The Role Of The Writer
Commissioning Bodies – Summary
List 5 ways a script can go into production
A script can go into production through:
Corporations,
Independent production companies,
Independent directors or producers,
Organisations,
Competitions
A corporation like the BBC commissions content by operating a rolling, genre-based commissioning process. It means that suppliers, writers or producers can send them ideas at any given time and if it matches with their criteria and their plans, then they may ask for further development. As they receive huge volumes of ideas, their time with commissioners is based primarily on the strength of the idea at hand, if a weaker idea is presented to them, they’re less likely to continue with it.
An Independent Production Company like Hartswood Films commission content themselves. Hartswood Films commission content themselves. Hartswood films create landmark drama and comedy for leading broadcasters around the world. They work with writers such as directors Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss who conceived the new look ‘Sherlock’, they visited the BBC to acquire the funding required and turned their visions into shows that engage and enrapture international audiences.
An Independent director like Quentin Tarantino writes and directs their own screenplays and have direct involvement with other directors. As well as directing and writing his own screenplays, Tarantino also writes other films for other directors such as ‘True Romance’ directed by Tony Scott in 1993 and ‘From dusk til Dawn’ which was directed by Robert Rodriquez in 1996.
Organisations such as ‘The Script Factory’ and ‘Screenskills’ help to aid and nurture screenwriters as well as people associated with them. Although they don’t finance screenplay development, they do offer help developing scripts and giving advice in improving them. The BBC writer’s room is another example of an organisation that offer help in screenwriting, with them giving step-by-step instructions on how to write and structure your piece. They also advise you on how to word things for certain genres and give pros and cons of what to do.
Competitions often run-in western countries such as America and the UK. This is put in place to find new talent. Competitions often run all the time and are a great way for writers to gain some recognition. Another fairly well-known competition is ‘The Blue Cat’ screenplay competition, which is another great competition to enter, with the hopes of winning and having your production broadcast.
What’s the likely process for getting commissioned?
The commissioning process is the process of an idea being taken and altered in order to fit the standards of the director or the writer. The idea is then presented to a production company of any scale like Hartswood Films who are a smaller company or Disney who are a multi-national conglomerate.
The process of commissioning is an agent or producer needs to submit the idea to the production company. They then need to submit a proposal through a registered production company. An email should then be sent to the company detailing some information and asking for further detail on scheduling and ideas. A reply should be imminent with a request to see the script and then a further reply will be sent at a later date letting the writer or agent know if they have been successful and ask to submit the full script. A call from the company will then be held discussing the idea further and the writer persuading the business to want to commission the idea.
What is optioning?
A screenplay option is contracted permission that gives interested parties’ exclusive development and shopping rights for your screenplay. It’s the step before the actual acquisition of the script. Producers and development executives utilize option agreements to obtain the sole rights to represent and produce the screenplay, then get the necessary budget before distributing the final production. They obtain those rights by having screenwriters sign a contract that states that the screenplay won’t be sold to independent people outside of the main party such as a different studio. Screenplay options usually offer the writer a fee to get them to take their screenplay off of the market, however the amount of the fee (if any) may vary depending on the budget, the popularity of the writer and the strength of the screenplay. Screen playing options mean that you don’t give up the rights to your screenplay indefinitely. There’s a contracted time frame for the industry to maintain the rights. Usually, that time frame is anywhere from 6-18 months with a year (12 months) usually being the average for most screenplaying options. However, the caveat to this is that the individual or company are allowed the first option to renew the contract for an additional period of time, often ranging within each third of the 18-month range.
https://screencraft.org/2019/11/21/the-screenwriters-simple-guide-to-screenplay-options/ - Optioning
Lee Hall
Lee Hall (born 20 September 1966) is an English playwright, television writer, screenwriter, and lyricist. He is best known for writing the screenplay for the film Billy Elliot (2000) and the book and lyrics for its adaptation as a stage musical of the same name. In addition, he wrote the play The Pitmen Painters (2007), and the screenplay for the film Rocketman (2019).
Hall was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1966 where he was born to a housepainter and a housewife. Hall originally wanted to study science and believed that he would later peruse a career in that field. However, once his studies had begun, he realised that science wasn’t his forte and began to shift his focus to English, with him changing his career path to him becoming a playwriter. Coinciding with this, Hall studied English Literature at Cambridge University as he stated ‘they have more money to put on plays’, whilst there he began writing his own screenplays and adapting pre-existing screenplays.
