Role of a script writer
Job roles
Commissioning editor - They listen to peoples pitches and will green light if the project will be made or not. This role is critical to production as corporations don't want to waste money on content that doesn't do well. If a production thats green-lit doesn't do well it will be the commissioning editors fault.
Producers - They deal with the budget, admin work, and the cast/crew. If a film goes over budget, if admin work is incorrect, and if a member of cast/crew is bad at their job. Then the producers are at fault as its their job to make sure this is all done without any problems. Victoria Alonso was a producer for the film Avengers: Infinity War.
Directors - They are the creative vision of the film who are in-charge of making the script into the real thing. If the film has mistakes on production, and makes it into the final production then it is the directors fault for not noticing. Examples of directors would be Quentin Tarantino, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg.
Script Editors - They will look at the script and tell the writers where there might be problems and more needs to be done. This role is important as if a script doesn't seem good enough it its the editors job to tell the script writer to improve.
Agents - Get work for writers, actors, they understand the industry, and knows the legal part of industry. If it wasn't for agents script writers wouldn't be able to find jobs. They are vital for writers to be hired, without corporations wouldn't pay any attention to the writer.
Writers - They write the script to fit the target audience. Will often tweak original stories. Need to be engaging. Most often freelance but sometimes work in writing groups.
The writers are the ones responsible for writing the film. They will write a script then sell it to whoever wants it. Then after they won't have anything to do with it again. Sometime they become producers. Question Tarantino is a writer and a director which is helpful for getting the script he envisions to look the way he wants on screen.
Commissioning bodies
Corporations - SKY, BBC, ITV, etc. The BBC is paid by the people of the United Kingdom. Each household must pay for a TV license, which will then go to the BBC, and then the money will be spread out all amongst the BBC radio, TV, films etc. The BBC are not allowed to be biased to any political story due to the fact it is for and paid by the people.
These are the people that will hire writers to write new TV shows, films etc. Without these writers wouldn't be able to get their scripts produced.
Independent Production companies - They make products for the corporations. These companies will often make the script for the corporations. Often they will find the writer through the agent and then will bring to script to corporations. An example of some production companies are RGR Video Production North East, Northern Bear Films, and Nova Studios Video Production.
Independent directors - They don't work for a company, and will be hired to direct films for the corporations. Debra Granik is an idenpendent director who made multiple films, one being Winter's Bone in 2010 starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Organisations - BBC Writers Room, Good in a Room, BFI Film Academy. They help writers kick-start careers. BBC Writers Room have a script library for people to look at the scripts for their productions like Peaky Blinders, They also have a website for aspiring writers to go to for help when script writing.
Competitions - FilmFreeway is an example of a competition which will help the winner get started in media. All winners of FilmFreeway since 2013 have been in pre-production/production. Each participant has to write a script then the best will win.
Demands and requirements of being a writer
Professional presentation - A writer needs to follow the format required for the industry. Film, radio , TV each require different formats to follow. Also you have to make sure you use correct font sizes as you might make pages to long, making the script look larger. Film, radio, and TV all need to be different, and heres why. First of film and TV need to feature both stage directions, and dialogue as it needs to be able to be visualized by the director/cast. Radio will not have any stage directions, and will instead need to be more focused on dialogue and might feature sound effects.TV will be different to both, as the scripts should be spread out over course of episodes. Each episode telling a story/progressing the story in a slow pace. Whereas a film only tells the one story in a couple hours, so its more fast pace. Radio will most likely just play music and advertisements with breaks in-between informing the audience what the song is on next. Also radio will not tell a story, unless perhaps it's a talk show or news.
Agent Represntaion - You will require an agent, as corporations will not risk wasting time with you unless they can trust you're good at what you do. Your agent must get you in touch with a production company first then the production company will pitch the idea to the commissioner. 'We aim to respond to all submissions within six weeks. Please note we only accept submissions from production companies.' They make it clear here they only reply to emails from production companies.
Communication - Writers must be able to pitch their work effectively which will require good communication skills. A pitch is when you have finished a script, and now you are going to a commissioning editor to see if they will pick up your script, and turn it into a production.
Time management - Writers must be able to follow a schedule, and make sure they finish before a deadline. As if they don't finish the script in time it will delay all production. A production with time management props will most likely cost more, and also have its release date delayed.
Royalty payments - These are payments that writers will receive depending on the sale of the film, and books with the script they used. The payment is spilt between the writer, agent, and producers.
