screenplay
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screenplay / script
The written template for a film, television program, or play, containing all dialogues, stage directions or action instructions, and scene descriptions.
Der Regisseur hat einige Änderungen am Drehbuch vorgenommen.
The director made some changes to the screenplay.
The word is made up of 'drehen' (in the sense of 'einen Film drehen' — to shoot a film) and 'Buch' (book). So it is literally a book that serves as the template for shooting a film.
Ein gutes Drehbuch ist die Grundlage für einen erfolgreichen Film.
A good screenplay is the foundation for a successful film.
In connection with a screenplay, the verbs 'schreiben' (to write), 'lesen' (to read), 'entwickeln' (to develop), or 'ändern' (to change) are often used. These describe the creative process.
Die Autorin schreibt gerade an einem neuen Drehbuch für eine Serie.
The author is currently writing a new screenplay for a series.
The idiom 'etwas läuft nach Drehbuch' means that an event happens exactly as planned or expected. It can also be used ironically.
Die Präsentation verlief perfekt, alles lief wie nach Drehbuch.
The presentation went perfectly; everything went as if according to the script.
scenario
'Drehbuch' and 'Szenario' can be similar in the context of film or theater because both can describe a planned sequence of scenes. 'Drehbuch' is the normal word for the finished text with dialogue and precise instructions. In this context, 'Szenario' can also mean a plot or written outline, but it is often used more generally: it describes a possible future situation or a conceivable course of events. The words can be confused because both describe something planned. For the text of a film, 'Drehbuch' is usually more natural; for possible developments, 'Szenario' fits better.
Das Drehbuch enthält alle Dialoge für den neuen Kurzfilm.
The screenplay contains all the dialogue for the new short film.
Wegen des Wetters plant die Schule ein Szenario für den Ausflug im Regen.
Because of the weather, the school is planning a scenario for the field trip in the rain.