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1. SECTION 1: OBTAINING WORK AS A SCREENWRITER – COMMISSIONING:
Job Roles:
In the film industry, the scriptwriter, (also referred to as “screenwriter” or solely “writer”)
has the essential role of providing entertaining material written in a professional format,
which in their hopes, will go onto form the centrepiece of a grand film production. This will
of course result in the writer receiving enough payment to continue their work, gaining
recognition in the industry as they climb their way up it also, forming a positive and reliable
reputation if all goes accordingly. Within their scripts specifically, it is important that they
deliver an engaging narrative which provides an emotional impact upon the audience. These
scripts most importantly must meet the brief that has been presented to them, by
producing their work in the appropriate format, along with all other general terms and
conditions. Occasionally, writers merge together to from a team if they deem it to be
necessary or more appropriate for the type of story, bouncing ideas and concepts off each
other in order to build a strong master script.
If a screenwriter wishes to pursue screenwriting as a career, they must first go through the
process of writing a script of suitable quality, a unique and imaginative script is more likely
to travel further in terms of success. Upon starting this process, it is advised that an agent is
hired in preparation, as this tends to be the industry standard, with your work automatically
more likely to be accepted due to the situation being handled in a professional manner. An
agent is not 100% vital to the process however, as writers are free to showcase their work
independently, but once again – a representative in the form of an agent being present will
boost the confidence of any potential commissioners.
The role of an agent is to primarily actively search for potential work for the client in
question, if this results in success, the agent will begin organizing contracts, along with other
proceedings that would be tedious for a writer to complete independently. Agents are also
generally well-practiced in negotiating a good deal, whereas a standalone writer may not be
as experienced in such areas – and therefore the likelihood of success is decreased. They
may also offer general support and perhaps constructive criticismon their approach to the
industry, giving the writer the necessary tools to success. It’s worth spending time finding
the right agent, as one who has the same interests as the screenwriter has the potential to
further understand them and their work, therefore being of further assistance. Agents are
more likely to find you work due to their motivation of being payed if they are successful.
The Reader, as the name implies, has the job of reading through scripts, before either
rejecting them or passing them on, dependent on their quality and potential in the Readers
opinion. In the gaming industry, for example, the readers opinion may be centred more
around whether the tone and pace of the script fits with the nature of the game and its
gameplay, after all – that is the main priority, unlike the film industry.
Commissioning Editors oversee the writing process, ensuring that all goes smoothly, whilst
making wise decisions as to what work and what does not. Their role is very important in
the commissioning process, although not as hands-on as the writer themselves, they are the
senior employees of the broadcaster, so they are to be trusted with their decision making

2. and approvals for the sake of the broadcaster’s success. Before a writer is commissioned to
create a script based around a particular idea, the concept can first be conceived by the
commissioning editor. Similarly, an idea brought forward from a scriptwriter’s work can be
used as a frame for a programme idea, at the hands of the commissioning editor.
Commissioning Editors generally specialise in one particular genre, helping them build
further knowledge in the area as they progress through their career.
It is the role of the director to take the initial ideas for the production, along with the script,
in order to create one cohesive piece. The Director obviously has a vision of the filmthat he
wants to show clearly to the audience in the most entertaining way possible. It is this
creative vision which is passed on to technicians and editors to work on for the film’s
production. The Director can completely change what audiences see in comparison to the
original script if they deem it necessary, with them taking most control and credit once the
script is handed over. This is the reasoning for Directors names generally being at the
forefront of film credits and posters etc. A notoriously famous Director’s name, such as
Steven Spielberg, may even be used to promote the filmdue to his success and recognition
amongst the public.
Producers act as an admin above all of production, overseeing all aspects of this process
that isn’t already being handled by the director, (although they may occasionally assist them
also). Their work mostly consists of financial and legal practises, which go on seamlessly in
the background of every production. Other members of production may contact the
producer if they wish to receive funds to cover a certain necessary element, although the
producer generally manages and supplies the productions funds regardless of this.
Perhaps a more hands-on and practical production role is the script editor, they will provide
a critical overview of the scriptwriting process as a whole. This involves a highly advanced
analysis of the script, followed by highlighting issues to roles such as the commissioning
editor, writer and producer. It is then up to these respective roles to amend any issues
themselves by creating respective solutions, as this is not part of the script editors’ job. The
critical feedback of the script editor is unique and therefore essential as it may be the only
source of such honest feedback for the production team. For this reason alone, the quality
of the script is generally developed and strengthened to a significant degree, making the
script editors role an essential one that drives the production further into success, or at
least the likelihood of achieving it.
Commissioning Bodies:
One method of getting your script commissioned is through pitching your idea to a large
corporation; for example, Universal or Disney. This is unlikely to have a positive result
however, unless you are well established within the media industry, as these large
corporations almost always do business through established relationships, thus providing a
safe bet that the individuals involved are well established names who have already worked
for similar large companies in some form. The companies in question are part of a large
conglomerate, due to them having complete ownership of all stages in production. In
America, a ‘pilot season’ is held around March until May every year, it’s at this particular