Collaboration - Is when different writers might work together in a team when writing a script. Example of team of writers are the Coen brothers who script write together. They work together so they can share ideas with each other, and discuss what would/wouldn't be suitable for the script. Some films they have worked on is Fargo, and Hail, Caesar!
Handing over control - Once the script rights have been agreed with the purchaser the script is sold. Writers rarely have anything to do with pre-production, they sometimes might become a producer. Many scripts don't make it into production because there are more script sold than there is directors and actors in the film and Tv industry. Sometimes scripts are 'optioned' which means the production company buy the rights for a period of time so nobody else can make the script.
The script writing process legal and ethical considerations
Copyright - Scripts can be copyrighted to prevent other writers stealing your idea. You can take extra steps by registering with a bank or solicitor. Copyright will last for the life of the writer plus 70 years.
The Micky Mouse film Steamboat Willie is due to lose its copyright in 2024. Disney will still own Micky Mouse. But now people can now make their own Steamboat Willie films if they wish. Or freely use scenes from the film.
Plagiarism - Writers need to be very careful about how similar their product is to existing work as it is an offense to infringe on somebody copyright. Plagiarism covers word for word copying to changing some words, to stealing ideas and arguments. Plagiarism cases are settled by the originator receiving a credit eligible for royalties and profits accrued. A famous case of plagiarism is when George Harrison was sued for stealing a melody from a song called 'He's So Fine'. George used the melody in 'My Sweet Lord'. The court ruled in favour of Bright Tunes Music who was suing on behalf of Ronnie Mack. The judge ruled that George committed 'subconscious plagiarism', and accidentally stole it. George was fined $1,599,987.
Libel - This is then someone writes inaccurate and malicious thing about an individual, group or business in a written text or broadcast. Therefore research by writer has to be meticulous, so they don't have to go to court for issues through misinterpretation. To collect damages individuals must prove actual malice was intended. Melania Trump vs The Daily Mail case was when Daily Mail made false claims (libel) about Melania. They said she used to be an escort before she met Donald Trump. She then sued them for damages, and received $3,000,000.
Bias - When writing fiction, bias is an ethical issue. You may not want to represent people, groups, events and organizations in a bad way. When writing non-fiction is becomes even more of an issue because some programs like the BBC have a commitment to be balanced, and fair. The BBC have to be balanced, this is because it is paid for by the public, and it would be unfair if they were being biased to one side of the story, since everyone pays for it and some others might disagree with the story. Since Fox isn't paid for by the public, and aren't obliged to be balanced like the BBC they are pro Trump. Whereas CNN is anti Trump.
Censorship - Writers must consider their intended form and audience when script writing. The BBFC have script guidelines about what can and can't be shown on TV, video, games, radio and film. To make the subject matter more appropriate some aspects need to be cut/censored. This is often when depicting violence, sex, language, drug use, etc. Censorship can be different on different platforms. For example swatstika symbol was banned in video games in Germany until August. However, they were never banned in films. The reasoning for Strafgesetzbuch section 86a was to prevent any far right or far left ideas being implemented in peoples minds during the cold war. Having with it now being long over section 86a has been now lifted.
British Board of Film Classification explains the age rating and what each rating might contain. An example of a film that didn't fit the right classification would be the film Deadpool. It was rated a 15 and many people complained that was to low as it featured, graphic violence, sex, drugs. However, according to BBFC it all fits under a 15.
Watersheds - This is the point in time after which programmes with adult content may be broadcasted. It is when the TV shows become more aimed at adults, and isn't family friendly.
In the UK watershed is between 9pm and 5.30am but premium, and pay-per-view are allowed to start at 8pm. Programmes that are rated 15 can't be shown outside this period. However, some 12 rated shows can be shown before 9pm such as The Simpsons. There isn't watershed on PIN protected channels. 18 rated content shouldn't air until 10pm. Channels that are dedicated to airing adult content can air 18 rated content at 9pm. R18 rated content is not allowed at all. This BBC article states that Ofcom found 50 Cents, and a gang attack episode from EastEnders to be to explicit to be shown before 9pm.
Writers need to make sure when script writing that they don't break any rules. For example they shouldn't copy ideas due to copyrighted, plagiarize someone, or make false statements about someone incase they sue for libel. They need to also make sure they have a script that won't be heavily censored. To prevent censorship they must make sure they are writing for the right target audience. For example no drug use, sex scenes, no swearing in a film thats rated a 12. Also a writer must make sure they are writing a script suitable to be played before watershed if the show is supposed to be family friendly.
