The Journey of a script

The Commissioning Process

 

Job Roles

The commissioning process is a big area and requires many different job roles, these are as follows.

 

Commissioning Editors

These are the people that help the product through every stage, the main job for them is to look at proposals and see if the new authors/writers work is good enough to be published. Therefore this job has the power to decide whether someone’s work makes it or not.

 

Producers

After the Commissioning Editor has selected someone’s work to be published it gets handed over to the producer who then has to take matters into their own hands. It’s the producer’s job to change the words on paper to visual media, to do this the producer has to organise a production team and go through different stages to make sure the end product is successful, these stages are

Development

Pre-Production

Production

Post-production and marketing

 

Directors

These are the people that change the words on paper to visual media. This requires a strong and creative mind set. To be able to do this process the Director has to select the right crew to make it, the right actors to perform in it and also the perfect locations to fit the script. After All the crew, actors and locations have been picked the director then has to direct everyone to bring the script alive. As well as managing everyone and making sure people are in the right places and doing things correctly the director also has to manage the technical side, this involves special effects, Lighting, Sound and even the camera work/movement. To make sure it looks and sounds right the director has to script edit, shot select and edit, also work closely with the producer to make sure they are happy with the progress.

 

Script editors

 Script editors work alongside the screenwriter to give a second opinion on the script and to help strengthen it, this is done by showing the screenwriter mistakes they might of made, for example there might be a problem/error with the script and it’s the script editors job to see and point these errors out and help to make the script reach its full potential without any plot holes in it. Script Editors are mostly freelance, this is because they are not always needed and they are never needed for the whole production, therefor script editor hops from script to script helping screenwriters perfect them.

 

Agents

An agent works for their clients by securing jobs and making sure they are getting paid the right amount. They do this by keeping up to date with what is currently in production and negotiating contracts and making sure their client is getting the right amount of money for the work they are doing.  As well as looking out for their recent clients it’s the agent’s job to look for new clients.  

 

 

Commissioning Bodies

 

Independent production companies

For an unknown writer it’s very rare they will be picked up by one of the big corporations, therefore they are more likely to target independent production companies, these smaller film companies have limited money and connections, therefore they usually do their own scripts, however sometimes a larger corporation will offer financing to help develop them in return for revenue generated. Examples of smaller companies are, Laika, Film Colony, Blue Sky Studios and Hartswood Films.   

Independent directors/producers

If you have enough money to support yourself with funding you can become an independent director, this means you are in control of what your product will be and how it will turn out. However is you choose to be an independent producer you can finance a screenplay, this means you have more responsibilities because all the decisions are made by you, so reaching the end and finalising the project is harder. An example of a famous director/producer is Robert Rodrilquez.

 

Corporations

BBC writers room is a web page which helps inspire screenwriters, it doesn’t offer contracts or financing but it helps the writers get noticed and this could lead them to getting a contract or financing for their screenplays. Other examples of sites like this are, The Script Factory and Industrial Scripts.

 

The role of the writer

Pre-Production and Editing

When a writer has finished writing their first draft of their screenplay they will go on to write another, however when they write the next they will not look at the first because this helps develop the screenplay as when writing the second draft things will get missed out and this means they wouldn’t have been important to the script. After writing both drafts they are brought together which brings the best of both dialogue and screen directions. After the writer is happy with the final piece it’s vital they get some feedback before sending it or showing it to any production companies, this is because you want to make sure it is flawless and the script is covering the wright target audience. After it had a second opinions if there are not any changes that need mending the writer will be at a stage to send it off to be commissioned. If the script gets commission the writer will be working with the script editor and alongside the producer and director.

Director/Producer Involvement

After a screenwriter has finalised their script and it gets into production they don't really have any input/involvement with the production stage, this is usually because when the script it bought its the producers and directors job to make it into a visual product, this means they can chop and change bits in the script to meet their requirements for making the film, IE changing locations or what a character may look like. Occasionally the writer will have involvement, such at writer Tom Stoppard, a Czech-born British Playwriter/Screenwriter. Theatre writers are very well respected in the media industry and for this reason they are more likely to have a part in the production of the product.  

The main job of the producer is to obtain the script in the first place, when obtaining a script they will discuss the price with the screenwriter and get the rights to the script so they can make changes if needed. When the deal is done the producer will gather a team of story editors to work alongside the screenwriter to edit the script if needed, the once the producer approves all the changed the production of the film can start. As well as finding a script a producer can also commission a script to be written, this means they can pay a screenwriter to write a script for them, meaning they can have a script written on an idea that already exists. 

The director is the visual maker, its their job to change the words on paper into the amazing visual we see on a screen. To make sure everything goes smoothly the also double check the screenplay to make sure everything is flawless without an hick ups which could happen down the line. A director can also write their own screenplays.

 

Legal and Ethical

Plagiarism – this is a big deal in the media industry; this is where someone steals another person’s work and tries to summit it as their own. For example stealing someone’s script and making it into a film. This is why as a writer it’s important to send your script to yourself through the post so if this was to happen to a writer they can prove they wrote the script and they will be able to sue for stealing their work.

Copyright – Copyrighting means you are protected from plagiarism, as explained above if someone steals your work and you are protected and can sue them for plagiarism if they steal your work.

Bias – If someone is bias it means they favourite one side of a concept, without taking another side into consideration.  For example the news uses writers and they have to be very aware of the impartiality rules and guidelines.
 

Making a Living as a Screenwriter

A life for a writer is not an easy life, there is a lot of work and its only for the strong minded and creative imaginative people. Their progress and income can depend on a number of things, such as Agents, Optioning and Time Management.

Agents are a great way for a screenwriter to increase their chances of getting work, its in the best interest of the screenwriter to find a agent that they feel comfortable with and trust as they will be working with each other. Its the agents job to represent the screenwriter and to promote their work and find work for them. To get an agent they first need to send them examples of their work and if the agents believes you are good enough for the industry they will ask for your best work which will be used to show clients and to get the screenwriter work. As a screenwriter it makes their work look more professional if they have an agent and therefore increases the screenwriters chances of getting work, which helps them make a living.

Optioning is when a screenwriter loans their work to someone for a certain sum of money for a time period. In this period the producer may or may not make it into a visual product, therefor during this time nobody else can have access to the script. This is a great way for screenwriter to make money, some screenwriters work is never seen on the screen however they make a living just from optioning their scripts.

Time management is a key skill for a screenwriter, they have time which they need to think of an idea, research that idea then write their script which has to be done at least 3 times (first draft, second draft, then merging them together to get the best of both). All of this has to be done with good time management, otherwise their script might not end up anywhere and if a producer has commissioned them to wright a script for them they will not pay them if its not done by the deadline agreed on. If a screenwriter has good time management it will increase their chances of getting work as they will create more script as they don't waste any time and they will also be reliable and more likely to get more work from a good word said about them.