3. time that lots of commissioning networks run competitions, allowing otherwise ignored
screenplays to be noticed if they are of sufficiently good quality. Large corporations from
the UK, such as the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 commission scripts and budgets for TV shows
that are on their channels. Corporations can give up and coming writers the opportunity to
submit their scripts to them, if the corporation particularly enjoys someone’s script, they
may commission the script to be made for one of their channels. As an example, on the BBC
website you can access a wide range of scripts that people have submitted, downloading
them to read - this can also give the BBC a bigger insight into what is popular amongst the
general audiences that watch their channels.
Across Britain, there are hundreds of independent production companies, most of these
tend to be open to striking deals with other companies in order to produce material, for
example with a network in order to broadcast the production there and benefit from some
financial input. Another method of striking deals is directly with writers, due to independent
production companies being open to having work submitted directly to them. It is common
that some independent production companies specialise in particular genres, so the writer
may wish to research such information before proceeding to strike a deal. Of course, some
independent production companies have higher budgetary capabilities than others, this also
should be accounted for if contemplating the submission of your writing work. In some
cases, a lower budget company may be all that is required due to the grounded and non-
extravagant nature of some scripts.
There are several organisations specifically set up in order to assist screenwriter in kicking
off their career in the media industry. Sometimes this is all that is needed to become
recognised, followed by the rest flowing accordingly. Examples of such organisations include
the “BFI Film Academy” and the “BBC Writers Room”, with in particular “The Writers’ Guild
of Great Britain” supporting not only film and TV, but also writing in a wide range of other
industries, such as online media, radio, theatre and video games.
There are many screenwriting competitions that are available to enter, which offer cash
prizes in most cases. Through this method, if you are successful, your work is more likely to
be read by people of high authority in the industry such as potential managers, agents and
producers. This is, of course, not an automatic process, as the chances of winning are
generally slim, however is worth a shot and can be very rewarding if played correctly. There
is a proven track record of various writers who have sold scripts and developed a
reputation, enabling them to launch their careers based on winning these screenwriting
contests originally. In the UK, “FilmFreeway” run three different competitions, with every
winner of the aforementioned competitions since 2013 now residing in either pre-
production or production, with some even winning awards due to their progression through
the industry.

4. SECTION 2: WORKING AS A WRITER – THE DEMANDS AND REQUIREMENTS:
Many writers work individually as a freelance, meaning that they are self-employed,
working on a variety of projects all spanning from different respective companies.
Networking is a key aspect to success through this route, as this helps to build many
industry contacts that will become of use further down the line in your career.
Royalty payments are what writers receive upon the selling their books and / or films that
have used their script to base the aforementioned media from. These issues of payments
are generally split between significant members of the production – being the writer, agent
and producers. The exact amount of these payments completely depends on the situation in
general, however it is safe to say that these can vary widely amongst writers.
When working as a writer, it is important that you grasp correctly what the commissioner
wants from you, the further you understand what they are after, the more likely your
chance of success will be. Perhaps most importantly, is that you are confident in producing
quality work that is of potential industry standard, with this work being presented in a
manner that is appropriate generally across the board. A high level of knowledge in the
English language would support writing greatly, as describing events and perhaps the
emotions of characters in the best and sometimes most inventive ways possible boosts the
relatability factor and allows the script to appear superior when it is finally shown off to the
commissioners.
The aforementioned role of an agent is a key aspect of being a successful freelance writer,
along with other elements being put in place to allow optimum success. Communication
with both your agent and other members of the production is essential in order to have a
clear understanding of what is required etc. The agent generally receives between 10-25%
of the writers’ earnings, but only if these payments are down to the work of the agent. It’s a
big advantage to have a well-known / popular agent on your side, due to this increasing the
likelihood of your success. Any submissions via an agent are known as solicited submissions,
whereas work submitted individually are known as unsolicited submissions.
The element of time management plays into this also, with your skill around this area being
essential to proving yourself an appropriate writer to the commissioners, as well as the
writing of the script itself: such as the length and reaching the required submission time.
The entire production team generally relies on the completion of tasks on time, or the
whole schedule could be thrown off course; obviously causing strained relationships
between the writer and their commissioners, even causing financial losses in some cases.
Collaboration can also be a trick used to strengthen your chances as a writer in certain
situations, as previously mentioned, a group of writers can often create a master script of
superior quality to that of an individual. It is also important to note that the writer must be
open to handing over the control of their script to a production company who wishes to
acquire it, as denying this control would obviously defeat the objective of the job.

