The commissioning processes
Producers:
Producers are at the financial, practical and creative heart
of a film or TV show. They are often the first to get involved, spotting the
creative talent and profitable practicality of a production. They are the most
active part from start, scouting for story’s/scripts to the distribution of the
film or show. Producers are also having
the most control and always have the last say on any changes and decisions concerning
the production. They don’t just scout and secure rights to scripts and story
ideas but will also come up with story ideas and hire writers to produce the
script. This is a process known as ‘optioning’ a script. Producers also
have sole responsibility for the health and safety of the crew on set and in many
cases hiring and firing people, because of this producer take part in every
step and communicate with every department for the production and member of the
productions crew.
Development producers:
Development producers are like normal producers who find
stories and scripts and get them into good enough shape to be commissioned by a
TV channel or made into a feature film. However, they are usually hired by broadcasters,
production companies and screen agencies. Their responsibilities vary depending
on the type of organisation they work for, but wherever they work, they are on
the lookout for new projects and writing talent. And they have less responsibilities
than a normal producer therefore they are in a sub category of producer.
Writers:
Screenwriters or writers, write and develop screenplays for
film or TV. They do this either based on an original idea, by adapting an
existing story into a screenplay or by joining an existing project (TV). Screenwriters
prepare their script in a way that enables readers to foresee the setting,
emotion and the way it will work on screen. They work with producers, directors
and actors to draft and redraft their script, often working to tight deadlines.
Writers are usually nearly always freelance meaning they are either hired by
companies who want them to develop an idea or they are paid for the ‘original’
idea.
Directors:
Directors are the creative leads of the film. They hold the
creative vision throughout the whole process, from pre-production through to
the final edit. They are usually hired by producers or executive producers who hold
all the strings to the production.
Commissioning bodies:
BBC drama room is a place where people can apply or submit their
script ideas to a body or script readers who chose scriptwriters they liked the
work of and places them in a 6 month
development scheme for writers identified through the open submission script
room and other talent searches to help them develop there skills and to help
them get there now out to production companies and producers looking for
talented writers.
BlueCat competition is a scriptwriting competition that is
for international writers, it gives writers a written analysis, and they award
$40,000 in cash to winning writers, and all international writers are qualified
to win the Fellini award, all scripts are eligible for resubmission after
feedback and adaptations. And winners have been signed by major talent agencies
sold their work to studios and have won awards at the Sundance, Berlin and Tribeca
film festivals, all after being discovered by winning BlueCat.
Self-producing is another option for some writers who can,
this is where writers produce their own work they have written. And example of
this is Marty Lang is a screenwriter, filmmaker, journalist and educator. His
feature writing/directing debut, RISING STAR, won Best Premiere at the 2012
Seattle True Independent Film Festival, and was acquired for worldwide
distribution by Content Film in 2013. His producing credits include the 2016
Independent Spirit Award-nominated OUT OF MY HAND, and BEING MICHAEL MADSEN,
starring Michael Madsen, Virginia Madsen and Daryl Hannah.
Writing during the production stage:
Page lock-down is where a page from a script that is adjusted
or adapted, this is down by ’locking down’ a page and re-writing the page or
adaptions on a different piece of paper this usually can mean a different colour
to identify the changed page and its changes. Changes are sometimes made during
the shooting stage due to unforeseen circumstances such as whether changes, change
of talent (actors, directors or writers), change in setting change.
Working as a writer:
Agents are people who represent a talent, in this case the
writer, and who looks for work or people who wish to hire their client. There main
responsibility decides looking for work for there talent is making shore the
needs of there talent/clients are fulfilled.
Optioning is where a writer’s script or idea is chosen by a
producer and they are given a set payment and they are given a time limit for
example 3 years and in those 3 years the writer cannot offer their story to
anyone optioning dose not mean however that the story will be produced but they
are paid either way.
Writers need to make shore they follow set professional presentation
guidelines if they even want a chance of having their work looked at.
Considerations for writers:
Writers need to considerate and conscious of copyright and
plagiarism rules and regulations so as to prevent them selves from using other
ideas or works and to protect their work from being used or plagiarised. Another
this they have to consider when writing scripts are censorships in films and
watershed on tv they need to make shore that if there script idea is aimed at a
ponticular age group or person they do not use anything that is not with in the
age groups specifications and that when doing scripts for tv they now if the
scripts show or film is after watershed or before. They also need to make shore
that their information and such they use is libel to the story, the timeline,
the era or even the character or person behind the original story if it based
on a true story.
