The commissioning

process for scriptwriting

Commissioning Editor !   The main role of the commissioning editor is to select

programme ideas that they think are good enough to be aired. They will look through all of the submitted scripts before choosing the ones that they will think will work the best. Once they have chosen the best ideas they will give the production company a budget.

!   The commissioning editors work closely with the script writers. Each commissioning editor has an area that they specialise in e.g. drama, comedy…

!   They follow the production from when they give the production company the money all the way through until it is completed and released.

Producer !   The role of a producer is to deal with all areas of the

production that the director does not deal with. These things include legal issues, cast and crew, budget and the marketing of a product. They work closely with the directors and other crew on set. The producer has control over who the director is and who is cast to play the characters.

!   Producers are responsible for making sure that the production stays within the allocated budget.

!   The producer is responsible for organizing everything. They organize props, costumes, actors and make sure facts are correct.

Director !   The director takes the pitched idea and turns it into

the final product that the audience will see.

!   The director is responsible for all parts of the shoot. They have to supervise the placement of cameras, lighting equipment, microphones and props etc.

!   The director has complete control on what is happening on set. They can also have control during the editing process. They can tell the editor what shots to use and they sometimes delete whole scenes from the product.

Script Editor !   A script editor is responsible for developing the

storyline, making sure the scripts are suitable for production and finding new writers for scripts.

!   For each draft of the script the editor will work closely with the writer. They give tips and new ideas to the writer whilst making sure that the script fits the running time of the production.

!   They can change the script if the director is not happy with it.

Agent !   An agent is someone who is given permission to act

on behalf of someone else through employment, by contract or apparent authority. Agents are either general or special. A general agent is one employed in his capacity as a professional man or master of an art or trade, or one to whom the principal confides his whole business or all transactions or functions of a designated class; or he is a person who is authorized by his principal to execute all deeds, sign all contracts, or purchase all goods, required in a particular trade, business, or employment.

!   The agent usually take 10-20% commission.

Writer

!   A scriptwriter is someone that writes the script for a film or television show. Their main responsibilities are to tell a story in a quick clear way while still developing characters and setting. Sometimes a scriptwriter is responsible for adapting a book into a film script. Scripts are documents that present a story meant to be filmed, which means a script requires less physical description. The scriptwriter will, however, need to include stage directions as well as brief character descriptions so the plot and character development are clear.

Corporations

!   A corporation is a company that releases the finished productions. A corporation company allows a single company to maintain control over companies that seem to be unrelated within the wide range of entertainment.

!   An example of a corporation would be the BBC. They own TV channels for different audiences e.g. CBBC for children, BBC 1 for people who like dramas etc.. They also own several radio stations for different audiences e.g. Radio 1 is aimed at young people, Radio 5 live provides live news and sports coverage etc…

Independent Production Companies

http://thetvroom.com/misc/links-01-70.html

An independent production company is not owned or controlled by another company. They are good for creating low budget films or TV shows.

Independent directors and producers.

Independent directors usually produce their own screenplays that they have written themselves. Independent directors and producers work outside of a studio system.

Organisations

!   Organisations exist to help screenwriters work with actual writers. They help the writers to develop scripts. They also give feedback and tips on how to improve the scripts.

Competitions

http://pageawards.com/?gclid=CKmPoeWJhMMCFebLtAod6gcAag

http://www.bluecatscreenplay.com/2015-bluecat-screenplay-competiton-call-for-

entries/

Some organisations have competitions to help new writers get their foot in the door.

Commissioning bodies

!   I think that the BBC is the best commissioning body for a new writer like myself. I think this because they have a lot of opportunities for new writers. One of these opportunities is the ‘writers room’. This is an online extension of the BBC website that gives new writer tips on how to write a script and it also has competitions on it.

Chuck Lorre - Writer

!   He started of as a singer/guitarist travelling the country and writing hundreds of pop songs. After a decade of being on the road he started to write animation scripts DIC and Marvel productions. As well as writing script's he produced the themes and scores for animated series such as ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. A spec primetime script led to freelance work on the comedy ‘Charles in Charge’ and eventually led to a full time job on the NBC sitcom ‘My Two Dads’. His big break came in 1991 when he became a supervising producer on the hit comedy ‘Roseanne’

Agent – United Agents

!   United agents is a talent and literary agent that was founded in 2007 by Tim Corrie. The company represents actors, authors, cinematographers, composers, designers, directors, editors, playwrights, presenters and voiceover artists. Some of the people that they represent include Keira Knightly, Ricky Gervais and James Corden.

!   Agent Representation – This is when a writer will get themselves an agent to represent them in meetings. The agent will also promote the writer and their work.

!   Royalty Payments – This is when the writer of a script receives a payment whenever the film/ programme that they wrote is aired on TV.

!   Professional Presentation – The writer is expected to present themselves as a professional by checking their scripts for errors before pitching the idea or handing them to the cast.

!   Time Management – The writer needs to be good at managing their time because if they miss deadlines they could be viewed as unprofessional.

!   Pre production and planning – this is the stage that the writer will have a first draft of their script or would have been commissioned to write one.

!   Script editing – This is the stage where the writer will work closely with the script editor to come up with the final script the the director/production company is happy with.

!   Director or Producer Involvement – The director and producer are either very involved in the script editing process or they won’t be. The producer will be in constant contact with the director to make sure that the project runs smoothly.

!   Shooting Script Production – This is when the director adds a lot more direction and technical terms to the script so that the crew know what is going on e.g. Camera movements, angles etc…

!   Page Lock-Down - This is when the final draft is complete. After the page has been locked-down any changes that are made to it will be easily recognisable.

!   Adjustment during Shooting Stage – This is where a director could change a scene whilst filming if they feel that it is not working properly.

Legal and Ethical Constraints

!   Copyright – This protects the work and gives the owner the right to control it. It covers literary, musical or artistic work whether it is printed, audio video etc…

!   Bias – This is a prejudice against a person or a group of people.

!   Censorship – This is when something inappropriate is said and it is covered with music or removed from the production.

!   Watershed – This is the time of day that divides the daytime viewing with the night viewing. After this time the shows may include swearing or other things that are classed as inappropriate for daytime viewing.

!   Libel – This is when someone writes or says something about someone else that is not true and paint them in a bad light.

!   Plagiarism – This is when someone uses another persons work/ idea and tells people that it is their own work without crediting the original author.