Project Script Writing — Hsc Drama Individual

The HSC Drama Individual Project: Scriptwriting requires you to write a short but complete play for live performance, roughly 15 minutes in length. It is a solo creative endeavor where you take on the role of the playwright to develop a piece that can be practically staged. Core Requirements

To avoid penalties, you must strictly follow these NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) parameters:

Length: A complete play of approximately 15 minutes running time, which translates to 15–25 A4 pages.

Formatting: The script must be typed in Times New Roman, 12 point font, using double spacing. Included Components: Coversheet: The first page of your submission.

Rationale: A 300-word statement outlining your directorial vision and the overall intention of the project.

Character List: A "Dramatis Personae" describing roles, ages, and relationships.

Stage Directions: Sufficient detail to demonstrate that the play is practical for a live production. Marking Criteria

Your work is marked out of 30, with 10 marks allocated to each of the following areas:

Concept: Originality, clarity, and the sustainability of your theatrical vision.

Dramatic Action: How effectively you structure the plot, build tension, and move the narrative forward on stage.

Dramatic Language: The use of sophisticated dialogue and authentic character voices that create meaning beyond simple description. The Logbook

You must maintain a logbook throughout the process, which will be retained by your school but may be requested by NESA for verification. Assessment and reporting in Drama | NSW Government

HSC Drama Individual Project (IP) in Scriptwriting requires you to write an original, complete play for live performance. Your script must be designed for the stage—not film—and clearly communicate a sustained theatrical concept to a live audience. 1. Mandatory NESA Requirements

To avoid penalties or being disregarded by examiners, you must strictly follow these formatting and length rules: Running Time: Approximately 15 minutes. Page Count: 15 and 25 A4 pages Typography: Times New Roman, size 12 font double spacing Components: You must submit the script, a 300-word rationale documenting your process. 2. Script Structure & Conventions

A professional-standard HSC script should include specific sections in this order: Drama HSC Scriptwriting - Pears - WordPress.com

HSC Drama Individual Project (IP) in Scriptwriting , you must submit an original complete play script designed for a live theatrical performance Education NSW Core Submission Requirements The Script : A complete play with approximately 15 minutes of running time. 300-word statement

placed at the beginning of your project explaining your overall dramatic intention and the approach taken.

: A mandatory record of your creative process, including research, drafts, and reflections on your directorial and writing choices. Formatting & Technical Standards Strict adherence to these NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) guidelines is required to avoid penalties: 15 to 25 A4 pages Typography Times New Roman Double-spaced throughout. Theatrical Conventions

: Must include a character/role list and professional dialogue formatting. Stage Directions : Must be detailed enough to prove the play is practicable for live production Critical Content Advice Theatre, Not Film

: Avoid cinematic techniques like frequent jump cuts or voiceovers; focus on what a live audience sees on a physical stage. Sustain Style

: Choose and maintain a specific theatrical style (e.g., Absurdism, Realism, or Magical Realism) throughout the entire script. Audience Engagement

: Move beyond a "teenage voice" to create a more sophisticated, complex theatrical experience. Originality hsc drama individual project script writing

: You can write a completely new narrative or theatrically reshape a known story in an original way. NSW Government The Logbook Process Your logbook should be used regularly and include: : Your initial "contract" or vision for the piece. : Evidence of theatrical styles or themes you explored.

: Documentation of changes and redrafts with explanations of why you shifted direction.

: Notes from advisors (like your teacher) or peer audiences who read your drafts. WordPress.com 300-word rationale standard script layout

Project advice – scriptwriting - NSW Department of Education

Importantly, you must ensure that the script is between 15 to 25 A4 pages, using double spacing and size 12 Times New Roman font. Education NSW Curriculum secondary learners - Scriptwriting - Google

of approximately 15 minutes running time. The script must be typed on A4 paper with double spacing in Times New Roman 12 point. Curriculum secondary learners - Scriptwriting - Google

The HSC Drama Individual Project (IP) in Scriptwriting is a comprehensive creative task where students develop an original 15-minute play from concept to final draft. It is worth 30 marks and requires a balance of theatrical vision, technical formatting, and practical stagecraft. Core Requirements & Format

Adhering to NESA's strict technical guidelines is essential to avoid penalties.

Length: A complete play approximately 15 minutes in running time, which typically translates to 15–25 A4 pages.

Layout: Must be double-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font. Components: The final submission must include:

A 300-word rationale explaining your directorial concept and vision. A title page and character/role list (dramatis personae).

Detailed stage directions to demonstrate how the action works for a live production. Assessment Criteria (30 Marks Total)

Markers evaluate your project across three key areas, each worth 10 marks:

Concept: Originality, clarity, and the integrity of a sustained theatrical concept.

Dramatic Structure: How the narrative moves forward, using elements of drama like tension, pace, and climax to engage an audience.

Dramatic Language: The effectiveness of dialogue, subtext, and visual/aural imagery in communicating character and theme. Key Strategies for Success

Write for the Stage, Not Screen: A common mistake is writing a screenplay. Your script must explicitly communicate action meant for a live audience, accounting for theatrical space and movement.

Find Your "Statement": High-scoring projects don't just "show" a topic; they "say" something about it. Narrow your focus to one clear message to ensure a sustained concept.

Show, Don't Tell: Use "what is not said" to create tension. Cut back on heavy dialogue and use gestures, subtext, and stage directions to reveal character emotions.

