Hsc Drama Individual Project — Script Writing

You have 3 days until submission. Do this checklist:

Formatting (Professionalism matters):

The Read-Aloud Test:

The Verbatim Check:

Do not write: “He feels the existential dread of a thousand forgotten ancestors.” Write: “He stares at his hands. They are shaking.”

What they say vs. What they mean.

| Situation | On-the-Nose (D Grade) | Theatrical (A Grade) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | I am lonely. | "I feel very lonely right now." | (Into a dead phone) "...No, you hang up first." (Pause) "Oh. You already did." | | I am angry at you. | "I am furious that you lied to me!" | (Slicing an apple very slowly, not looking up) "Your hair looks different today. Did you think I wouldn't notice the difference?" | | I love you. | "I love you." | (Handing over a scuffed key) "It's for the shed. Don't break the lock. It's cheap metal." | hsc drama individual project script writing

Markers read hundreds of scripts. Avoid the cliches: “Teenager fights with parents over curfew” or “Drugs are bad, m’kay.” Instead, look for specific, personal, or absurdist angles.

Try these high-scoring territories:

Before you write a single line of dialogue, you must understand the Rubric. The HSC Drama IP Script is a One-Act Play (approx. 30–40 minutes performance time) or a Full-Length Play (extracts provided, approx. 15–20 minutes of reading). You have 3 days until submission

You have 30 minutes of stage time. That is roughly 25-30 pages in standard play format (though HSC allows for denser spacing). You cannot have a 5-minute exposition dump.

INT. CAR - DAY. (You can't realistically put a moving car on an HSC stage).