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Pandemic Screenplay Writing

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Pandemic Screenplay Writing

A fictional outbreak has disrupted a coastal town. Develop a short screenplay scene that creates tension without relying on a narrator. Read the mini-brief and sample first, then plan, analyse and write. Use screenplay conventions and keep the science responsible: focus on people, uncertainty and community response.

The brief: Harbour Lights

In the fictional town of Te Awa, a new respiratory illness has appeared. Public health teams are investigating, and residents are being asked to follow official updates. At the harbour community centre, volunteers are preparing grocery deliveries for people who need to stay home. Maia, a youth radio host, arrives with a recorder. Wiremu, who organises the deliveries, has just learnt that a volunteer’s household must isolate. A storm is approaching, and the team has ten minutes to decide how to adapt. Your scene begins as Maia notices an unanswered phone ringing on the table. Invent the ending; do not present fictional medical advice as fact.

A screenplay snapshot

INT. TE AWA COMMUNITY CENTRE – EVENING Rain taps the windows. A hand-drawn delivery map is pinned beside a kettle. Maia switches off her recorder. MAIA We can tell people what we know. We can also say what we don’t. WIREMU And the deliveries? The phone rings. Wiremu looks at the volunteer list, then slides it face down. MAIA We’ll make a new plan. Together.

1.In the sample, what information does “INT. TE AWA COMMUNITY CENTRE – EVENING” give the production team?

The character speaking and their mood
The scene’s interior/exterior, location and time
The camera movement and music
The story’s final outcome

2.Label each sample feature with its screenplay term: (a) “MAIA” (b) “The phone rings.” (c) “We can tell people what we know.” Choose from scene heading, character cue, action line and dialogue.

3.True or false? A strong action line can show a character’s feelings through something visible or audible, rather than explaining the feeling directly.

4.Rewrite this explanation as a concise, filmable action line: “Maia feels nervous because she is worried the town will misunderstand the update.”

5.The sample ends with “We’ll make a new plan. Together.” What does this line suggest about Maia’s attitude, and how does the short sentence shape the moment?

6.Plan the turning point of your scene. What new problem or piece of information interrupts the delivery plan? What does each character want at that moment?

7.Write a screenplay scene of about 12–18 lines, beginning with Maia noticing the ringing phone. Include a correctly formatted scene heading, at least two character cues, dialogue, filmable action, a moment of tension and an ending that moves the story forward. Keep your scene focused on one location and use sound or setting purposefully.

8.Screenplays are designed to be seen and heard. Identify one line in your scene that an audience could not directly see or hear (for example, “Maia knows the plan will fail”). Revise it into a visible or audible action.

9.In a brief reflection, explain one choice you made about dialogue, action, sound or setting to build tension, and name one detail you included to make the community feel respectful and believable.