Commissioning a Screenplay
“I am the Screenwriter; the screenplay is mine. He is the Director. The film is his. I’ve said this before: When I feel like being a Director, I write a novel”
John Irving
Producing a Screenplay may be a challenge in itself but getting it commissioned is a challenge in its own right, it is a lengthy process with many legal and ethical obligations to take into consideration.
So what is the commissioning process? Well with any idea for film or television, it must go through a process where the initial screenplay is dissected and analysed to see whether it is suitable for the specific genre & broadcaster. Typically the screenplay will go through many different individuals until it is word perfect for production, these individuals have their own roles in the development process, one being the Development Executive, whose job it is to find screenwriters who will provide screenplays, they will also stay with the screenplay as it goes from expert to expert until it is ready for production. The Script Editor is essentially the go between, being in charge of liaising with the producer and the screenwriter who he/she would work closely with and is very hands on when it comes to turning the concept into a producible blueprint for a film/programme. The next player in the commissioning process is a Script Reader, who is not necessarily as hands on as the Script Editor or Writer, but role is just as important as they are the ones who are specialised in analysing and critiquing the screenplay as it is developed, and will also offer advice and recommendations on how it can be developed further. This is the ideal route a writer will take for developing a screenplay for both film and TV, but the issue with this as sometimes during the process so many bits and pieces from the original concept are altered and replaced so much that the screenwriters don’t feel like they have left their mark on the final product so there are some well-known individuals who write and direct their own material such as Quentin Tarantino who has written and directed great films like KILL BILL (2003) and DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012) also Robert Rodriguez has both written and directed successful films such as MACHETE (2010) and the SPY KIDS (2001-Present) franchise. In Hollywood It is not unusual for a writer to be more involved with the production process than they would if it was a screenplay for TV broadcast as a popular Quentin Tarantino statement is that when a writer writes a screenplay for a film they write it as if it is a novel, something that can be published and is enjoyable for the audience.
Typically the easiest way to get a screenplay commissioned whether it be for film or television is to go through some sort of middle man e.g. some sort of agent who will read the screenplay and if it has potential, will link the writer up with the development executive (TV) or if it is for film it can be different as each media production company has their own rules and regulations for commissioning a script. Looking more in depth at the television script commissioning process here in the UK, the BBC has its very own ‘middle man’ in the form of the Writers room, a service that lets anyone and everyone produce a screenplay and send it directly into the BBC, this is cost free and is one of the most popular ways people will seek commissioning as it also acts as a support service as they publish real commissioned scripts that have broadcasted for people to read and be inspired by.
When commissioning a script, there are many legal & ethical concerns that must be considered, such as copyright, plagiarism, slander and censorship. Copyright and Plagiarism are both considered to be very similar, as legal action can be taken toward the commissioner if it is found that the material broadcast breached someone’s copyrighted material and can result in hefty fines and possible further legal actions. Plagiarism is similar to copyright as it is essentially claiming that you produced material that has in fact been done by someone else, it is when you copy someone else’s thoughts / ideas illegitimately and can result in the same consequences. Content written for television broadcasting must always be appropriate for the type of broadcast and must adhere to the rules such as writing with the watershed rule in mind, for instance if it contains sex/violence then it must be commissioned post-watershed or if it is for broadcast pre-watershed then the correct censorship must be taken, and extra care must be taken to remove violent and sexual content.
Contracts are a necessity in a
writer’s line of work, as a contract protects the rights of the writer and
their work. A writer may not work alone, sometimes work is co-written and if
this writing method is used a Standard
Writer’s Collaboration Agreement should be completed before any work is
started, this agreement outlines the terms and conditions which the writers
will work by, including legal obligations and equity. When a writer sends work
to a producer they would normally send a Deal Memo and/or a Term Sheet, these
documents state the agreed terms that will be included in the contract, a deal
memo also states the price the producer will have to pay for the screenplay.
A screenwriter doesn’t necessarily
have to write for a certain format of media, for instance Marti Noxon is a well
accomplished screenwriter who has written screenplays for both television and
Hollywood; Marti is most famous for writing 24 episodes of the well-known
series BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1997-2002), but her writing prowess spread
into Hollywood when she wrote the screenplay for the Hollywood hit I AM NUMBER
FOUR (2011). This is the example of the freedom that is available to a
screenwriter, and is worth noting that it is best for a writer not to get tied
down to writing for one format of media, but to keep an open mind when it comes
to writing, but also it is important for the writer not to branch out too soon
as sometimes a writer can lose their head and create mediocre screenplays that
fail to get commissioned.
A screenwriter must take any
opportunity to get their screenplay out there, some ways a writer may do this
is through the use of film festivals, as most writers are freelance you must
find your own work so what better way to get it is by attending these festivals
and creating your own network! Yes it may be sufficient submitting scripts
electronically through email and set up forums but film festivals are a great
way to speak to the entire industry as it is the one place producers and
directors of all kinds will be present.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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