Commissioning editor - They listen to peoples pitches and will green light if the project will be made or not. This role is critical to production as corporations don't want to waste money on content that doesn't do well. If a production thats green-lit doesn't do well it will be the commissioning editors fault.
Producers - They deal with the budget, admin work, and the cast/crew. If a film goes over budget, if admin work is incorrect, and if a member of cast/crew is bad at their job. Then the producers are at fault as its their job to make sure this is all done without any problems. Victoria Alonso was a producer for the film Avengers: Infinity War.
Directors - They are the creative vision of the film who are in-charge of making the script into the real thing. If the film has mistakes on production, and makes it into the final production then it is the directors fault for not noticing. Examples of directors would be Quentin Tarantino, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg.
Script Editors - They will look at the script and tell the writers where there might be problems and more needs to be done. This role is important as if a script doesn't seem good enough it its the editors job to tell the script writer to improve.
Agents - Get work for writers, actors, they understand the industry, and knows the legal part of industry. If it wasn't for agents script writers wouldn't be able to find jobs. They are vital for writers to be hired, without corporations wouldn't pay any attention to the writer.
Writers - They write the script to fit the target audience. Will often tweak original stories. Need to be engaging. Most often freelance but sometimes work in writing groups.
The writers are the ones responsible for writing the film. They will write a script then sell it to whoever wants it. Then after they won't have anything to do with it again. Sometime they become producers. Question Tarantino is a writer and a director which is helpful for getting the script he envisions to look the way he wants on screen.
Commissioning bodies
Corporations - SKY, BBC, ITV, etc. The BBC is paid by the people of the United Kingdom. Each household must pay for a TV license, which will then go to the BBC, and then the money will be spread out all amongst the BBC radio, TV, films etc. The BBC are not allowed to be biased to any political story due to the fact it is for and paid by the people.
These are the people that will hire writers to write new TV shows, films etc. Without these writers wouldn't be able to get their scripts produced.
Independent Production companies - They make products for the corporations. These companies will often make the script for the corporations. Often they will find the writer through the agent and then will bring to script to corporations. An example of some production companies are RGR Video Production North East, Northern Bear Films, and Nova Studios Video Production.
Independent directors - They don't work for a company, and will be hired to direct films for the corporations. Debra Granik is an idenpendent director who made multiple films, one being Winter's Bone in 2010 starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Organisations - BBC Writers Room, Good in a Room, BFI Film Academy. They help writers kick-start careers. BBC Writers Room have a script library for people to look at the scripts for their productions like Peaky Blinders, They also have a website for aspiring writers to go to for help when script writing.
Competitions - FilmFreeway is an example of a competition which will help the winner get started in media. All winners of FilmFreeway since 2013 have been in pre-production/production. Each participant has to write a script then the best will win.
Demands and requirements of being a writer
Professional presentation - A writer needs to follow the format required for the industry. Film, radio , TV each require different formats to follow. Also you have to make sure you use correct font sizes as you might make pages to long, making the script look larger. Film, radio, and TV all need to be different, and heres why. First of film and TV need to feature both stage directions, and dialogue as it needs to be able to be visualized by the director/cast. Radio will not have any stage directions, and will instead need to be more focused on dialogue and might feature sound effects.TV will be different to both, as the scripts should be spread out over course of episodes. Each episode telling a story/progressing the story in a slow pace. Whereas a film only tells the one story in a couple hours, so its more fast pace. Radio will most likely just play music and advertisements with breaks in-between informing the audience what the song is on next. Also radio will not tell a story, unless perhaps it's a talk show or news.
Agent Represntaion - You will require an agent, as corporations will not risk wasting time with you unless they can trust you're good at what you do. Your agent must get you in touch with a production company first then the production company will pitch the idea to the commissioner. 'We aim to respond to all submissions within six weeks. Please note we only accept submissions from production companies.' They make it clear here they only reply to emails from production companies.
Communication - Writers must be able to pitch their work effectively which will require good communication skills. A pitch is when you have finished a script, and now you are going to a commissioning editor to see if they will pick up your script, and turn it into a production.
Time management - Writers must be able to follow a schedule, and make sure they finish before a deadline. As if they don't finish the script in time it will delay all production. A production with time management props will most likely cost more, and also have its release date delayed.
Royalty payments - These are payments that writers will receive depending on the sale of the film, and books with the script they used. The payment is spilt between the writer, agent, and producers.
