The commissioning process 2

The commissioning process: Job roles

I will write about the screenwriter’s role and how they work within the commission process.

Commissioning:

In this essay I will be writing about the role of multiple roles that apply to the commissioning
process.

A screenwriter must be able to write compelling screenplays for films as a blueprint for a film. The
screenwriter must also work well with others as they will work with script editors and readers to
perfect the script to the best quality, this means they must be open to rejected ideas in a script and
be ambitious and realistic and be able to meet deadline. A screenwriter must have a clear
knowledge of story, plot and narrative as well as having a clear understanding of existing
screenplays. They will use their imagination to write fleshed out characters and write to allow
people to visualise the story.

A script reader reads the script, obviously. However, it is more than just reading it, they must help
the writer or writers with their knowledge of format and layout as well as the key points of a screen
play. They will often stick the current time to see what is trending to help the writer write more
towards a target audience. They will need a good skill of writing to write a reader’s report to identify
the problems and strengths of a screenplay.

A script editor will work with a writer to edit the script so good communication is a key to make
things a lot easier. They will also need experience of reading scripts or being a script editor will be
impossible if you can’t read. They will need to understand the process of development stages and
how to respond to audience that watch films. Analysing scripts is one of the most important
requirements as it allows them to identify a problem with the script and explain how it does not
work.

Agents will represent someone to help them get out there get the person work. Agents will help but
can decline. You will write a briefly about your work and E-mail and wait, they will contact and may
ask for more information and they the person must be patient. They will get them in the
commissioning process and help start things off.

The director will read the script and will imply their own vision/take on the script and will be the
head of where the script goes after it beaning perfected. Some writers will not agree with the
director of the changes made.

Producer – A producer is a person that is reasonable for bring people to together, they will often
offer contacts to secure a person for a time limit, making deadlines important. They will often
discuss in terms of money and amount they get paid during production.

Commissioning bodies exist in large corporations to independent ones. These bodies will usually look
for talent and bring them in to the commissioning process, these commissioning bodies will run
competitions in writing or filming making to find talent. Commissioning bodies can be studios,
production companies or competitions. Such as https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities
and https://www.bluecatscreenplay.com/

Working as a writer:

I will be writing different areas the writer needs to be aware of when writing a script.

Getting agent representation is crucial to be noticed by any company to do with film, they will make
you look more professional and get your work out to more people and companies, places like Hall
Agency Ltd helps writers get their work out there and has information of how to apply get accepted
and how to not get accepted, to really help writers get recognised.

Writers are involved mostly in the pre-production stage as they come up with ideas and write the
script. Sometimes other writers are involved for re-writes and the story can change a lot. Once the
script is complete and the project has gone into production, the script enters page lock-down
meaning that if changes are needed, it has to be done in a certain way. Once the script has been
printed and given to the cast and crew, the changed pages are printed in a different colour and given
different numbers and letters for example if page 1 is changed, it would be page 1a and then 1b if
changed again. This is so everyone involved has the same version of the script, so mistakes are not
made. The changed pages may be changed by the original screenwriter or they may be by others.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/mar/10/lee-hall-
spielberg-arthur-scargill-billy-elliot

A screenplay is optioned it is taken away by a person or a
company for a set amount of time and money so then they
can look over the screenplay. The writer will not be able to
send the script out again until it is end back due to the time
ending, they can have it. The person or people can adjust the
screenplay. If they like it, they will make it in to a production.

A writer must write a script in a certain layout with a certain
font, size 12 Courier. There are certain conventions in script
writing like having slug lines, character cues and dialogue
which are all aligned differently to make it easier for the cast
and crew to read. The image to the right shows a page from
a script that has been writen in the right font, size and stlye
of a typical script. https://www.celtx.com, this is a website
that allows you to write script.

As a writer you must be able to meet deadlines as this is one
for the most important things about writing. If you do not
meet deadlines, you risk putting production behind and you
will damage your reputation.

Legal and ethical consideration:

I will write about the legal and ethical consideration a writer
must undertake while writing a script

Copyright – the legal right to own
something that is printed, performed,
filmed, recorded, artistic or music
piece for a fixed time. This means you
cannot take a thing that is copyrighted
as it belongs to someone who has
claimed it under copyright. You can
contact the owner to see if they will
lend you the rights or pay for the rights
to use a product, name or etc.
https://www.ranker.com/list/films-
accused-of-copyright-

infringement/matthewcoleweiss?page=5, this website show cases a bunch of films that where stuck
with copyright infringement. The film, Cabin in the Woods is one example from the website, a guy
who wrote a novel claims that his idea was stole from his novel to make this movie, according to the
website this case is still being unfolded.

Bias – the action to treat one or a group of people fair, but not anyone else, when writers have to
write a group of people that may represent a group of people, to not
make it biased you have to try and see it from their point of view or
make it so then it does not relate to anyone by making the group
animals or aliens for example.

Censorship – Blocking content out of a book, film, news, etc. This
blocked content my not be suitable for target audience or is
obscene, politically unacceptable, etc. Censorship is used to keep
things suitable for the target audience, for example a children’s film
may have an action scene, but is too much for children, so they my
cut out some parts to keep the age rating for increasing. The
example shown to the right was pinched off
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15107384, this example
shows how the writer should be careful of the content they write, as
they must be open to things being cut from the final film if the
classification sees that it is inappropriate for age that it was wrote
for. The example film was banned at the time for the social unrest the film got across and at at the
time deemed not suitable. The film was banned for 14
years, but now it as a PG rating.

Watershed – Protecting children from unsuitable
material, by having a time this content is showed, it is
currently 9pm, but it progresses as time goes on that
films become more adult. Watershed is mostly for
children to block out violent, horror, etc films that will
affect the child’s heath or wellbeing. A writer also has to
be aware of the audience they are aiming at and
whether it the product will be affected by the watershed a film like Sin City will be played after the
watershed and quite late at night, something a writer must take in to account because of the age
rating, if writing for adults then they will watch it late at night.
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls000512597/

Libel – a false statement that is published to go against someone’s
reputation. People in the news industry will use libels to attach to
people who may come off a bit bad but make them seem worse by
using a libel. This case involved an actor Rebel Wilson and some false
information being passed through and she sued the company Bauer
Media. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jul/13/rebel-wilson-
vows-to-fight-malicious-bauer-media-to-the-end This shows how a
screenwriter must be careful when writing non-fiction as they cannot
write false statements about a person or company with no proof and
is 100% not the truth.

Plagiarism – taking someone’s work
and passing it off as your own work,
when someone likes an idea that
some has done in a film and straight
up rip it from that story and dose a
product that is the same or near
identical to the film copied. The
example for copyright would suit this
example as well as someone claimed
they took an idea and used it to make
a movie and make money. Another
example from

https://plagiarismsearch.com/blog/15-scandalous-cases-of-plagiarism-in-hollywood.html. This
example shows a write of a science fiction, Harlan Ellison show sued James Cameron off the movie
The terminator as it shared near an identical plot to an episode that Ellison wrote and was successful
and gained a lot of money.
https://www.screenskills.com/careers/job-profiles/content-creation/script/
https://www.screenskills.com/careers/job-profiles/content-creation/director/

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/screenwriter
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/tv-or-film-producer