Maintain the Logbook: Use your logbook daily to record research into theatrical styles (like Absurdism or Realism), draft revisions, and feedback from mentors. Common Pitfalls to Avoid Drama HSC Scriptwriting - Pears - WordPress.com

A Sample HSC Script Excerpt

SCENE ONE

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT


A disaster. Takeout containers form mountains on the
counter. The fridge hums like a dying animal.


JULIE (17), in a school uniform two sizes too small,
stares at a microwave burrito as if it holds the
meaning of life.


JIM (50s) enters. He wears a business suit and a
hangover. He does not turn on the light.


JIM
You're supposed to be at your mother's.


JULIE
(without turning)
You're supposed to be sober.


(a beat)


I said that out loud, didn't I?

Why this works: Clear scene headings, visual descriptions that imply mood, and dialogue that subverts expectations.

The "What If?" Exercise

Title: The Last Wide Open Space

Characters:

Setting: A dusty, half-empty bedroom. One cardboard box labelled "KEEP," another labelled "GOODWILL." A single chair. A phone on the floor.

Time: Now. Late afternoon.

(The stage is empty for 3 seconds. Then, ELLIOT enters carrying a small, ugly ceramic bird. They hold it like a holy relic. They don’t sit. They just stand in the middle of the room.)

ELLIOT (to the bird) You’re not even pretty. You’re lopsided. The beak is chipped. I think that’s actually paint from a different project. Mum made you in Year 9 art. She got a D. She kept you anyway.

(Elliot places the bird carefully into the KEEP box.)

The thing about moving is – everyone says “you get to start fresh.” As if fresh is a gift. Fresh is just another word for empty. No one tells you that the emptiness makes a sound. It’s not silence. It’s a low hum. Like a fridge when there’s nothing inside.

(Elliot picks up the phone, scrolls, puts it down again.)

I texted them. “Hey. Moving Saturday. Come say goodbye?” Three dots. Nothing. Three dots. Nothing. Finally: “Sorry dude, work.” Work. Since when does Jake have work? Jake’s job is vaping behind the sheds and quoting The Office.

(Elliot starts pulling things out of the GOODWILL box – a scarf, a CD, a broken watch.)

This scarf. Zoe knitted it for me. Took her three months. She cried when she gave it to me. I wore it once. It’s itchy. It’s the colour of vomit. But she cried. So I said “I love it.” That’s the problem, isn’t it? We spend so much time saying the thing that keeps the peace, we forget what the truth sounds like.

(Elliot holds the scarf up to their face.) The HSC Drama Individual Project: Scriptwriting requires you

Truth: I’m terrified. Not of the new school. Not of the new house. I’m terrified that six months from now, I’ll be standing in some other dusty room, and I won’t remember the sound of Jake’s laugh. Or the way Zoe says “wait, wait, wait” before she tells a story. Or the crack in the ceiling above my bed that looked like a horse.

(Elliot shoves the scarf into the GOODWILL box. Then hesitates. Takes it back out. Holds it.)

Mum says “you’ll make new friends.” Mum means well. Mum also has seventeen unopened boxes from the last move. Mum drinks tea and stares at the wall and calls it “resting.”

(Elliot wraps the scarf around their neck. It’s too hot for it. They don’t care.)

I tried to write a goodbye speech. For assembly. You know, senior year, leaving mid-term, “Elliot’s moving again.” I wrote: “Thank you for letting me pretend I belonged here.” That was it. That was the whole speech. Mrs. Patterson said it was “too honest.” She suggested a joke instead. So I wrote: “What do you call a moving van full of regrets? My life.” Everyone laughed. I wanted them to laugh. But I also wanted someone – just one person – to say “that’s not funny.”

(Elliot sits down on the floor. Not the chair. The floor.)

Here’s the real speech. The one I’m not going to give.

(Elliot looks directly at the audience. Not breaking the fourth wall – inhabiting it.)

“I have lived in four different towns. I have been the new kid four times. I have learned four different ways to say ‘where’s the bathroom?’ and four different lunch table hierarchies. And every single time, I leave a version of myself behind. Not a ghost. A draft. An almost-finished thing that never got submitted. I am made of drafts. Half-written letters. Unsaid goodbyes. This year, I thought maybe I’d get to finish something. Maybe I’d get to be the person who stays. But the boxes are packed. And the bird is in the KEEP box. And the scarf is around my neck. And that’s it.”

(Pause. Long one.)

I’m not going to read that. Because if I read it, it becomes real. And if it’s real, then I have to admit that I’m not just moving houses. I’m moving out of the version of myself that almost, finally, started to breathe.

(Elliot unwraps the scarf. Folds it. Places it gently in the KEEP box. Next to the bird.)

I’ll keep the itchy scarf. I’ll keep the lopsided bird. I’ll keep the crack in the ceiling that looked like a horse. I’ll keep all the drafts.

(Elliot stands up. Picks up the GOODWILL box. Carries it to the edge of the light.)

And I’ll leave the rest for someone else to find.

(Elliot pauses at the edge. Doesn’t turn back.)

Tomorrow I’ll learn a new way to say “where’s the bathroom.” I’ll learn a new lunch table. And maybe – just maybe – this time, I’ll finish the draft.

(Blackout.)

END.

Part 6: Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)

The Logbook: Your Intellectual Passport

If the Script is the product, the Logbook is the process. In the HSC, you are marked on your ability to reflect, analyse, and synthesise ideas. A brilliant script with a poor logbook will struggle to achieve a high band.

Your logbook should document: