Commissioning editors - This job involves choosing the ideas that you think will sell and also monitoring all of the created shows/movies. The main parts of this job include keeping up to date with trends in the market and identifying future markets and new products to decide whether to accept submitted manuscripts develop ideas for shows.
Producers
The producer takes hold of the business side of the production and leaves the creative side down to the director. The producer is responsible for for securing the funding to create the production and also managing the budgets once the funding has been secured. The main attribute of being a producer is having a wealth of contacts that you are able to reach out to when wanting to pitch ideas and experience of how the industry works. On larger scale productions there may be a team of producers that work alongside you and you will be designated only some of the roles.
Some of these roles include - plan filming schedules, hire the necessary technical resources and support services recruit key production staff and crew, and get involved in casting performers manage cash flow make sure that the production stays on schedule and within budget work with marketing companies and distributors to get your production shown.Directors
The director has the overall control for the creation of the production and the way it ends up looking. The main aim of the director is to make the decisions which lead the rest of the team to create the best possible production. The director is responsible for overseeing the whole production and keeping an eye on everything while also having the energy to motivate his workforce. As well as overseeing the overall look of the film they are also responsible for the technical aspects which include, cameras, lighting, sound + more. As with most creative jobs there is not a set route to get there but to become a director it is advised to study the art and craft of becoming a director. Many say that the best way to learn how to be a director is observing how good directors work on the job.
Script editors
The script editor is the role which oversees all of the screenwriting process and and help develop the script in the process. Some of the traits that someone needs to become a successful screenwriter include having a comprehensive knowledge of screenwriting theories, understanding the various development stages, understanding how to use the dramatist's tools eg. comic irony, suspense, mystery, understanding how audiences respond to films, having good analytical skills and having good communication skills. The route to become a scriptwriter is one that requires a degree.
Agents
Agents are an important link in the process which helps talent get work in the creative industry. Agents will nurture relationships with influential people in the industry and then be in the best position to put their talent forwards for opportunities that may arise. An agent really does need to have good communication skills and an ability to network with the correct people to build up the relationships that matter. In terms of scriptwriters they will take their talents script to organisations that may be interested and then try to sell the script.A good example of a famous agent is Kevin Huvane who co-owns the Creative Artists Agency and has the likes of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston on his books. These are the kind of people who are able to keep the big stars busy and also make breaks for the smaller actors.
Commissioning bodies
Corporations will commission programmes and films to be created and aired , one example is the BBC. For example last year the BBC commissioned over 20,000 hours of programmes and invested £1.2 billion into the creative industries. Most commissioning bodies set briefs for people to follow and then if the idea is good enough, they may hire them to create films for them. Sky One have different commissioning bodies for each genre and that is how their programmes are made.
Independent production companies
Independent studios don't have the financial power of corporations like the BBC so unknown writers will have more of a chance to have their scrips purchased due to the cheaper prices that will be paid. Production companies often outsource some of their work to lessen the workload, this can include jobs like production design and casting. It's also not that rare for these independent production companies to receive funding from larger corporations such as the BBC - Sherlock was made in this way.
Independent directors or producers
Another way of making a a film is by directing it yourself, this could be an easier method as you don't have to get another team on board and will have full creative control throughout. Despite this having another person working alongside you can help to iron out errors in the film and also lessens the workload for yourself. Having to fund a film on your own can be a massive issue though as this can sometimes be the difference between being able to make a film and not being able to make a film. Thanks to modern day websites though it is possible to be able to gather a substantial budget with lots of people donating a little bit of money. Examples of websites that can be used to crowdfund are KickStarter and IndieGoGo. A good example of this is SuperTroopers 2 who raised over $4 millon.
Competitions
Competitions are also a good way to get your name out there and also fund a film that you have written. BBC are well known for supporting up and coming film makers with competitions like The Writers Room which support screenwriters. The last writers room winners that they announced allowed the winners to show their screenplay at well known theaters.
Pre-production planning
Pre production planning is vital in order to progress further and create something that is well thought out and that goes on to be successful. Pre production is the part of the process where the idea starts to develop and is refined into a idea that can be taken forwards. The types of things that take place in pre-production planning are recces, storyboards, actors clearance, emergency contact details and script writing. This is also part of the process where characters are developed and made into the characters that you see in the end film. The main reason for pre-production is to make the rest of the process as smooth as possible.
Script editing
Script editing is a key part of making any successful screenplay. Usually there is a large team that will work on a script which goes through many processes before it it a final script. The first script will usually be a lot different to the one that is used, many drafts are gone through to make sure everything is how it should be. The plot development and pace of the film is often changed and also the tone of the characters.
Director or producer involvement
The director or producer can have varying amounts of creative freedom depending on how the team is made up. On some occasions if the director or producer is given too much control this can take some of the vision from the script away which can frustrate the screenwriters as they lose the vision of what they actually wrote in the first place.
Shooting script production
A shooting script production or page lock down is essentially the final script and what will be used going into the production process. After multiple drafts and changes this is the form of script that will be taken into the production and the script that everyone is happy enough to use.
Adjustment during the shooting stage
Once the script has been completed by the script writing team it can be changed by the directors and producers if they feel it would be better in that way. This isn't ideal for the person who wrote the script as they feel their script is being made differently to how they wanted it to be and most script writers don't their scripts changed as obviously they will feel that there's is the best version. There have been some well known example of scripts that have been changed a lot such as Con Air which was pretty much re-written to suit the producer, Jerry Bruckheimer. If screenwriters are desperate enough for work though then they will obviously change the script in order for it to be purchased.
