Act Structure

Each episode of Astronuts is to be between 20 and 30 minutes in length. A general rule of thumb is that the episode would roughly fit a half-hour television time slot if it had commercials.

Scripts for Astronuts should be between 20 and 30 pages long, and should be written in the standard format used for Hollywood dramatic television productions. A template for this format can be found at the bottom of this page.

Each Astronuts episode consists of four components:

• Teaser: 3-5 pages in length, the teaser is the "hook" that attracts viewers to watch the rest of the episode.
• Act One: 5-8 pages in length. Act one usually begins with a "hero's log," a voiceover that explains the situation that began in the teaser.
• Act Two: 5-8 pages in length.
• Act Three: 5-8 pages in length. The story's conflicts are resolved by the end of this act.

Following act three, each episode will feature "scenes from upcoming episodes." In actuality this is a quick succession of scene fragments that entice the viewer to look forward to future stories.

Plot Structure

Most Astronuts stories should have an A/B plot structure. The plots become evident early in act one. Subsequent scenes alternate between plot A and plot B. Both plots should reach their resolution at or near the end of act three. It is preferable to have plots A and B affect each other in some fashion, so that the events of one plot heighten the tension in the other plot.

Recurring Elements

• Lieutenant Thugg dies in every episode, but is revived after the next commercial break. When Doctor Six of One examines Thugg's body, she always reports, "She's dead. Again."
• Flak T. Flotsam overuses his catchphrase "Let's kick some (fill-in-the-blank) hiney."
• Dinero Fleece often uses the phrase "That gives me an idea."
• Chip Johnson often discovers solutions to problems that the crew faces. When he mentions a solution, the crew ignores him. He finally says "Does anyone have the time?" When the crew stops to check their nonexistent wristwatches, Chip implements his solution, getting them out of their predicament. He then has to get the crew's attention from their bare wrists to let them know that the problem has been solved.
• Monty often messes up machinery, but bungles his way into fixing the problem. The crew thinks Monty's a miracleworker.

Other Notes

• Astronuts is a science-fiction spoof. Feel free to sprinkle into the script occasional, humorous references to "real" science-fiction productions. For example, in episode #1, "Short End of the Stick," Doodad remarks that "In space, no one can hear you clap." Avoid exact or lengthy quotes from other television series or movies. After all, we're poking fun at other works -- we're not remaking them!

• Although the crew of the Millisecond Canary is supposed to be the second-best group of space heroes in the galaxy, they're actually a bunch of weird and at times incompetent people. Despite their quirks, our heroes usually manage to save the day by the end of the episode.

• A typical episode of Astronuts can feature a large cast of characters. There are eight "heroes" who appear in each episode, and there may be a half-dozen or more other speaking parts that change from episode to episode. In most cases, the focus of the story should be on the "heroes."

• Keep in mind the www.shoestringscifi.com philosophy of making movies on the cheap. While the people who produce our episodes are a creative and resourceful lot, their time is restricted by such nuisances as their jobs, families, and "real life." Don't write an unmakable episode. Consult with the executive producer and series creator Greg Tyler if you aren't sure what is or isn't doable.

• Have fun!

This is a script format template. Use this and completed episode scripts as guides when you write your own scripts.

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     ASTRONUTS: "Episode Title" - REV. DATE - ACT NUMBERWORD       XX.

Scene                                                       Scene

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                         CHARACTERNAME (V.O./O.S.)
                    (stage direction)
               Dialogblock
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