Hall has written between 30-40 screenplays as of 2011 with his most notable being Billy Elliot. Three of his screenplays have been adapted into films which in this industry is considered a good hit rate. Billy Elliot was the first screenplay of Hall’s to be adapted into a film which was released in 2000 and directed by Stephen Daldry. Hall stated that he brainstormed the ideals for the film, yet they were wholly unconnected and that when writing eventually began he completed the script within a two-week time frame but then spent a further four years trying to make the film. Daldry (the director of the film) eventually contacted Hall with the sufficient funds to make the film and the filming then begun.
Hall stated that when working with a director the hardest part is getting others to see the final product. On the contrary, Hall stated that it’s more difficult writing for theatre as it’s continuous and has no cuts. He stated that a plus side is that theatre writers are often more respected than films writers and that unexpected changes go through them rather than happening without their consent.
Hall has also stated that it’s difficult to pitch and get commissioned at this current moment in time. This is due to several contributing factors one being a lot of series are pre-commissioned meaning that a new series is already in the works. Furthermore, if your script isn’t optioned then it may be hard to promote and get your name out there. Hall also believes that inspiration from other texts is ok as long as it’s handled tastefully and professionally. Obviously, this doesn’t mean plagiarising and copying directly but it can mean using an idea that you like or resonates with you and altering it to fit your adaptation. Using these tips has enabled Hall to work with Richard Curtis on War Horse (Directed by Steven Spielberg) and writing the screenplay for Rocketman (2019).
Changes to the script
Script coverage – Coverage is a term used to describe an analysis of a screenplay during script development, usually by a script reader. It also allows you to submit screenplays to independent script readers. They will then carry out the service, usually for a small fee, it will then be assessed and marked, with a grade being given that has been determined by following a set of guidelines.
Changes to the screenplay – It’s a difficult position to be in when changes to your scripts are suggested. It’s difficult to consider if you keep with your original work hence keeping your pride and integrity or change your original plans in order to conform with the things commissioning boards would like.
Changes may be suggested for these reasons:
The narrative is too similar to another text,
The narrative is unworkable or absurd (e.g., having plot holes),
Budgetary constraints,
Changes to a script can also happen at different stages of the production process. This may be because certain elements of the script aren’t feasible like certain locations, or it may be because of changes made by the producer or director to the script in order to make the screenplay more enjoyable for an audience when released or to make the script seem more authentic to the storyline it’s supposed to follow. These changes include:
Pre-Production – The script readers, editors, producers or directors may suggest changes to make the script more viable.
Production – Difficulties in production such as a potential location or securing of that location may impact on the script and mean that changes may have to be made.
Page Lockdown – When a script finally goes into production it will have been assigned a page and scene number, in order to make the long process of shooting a bit easier. However, if changes are made to the screenplay during production, there are strict guidelines on how those changes should be logged and later distributed. Page lockdown is vital if screenplays are to be filmed accurately and effectively. Locking a page means that when changes or revisions to the script are made, that they are then coded specifically and are sent out as individual pages. This opposes having to manually change the numbers of subsequent pages therefore saving time and resources. Furthermore, it stops cast and crew members having to transfer large sections of their handwritten notes over.
Working as a writer
Agents – In the industry there are few relationships that are as nuanced as a writer/agent relationship. However, many writers often struggle getting an agent as they don’t necessarily know where to look or know when the right time to invest in one, often leading many writers to wait until an agent approaches them. However, some writers are keener to go and hunt for an agent, who they then rely on to negotiate their contracts and finalise any other business opportunities for them.
Many writers often prefer to be repped by a larger company with a good reputation, this larger company often has numerous agents that are working across all aspects of the media. However, some writers opt for a boutique service often coming from smaller companies, these smaller companies often have more time for them and their services as they’d have less clients on their books hence enticing some writers to look for smaller companies to join. These smaller companies also have more time to chat with and update the writer as well as sometimes aiding in editing work. These are all further benefits of a smaller company and more reasons as to why some writers prefer them.
Obviously in terms of the writer's chemistry with certain companies, they won’t know about that until they have face-to-face meetings with them but having a good relationship with your agent is quite important as they are the people you have to trust representing you and your work, so it’s important to maintain a good professional relationship with your agent.
Many writers often struggle with when to approach agents. If the timing is immaculate, you are probably more likely to receive a positive response. Furthermore, if a piece of your work has won awards or has become acclaimed you are also more likely to be welcomed with open arms. The bottom line is a brilliant script will get you a brilliant agent, however it may not even be read by the particular kind of agent you want or may be read by them in the later stages of your career, however less established agents are far more likely to take you on after reading your script once. Unless you desperately need an agent however, then there is no need to accept the first offer that comes to you, as there are agents who push clients who perhaps aren’t ready too far, often leading to breakdowns in the relationship which is the key factor in a good agent. Furthermore, if the timing isn’t right there is no need to fret about it, you can simply just polish your portfolio by adding or refining a few pieces of work, set a deadline for them to be completed and try again when you feel ready.
