Sylvia Parker and Jane Jackson explain why being a script supervisor, also known as continuity, is about being responsible for the masterplan of a film or TV drama.
They talk about what to do if an actor gets a black eye and the challenges of working from a paper script when you're shooting on the Himalayas. They also discuss why the timings are different depending on whether you are working on a period drama or one in which young people are speaking slang.
During production, a script can change up until the director blocks a scene with the actors. The script supervisor is in charge of the changing script, also known as the Bible on set. They work from pre-production right up to post-production, where they work closely with the editors and see all the storylines come together.
About Sylvia Parker
Sylvia is a script supervisor with over 20 years’ experience, working with directors such as Danny Boyle, Clio Barnard, Kenneth Branagh, Cary Fukunaga and Yorgos Lanthimos. Features she has worked on include the latest Bond adventure No Time To Die, Murder on the Orient Express, The Favourite, T2: Trainspotting, The Theory of Everything, Jane Eyre and The Selfish Giant. Her TV credits include the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games; Taboo, The Crimson Petal and the White, The Tunnel and The Hollow Crown.
About Jane Jackson
Jane is a script supervisor with over 20 years’ experience. Directors she has worked with include Mike Newell, Roger Spottiswoode, John Wells, Hugo Blick, Jacob Verbruggen. Her features include The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Two Faces Of January, A Street Cat Named Bob, Lawless Heart. In TV drama she has worked on Black Narcissus, The Honourable Woman, Black Mirror, Any Human Heart.
About this event
This is a video of an event that took place on 3 June 2020. It was commissioned by ScreenSkills HETV Skills Fund to support freelancers continue to develop their skills in high-end television during the Covid-19 crisis.
For more information about this role, go to film and TV drama script supervisor.