Agent representation
Agents can help screenwriters hugely as they can bridge the gap between influential people and allow screenwriters to sell their scripts to sell their content to people who they wouldn't normally be able to. Agents usually take a cut of the money that their clients make and this is how they make their money. Agents are usually very helpful for screenwriters but if they already have a lot of links in the business then it might be wise to work on your own without agent representation.
Royalty payments
Royalty methods are a payment structure that is put into place for creatives when their content is played - this is a very common type of payment for musicians. If a script is turned into a film or television the script writer will be paid every time the show is aired. If a song is over 70 years though the royalty payments are no longer paid as the song was released too long ago although there are ways to renew the copyright etc on pieces of content. Royalty payments are a great way of the content creator getting the correct amount of credit for their work and means that they are not exploited.
Professional presentation
Once a script has been finished it needs to be pitched in order for production companies to buy it. This is a very important part of the process and even if you have a great script if it isn't pitched in the correct manner it is unlikely that the companies will buy the script. It needs to be evident that you have invested a lot of time into creating the script and that you genuinely care about what you are pitching, if you don't care about the script then the people who will be putting hard earned cash into it won't either. The pitch needs to outline what the script is about, the characters that are involved, the plot, the character development.
Time management
Time management is hugely vital for screenwriters and just as important as any other role in the industry. If a screenwriter takes too long to write a script they may miss the opportunity to sell the script or if there time management is really bad then it is possible that the script will never be finished. It may even be possible that if they delay the script then a similar script that somebody else has written many come out before the original is finished. Due to the screenwriting business not being particularly lucrative and hard to break into most people have a job alongside which makes it even harder to dedicate time to writing the script. Some screenwriters like to take whole days to write where as some people take an hour a day to write instead of lengthy sessions.
Copyright
When writing a script it is very important not to infringe copyright laws this can be done in a few different ways. Not complying to copyright laws can land you in serious trouble. The easiest way to comply to these laws is by not copying what is already out there, if you create a carbon copy of a script that is already out there it is possible to be taken to court etc. Even if the copying wasn't intentional you are still breaking the law so it is important that all of this is checked in the pre-production.
Bias
Bias is another thing that all screenwriters need to be aware of. Being bias is where you make assumptions and favouring one side of a story without publising the correct information. It is ok to send a message to the viewer but you can't do it in a bias way. The problem with creating content that is bias is that it can allow people to have ideas put into their head when viewers would much rather have a balanced viewpoint put into their head and then make up what they want. This is often a problem in factual films or documentaries where the creator may want the viewers opinion to be swayed depending on their viewpoint on the subject.
Censorship
Censorship is hugely important in the film industry to make sure that the suitable audience is watching the film and that they are not seeing content that isn't suitable for them. Things that are taken into consideration when censoring films include language, sex , violence and drug abuse. Censorship can be a problem to some film makers as they may have some content in their film that restricts them to a certain audience and this means that may make less money in the box office. Some examples of 18 rated films include Kill Bill which includes strong violence and explicit language. There is a huge difference between the 18 rated films and a PG rated film - some PG rated films include Harry Potter and Star Wars which includes a few counts of mild violence and the word 'bloody' is used 7 times which means mild language has to be a feature in the certification system.
Watersheds
Watersheds apply more to TV and this is another way of restricting what is shown to make sure that the right people are watching content suitable for them. The watershed is 9pm in England and this means that moderate swearing and violence can be shown after this and then after 10pm more obscene content can be shown. There is supposed to be a gentle transition between 9pm and 10pm which means 18 restricted content should not be shown straight away at 9pm. The watershed is also different in differnt countries. For example the watershed starts at 8:30pm in New Zealand but 10:30pm in Italy. Advertisements also have to comply with these rules and regulations as adverts with more adult themes are unlikely to be shown on children's TV and instead after the watershed on ITV for example. Some channels can get away with showing age restricted content before the watershed but it needs to be pin restricted. For example Horror Films may be shown on the horror channel but with pin protection. A good example of the watershed is ITV's schedule on a Monday night, at 8:30pm before the watershed they show Coronation Street and then Benidorm at 9 which has strong language and some scenes of sexual nature. They then show the Jonathan Ross show at 10:45pm which has strong language throughout. As you can see the gradual incline of langauage is how it should be.
Libel
Libel is the written or broadcast form of defamation. This pretty much means that it's the communication of a false statement through the media which could potentially harm the reputation of someone, people or a brand. A good example of libel in the media is Cameron Diaz and what The Sun wrote about her. They claimed that she was having an affair when in reality this wasn't the case. Cameron Diaz sued The Sun and won but the amount of money paid out remained undisclosed.
Plagerism
Plagiarism is simple, its taking someone else's work and claiming it as your own. This is of course illegal. A famous case of this happening came about in the USA when a CNN journalist was found guilty of plagiarising 55 of her 128 articles, she was sacked immediately. In the world of movies Bollywood is one of the biggest culprits for plagerism and a lot of their movies have been based on Hollywood films and even copied in some instances. The 2009 release, Dil Bole Hadippa came under huge criticism after it was obvious that it was a remake of the 2006 Hollywood film, She's The Man.
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