I am a culinary student with an idea for a cooking show. Every book I have read, and all the websites I have visited regarding script writing focus on television shows and film, but since my idea isn’t the typical script, how would you go about putting it on paper to pitch the idea?
Is there a standard formatting method for cooking shows? I have an outline with my concept and details for various segments, but I would like to give myself a chance and don’t want to embarrass myself by submitting something that isn’t formatted properly.
–Donald
Pennsauken, New Jersey
Non-fiction shows like the one you’re describing usually aren’t written in screenplay format. To the degree they’re scripted, the format is often done in two columns, with video on the left, and audio on the right. The product page for Final Draft AV shows what a typical page looks like.
At this stage, I don’t think you need to worry about the script per se. Instead, I would concentrate on writing a proposal for the show, describing the goal, the host, the distinctive style, and how a typical episode would be structured — especially if there are multiple segments within an episode.
If you feel like writing the script for what the host would be talking about in the “pilot” episode, a two-column format would probably make the most sense. If any readers can point Donald to good examples of scripts from other cooking or home shows, please leave a comment.