Contextual Studies: TV Drama Screenwriting Analysis-Sherlock

"Sherlock" Which first aired in 2010,  is a BBC drama series primarily written by Steven Mophet and Mark Gatsis. Sherlock uses very modern techniques appropriate for the era it is set in, and is fascinating in terms of screenwriting. 

the series is based on two main characters " Sherlock Holmes" and "John Watson" and the interactions between those two characters is what makes the screenwriting so effective. 

In most episodes there is evidence of a solid three act narative structure, in most episodes we see the start of a story arc, there is some kind of equilibrium which is shattered very quickly y some kind of event e.g. a crime. As the scenes progress the writers are sure to include shots of particular places or items, so as to give more details to the viewer and subtly thicken the plot. However by the end of the episode the writers are sure o refer back to every subtle clue/ shot that they included and connect them together to create an equilibrium.

As mentioned the interactions between the two main characters are one of the strongest points in the writing. The writing is very different depending on which character is speaking. When Sherlock speaks there are a multitude of threads and paragraphs within his speech, some going off on different tangents, using complex words. The delivery of these lines is very fast and sharp, it would need to be in order to hold the attention of a modern audience, he writers accounted for this when writing and to contrast this they wrote the part of John quite differently.

As a character John's dialogue is written to be a lot slower in contrast, he often returns the comments of Sherlock with a simple comment or question that Sherlock then expands on. He is written to both react and feed the other character. However the writers did more than that with John, his character also helps play catch up for the audience. The plot of the show is very fast paced which i will go in to more detail about shortly, but because of this it is very easy for the audience to become lost in the plot. This is why John is written the way he is. He is quite a passive character, although in some scenes he can appear grumpy or frustrated, rarely does he confront others directly or explode with anger. He also has the plot device of a blog, we see him regularly at the start or end of episodes updating his blog (about the events he experiences working with Sherlock) as the series progresses. For this reason it is as if the audience is seeing things from Johns point of view. We the audience are relatively passive and are merely observers to the events that happen before us. However like John we do have some involvement in the plot trying to figure out what is happening ourselves. John's perspective is that of ours, how any normal person would react to the eccentric character of Sherlock and that in it's self is a very clever plot device.

As mentioned earlier the plot is a fast paced one. The writers are very clear when it comes to subtle details and mise en scene even in the scripts it goes in to detail to list the subtle details of every shot as well as considerable iconography of famous landmarks or buildings that tell the audience where they are. However when it comes to transitioning between shots, the writers are keen to cut out as much as possible. In fact The screenplays list very little about traveling from one location to another. However we are informed of how they get between locations since at the end of some shots we see the characters calling a taxi, occasionally sitting their intended destination, leaving the audience to fill in the blanks. This is a consistent feature throughout the series, and a useful plot device to keep a fast tempo.

When the two characters interact with each other we do see the transitioning of shots between close ups and mid shots. However the what is interesting is that the screenwriting makes use of pans and zooms so that the camera can follow the characters as much as possible. Tracking shots allow for the writers to play with the 180 degree rule.  However when the writers want to shift attention from one character to another they prefer to cuts instead of focus pulling, meaning there is more tension between them. This is a consistent element in the screenwriting as well as visual graphics. In many scenes very specific details and images are listed to appear on screen. These remind the audience of previous shots, helping connect the plot/narrative structure and create some kind of linear narrative. As well as bring you in to the characters thought process, something that is utilized in some other shows, but as a screen writing device it works best in Sherlock. This and other specific screenwriting elements, such as the way John walks towards/away from things (telling the audience how they should react); or the way dialogue is suddenly stopped mid flow to react to a change in the scene, are just some of the things that make the screenwriting in this show so effective.