The main thing writers struggle with when approaching an agency company, is what to approach them with? As they read scripts for a living, they are professionals at reading but also specialists at filtering out what scripts they want or interest them. You should aim to keep your letter brief, by simply mentioning what connections you have to the agent, perhaps a mutual contact or past meeting point between you such as an event. You should also approach them with a writer’s cv, which should detail your produced credits or if you have no produced credits, your portfolio. It should also entail any specific courses you may have taken like a script-writing course and should mention if you have any other previous industry experience.
Components of a screenwriting deal often include:
Against – This essentially stands for, the value of the unproduced script against the produced script (E.G., valued £3 million against £5 million),
Option – This is a contractual agreement between the producer and the writer/third party. This includes payment to hold ownership and rights to a screenplay, with option prices often reaching 10% of the overall purchase price,
Guarantee/ Front-end – This is the money guaranteed to the writer and paid upfront by producers regardless of whether the film is made,
Step deal – This is where the fee paid upfront will usually be split into gradual payments according to targets throughout the process of reaching a final draft,
Back-End – This is the money contingent on production and release, such as a payment triggered by the first day of shooting,
Bonuses – This is in addition to the back-end fee where writers may receive bonuses, which are often based upon performance markers. This often includes: box office returns; compensation regarding sequels; a budget bonus if the film attracts additional financing and a sole writer credit where no other writers were needed to be hired,
Professional Presentation
There are two main areas to consider when looking at professional presentation in relation to writers:
Presentation of self,
Presentation of work
When pitching a screenplay, it’s important to remember to keep it as short as possible. You don’t want to bore the people you’re presenting to or you’re highly unlikely to not get picked up. You want to try and keep it as detailed as possible in as little time as possible, by giving an indication to the plot, the characters, the setting and potential actors you think may be able to fill certain roles. However, you really need to make sure that your idea is original and exciting otherwise, it’s highly unlikely to be picked up and may warrant you a copywrite claim if you’re not careful. You also want to act professional yet engaging, you don’t just want to read from a screen as that just becomes monotonous for you and the people you are trying to impress, you want to wow them by using visual aids like pictures, perhaps dropping some humour in there, anything to spice up your pitch and make you stand out from the competition. You also want to remember to try and stay calm, pitching to anybody is nerve-wracking, but you have to try and focus on the potential reward rather than nerves. At the end of the day, it’s five minutes of fear and determination or a lifetime of regret at what could’ve been.
Time management
Meeting deadlines is crucial in any industry, especially screenwriting. Meeting deadlines, when commissioned, is an essential task in order to succeed as a writer. When trying to keep to deadlines you have to remember that it’s okay to be busy. Everyone has something going on all the time, it’s just a way of life, however that doesn’t mean you have to rush the creative process. Give yourself some time to relax and accomplish work rather than cramming it all in on top of other activities, this just leads to poorer results anyway. Work using mobile devices, if you’ve got a flight or a long train ride coming up then this is the perfect opportunity to complete some work using devices like laptops, tablets, phones or even just notepads. Times and places like these are great opportunities to get some work done in a somewhat quiet environment. You can also start pitching what you have to anyone or anything, whether that be a pet, a relative, a friend or even a hairbrush. Anything that you can direct your sole attention and ideas on is great practice to becoming more familiar with pitching as well as your concept. It also allows you to gain some feedback and make potential changes based of the results.
10 Time Management Tips for Busy Screenwriters - ScreenCraft - Time management
Legal and ethical considerations
What is plagiarism? - Plagiarism is presenting someone’s work or ideas as your own (often without their consent) by incorporating it into your work without any acknowledgement.
What is copywrite and how does it affect screenwriters? - Copywrite protects your work and stops others from using it without your permission. Copywrite protection is given automatically in the UK – meaning you don’t have to apply for it or pay a fee. Screenwriters in the UK get automatic copywrite on any body of work they produce, this means that any idea you come up with has to be completely original or you will more than likely end up with a copywrite claim against you.
What is bias and can screenwriters be biased? - Bias is where you have a strong inclination or prejudice for or against a particular person, group or idea with it often being seen as unfair. I think screenwriters can be biased to an extent because they need to do it in order to sell their product by making it it’s the best thing ever made, however there is a line, and it shouldn’t be crossed. You may favour your idea and script, yet you can’t start publicly bashing it and disregarding it as this may be seen as an unfair bias for your own work.
What is libel (defamation)? - Libel or defamation is where you publicly damage a person’s reputation, whether that be through a written statement or a spoken piece. Screenwriters need to be aware of this as defamation is a suable offence, so they need to be careful with what they say regarding other screenwriters of professionals.
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