Quiet On The Set

Roll 'em. And action!

A Hollywood script doesn't look at all like a book.

I've seen several, thanks to a friend in the TV business. Sure, they have a cover like a book, but once you crack that thing open, you'll realize that it isn't a book at all.

No matter to ABC. They've got a promotion going that seeks to entice viewers to a debut program, and they're using Kindle.

If you have a Kindle, you can download the script for the pilot episode of Revenge.

That's right. You, an ordinary book lover, can read a genuine Hollywood script just like the stars use.

Without the descriptions supplied by the author, however, you might be hard-pressed to create scenes in your head that go with the words. Then there's the lack of internal dialogue and the written details that help you bond with the characters and understand what's going on.

A script is just the dialogue. It's the set decorator and the wardrobe department that do so much to make those words work. It's the director and the actors who flesh out words into recognizable human beings.

In a book, it's the author who sets the scene and describes the clothes and the emotions the character is feeling. A script doesn't have any of that. So why would a lover of books want to read something as flat and static as a script?

Well, it is free and we all like free things.

At the end of the Kindle download, you'll find a link that takes you to the pilot (apologies to Elton John) and you would have the opportunity to watch a brand new television show before anyone else who doesn't have a Kindle.

If you care about the Hamptons and the wealthy denizens thereof, you might be interested in the freebie. ABC is trying a new approach to attract eyeballs, which drives up advertising income, and they're willing to provide content in a unique format to generate some buzz.

Not the least bit interested in a toney New York enclave? You'd find it very interesting to read the script while watching the pilot. You'd be amazed at how much gets changed over the course of filming, as a writer's words or plot devices are shifted, sliced and diced.