Collaboration - Is when different writers might work together in a team when writing a script. Example of team of writers are the Coen brothers who script write together. They work together so they can share ideas with each other, and discuss what would/wouldn't be suitable for the script. Some films they have worked on is Fargo, and Hail, Caesar!
Handing over control - Once the script rights have been agreed with the purchaser the script is sold. Writers rarely have anything to do with pre-production, they sometimes might become a producer. Many scripts don't make it into production because there are more script sold than there is directors and actors in the film and Tv industry. Sometimes scripts are 'optioned' which means the production company buy the rights for a period of time so nobody else can make the script.
The script writing process legal and ethical considerations
Copyright - Scripts can be copyrighted to prevent other writers stealing your idea. You can take extra steps by registering with a bank or solicitor. Copyright will last for the life of the writer plus 70 years.
The Micky Mouse film Steamboat Willie is due to lose its copyright in 2024. Disney will still own Micky Mouse. But now people can now make their own Steamboat Willie films if they wish. Or freely use scenes from the film.
Plagiarism - Writers need to be very careful about how similar their product is to existing work as it is an offense to infringe on somebody copyright. Plagiarism covers word for word copying to changing some words, to stealing ideas and arguments. Plagiarism cases are settled by the originator receiving a credit eligible for royalties and profits accrued. A famous case of plagiarism is when George Harrison was sued for stealing a melody from a song called 'He's So Fine'. George used the melody in 'My Sweet Lord'. The court ruled in favour of Bright Tunes Music who was suing on behalf of Ronnie Mack. The judge ruled that George committed 'subconscious plagiarism', and accidentally stole it. George was fined $1,599,987.
Libel - This is then someone writes inaccurate and malicious thing about an individual, group or business in a written text or broadcast. Therefore research by writer has to be meticulous, so they don't have to go to court for issues through misinterpretation. To collect damages individuals must prove actual malice was intended. Melania Trump vs The Daily Mail case was when Daily Mail made false claims (libel) about Melania. They said she used to be an escort before she met Donald Trump. She then sued them for damages, and received $3,000,000.
Bias - When writing fiction, bias is an ethical issue. You may not want to represent people, groups, events and organizations in a bad way. When writing non-fiction is becomes even more of an issue because some programs like the BBC have a commitment to be balanced, and fair. The BBC have to be balanced, this is because it is paid for by the public, and it would be unfair if they were being biased to one side of the story, since everyone pays for it and some others might disagree with the story. Since Fox isn't paid for by the public, and aren't obliged to be balanced like the BBC they are pro Trump. Whereas CNN is anti Trump.
Censorship - Writers must consider their intended form and audience when script writing. The BBFC have script guidelines about what can and can't be shown on TV, video, games, radio and film. To make the subject matter more appropriate some aspects need to be cut/censored. This is often when depicting violence, sex, language, drug use, etc. Censorship can be different on different platforms. For example swatstika symbol was banned in video games in Germany until August. However, they were never banned in films. The reasoning for Strafgesetzbuch section 86a was to prevent any far right or far left ideas being implemented in peoples minds during the cold war. Having with it now being long over section 86a has been now lifted.
British Board of Film Classification explains the age rating and what each rating might contain. An example of a film that didn't fit the right classification would be the film Deadpool. It was rated a 15 and many people complained that was to low as it featured, graphic violence, sex, drugs. However, according to BBFC it all fits under a 15.
Watersheds - This is the point in time after which programmes with adult content may be broadcasted. It is when the TV shows become more aimed at adults, and isn't family friendly.
In the UK watershed is between 9pm and 5.30am but premium, and pay-per-view are allowed to start at 8pm. Programmes that are rated 15 can't be shown outside this period. However, some 12 rated shows can be shown before 9pm such as The Simpsons. There isn't watershed on PIN protected channels. 18 rated content shouldn't air until 10pm. Channels that are dedicated to airing adult content can air 18 rated content at 9pm. R18 rated content is not allowed at all. This BBC article states that Ofcom found 50 Cents, and a gang attack episode from EastEnders to be to explicit to be shown before 9pm.
Writers need to make sure when script writing that they don't break any rules. For example they shouldn't copy ideas due to copyrighted, plagiarize someone, or make false statements about someone incase they sue for libel. They need to also make sure they have a script that won't be heavily censored. To prevent censorship they must make sure they are writing for the right target audience. For example no drug use, sex scenes, no swearing in a film thats rated a 12. Also a writer must make sure they are writing a script suitable to be played before watershed if the show is supposed to be family friendly.
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