The Ballard of Buster Scruggs - Script

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Style: The style of the script is very consistent to the genre which is Western. The script uses old dated language such as "ye" and "toil worn" and also the setting of American West can be captured in the language of the script with words such as "I cain't do it!" and "Lumps'n chunks". These words make it easy for the actors to translate the accent onto screen with the use of an apostrophe, used to create that old-style American West accent. The scripts helps to set the scene by the describing the locations in detail which makes it easy for the Director or cameraman to translate the words onto the big screen. For example in the story "Meal ticket" the writers describe the cart in very specific detail, " The cart:  a boxy thing whose plank sides bear carny-style illustrations and florid lettering weathered well down. The lettering identifies the cart as THALIA'S SEDAN. The illustrations are of great scenes from then history of drama-actors declaiming in Elizabeth garb, in Greek masks, in costumes of the Orient and the Nile and Cadiz, crossing swords, dressing busts, kissing damsels." 

Genre: The film is a Drama, Comedy in a Western setting and all the genres are consistent throughout the script. The script involves a lot of comedic elements with the use of one liners followed by an awkward pause to emphasise the comedy this is shown when one of the Cowboys are being hanged and he says "First time?" its the followed by a scared look from one of the people being hanged, creating a reaction to produce that comedic moment. The script's descriptive elements, as mentioned before, are used to set the scene of Western America as they only describe locations that are found in that area such as the Canyons and a Saloon. Both are typical locations in American West. 

Narrative structure: The script is split up into 6 different stories each with their own narrative structure. Each short story has a linear structure which means all the events in that story happen in chronological order. A narrative structure can be viewed in two ways the story and the plot. The story refers to the action and the descriptive elements seen in the script for example "We are at the very top of a Monterey Pine looking out past the back of a man who has scaled the tree and hugs close to the trunk". The plot refers to how and when the story is being told. The script starts off by showing us a book titled " The Ballard of Buster Scruggs And Other Tales Of The American Frontier" which informs that audience that the film is going to be presented to us like a book of short stories. 

Target audience: The films primary target audience is men 20-25 year olds with a decent income and enjoy Drama, comedies with technical language. There is also a secondary audience of 40-50 year olds who grew up watching Western such as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Both these target audiences would be interested in period Drama's where the use of technical and unfamiliar language are very common. They would also be interested in comedies or would watch a lot of comedy shows on TV such as Top Gear and Impractical Jokers which both feature groups of Men, that always find themselves in funny scenarios or challenges.  

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