5. In the image below are a list of films, both recent and classic, that were worked on by
screenwriters in a collaborative manner. The number of individuals tied to one project can
be seen to vary from two to six, whilst averaging out at around 3. The advantages of having
a small team of a similar mindset working on a project collaboratively can be seen to result
in a more successful final product – hence the large list of such occurrences documented
here specifically.
When working as a writer, it must always be ensured that all work is being produced using
industry accepted formatting standards, this covers a variety of areas, although even
something as basic as type of font and size can be crucial. This is due to producers using the
length of scripts to determine the length of films, which equates to roughly one page per
minute of screen time in the final product. Bearing in mind that different areas in the
industry vary in the way they are presented: such as films, TV and radio all requiring unique
formats. The importance of this is reflected in the fact that incorrectly formatted or
produced scripts will be refused immediately and not even read. The BBC is a company that
provides examples of the variety of appropriate format styles that are accepted, whilst
other sites educate writers in what the different script layouts imply – promoting their use.
Writers must also conduct research on relevant topics to what they are writing about,
assisting themwith areas in scripts such as depicting certain jobs accurately, using correct
dialogue and general / specific historical accuracy. In the case of factual screenwriters, they
require further fact checking, as their job is to inform the audience of these facts. For
example, a script for a documentary should be written with this in minds. As an example of
inaccurate conducting of research, an obscure classic Doctor Who episode from 1967
entitled The Ice Warriors states that the atmosphere of Mars is constructed mostly of
Nitrogen, although in actual fact only 1.9% of Mars’ atmosphere is indeed Nitrogen.

6. The demands and requirements of screenwriters are not consistent across the media
industry. For example, in the game industry, a consideration that must be made is
“Branching Narratives” – offering multiple narrative strands to allow for payer interactivity,
in contrast to the standard A-B narrative that is generally found in filmand TV. Some gaming
companies prioritise the quality and playability of their games before even constructing a
narrative, meaning that the story can sometimes revolve around an in-game mechanic or
similar. The radio industry is obviously a non-visual medium, so it must be ensured that their
story can be portrayed aurally and still give the audience the same amount of joy / thrill /
horror etc. that would be intended for a TV show or movie. More focus may also be made in
areas such as sound, as musical queues / sound effects are a large part of immersing the
audience, due to the lack of visuals.
SECTION 3: THE SCRIPTWRITING PROCESS - LEGAL & ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
In regard to copyright (in other words data protection), this can be applied to your script, in
order to cover it from being stolen and used without the writer’s permission, amongst a
plethora of other possible issues. The ideas presented in the script themselves cannot be
copyrighted however, leading to some loopholes within the industry where ideas are clearly
repurposed and disguised across different forms of media. As writers work digitally, a date is
created in the document that they work on, which will automatically attach copyright to
both the writer and the date as they proceed to write the script out. The writers name,
along with the copyright logo, should be visible on every page of the scripts that they
produce. This copyright lasts the life of the writer, plus an additional 70 years beyond that.
Being on the other end of the copyright procedure can be another risk that writers should
be wary of, as creating work too similar to someone else’s (even if they had no idea), can be
viewed as an offence against copyright law, due to their strict procedures. This offence is
known as “Plagiarism”, covering anything from word to word copying, changing some
words, to copying particular ideas and arguments portrayed in other forms of media
previously. Copyright owners of decency in the industry may allow their work to be used, or
perhaps used as inspiration, as long as they are given credit at some point, some will ask for
a percentage fee; others will not take the situation lightly and try to sue etc.

7. The word Libel refers to the writing of inaccurate and perhaps malicious thing about a
specific individual, group, or business. The research that writers gather and compile into
their script has to be meticulously chosen, as to not cause legal trouble through the
misinterpretation of others. However, individuals who accuse writers of this must prove
that malice was intended towards them in the script.
Bias is an ethical issue within writing fiction primarily, meaning that people, groups, events
and organisations are misrepresented. It is the writer’s job to ensure that all of their work
balances the representation of these elements, to ensure that offence isn’t caused to these
groups or race of people, as they can be heavily criticised for this and could even impact on
the sales ad reputation of whatever the script goes on to become.
Censorship is another element of writing that should always be in the mind of the writer,
constantly considering their intended audience as a reference to what the script as a whole
should play out like, as certain scenarios could be too graphic / sexual / violent to be shown.
The BBFC have strict guidelines as to what and what can’t be shown on TV, video games,
radio and film. Across these media platforms, cuts earlier or later on in production are often
made in order to satisfy the requirements of the productions crew, company and primarily,
the BBFC. These censorships vary around the globe depending on laws as things such as
drug use, which is a controversial topic, so the writer must be careful to present such topics
in a particular (negative in this case) way.
An example of censorship in the final product of a film can be found in foreign releases of
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; in the UK release of the film, all scenes are left intact –
however, in Italy for example, a fairly essential scene involving the film’s antagonist being
visibly devoured by a T-Rex was chopped down as it was deemed inappropriate. Sometimes
the demands of these censorships simply cannot be met, for example if the script requires
such scenes as previously demonstrated – so the script should perhaps not be constructed
with these guidelines heavily enforced.

8. The Watershed is the point in time in which programmes containing adult content that may
be unsuitable for children is broadcast. This procedure divides the day and night into family-
orientated viewing time that is suitable for everyone and potential adult-only content after
9pm, although not necessarily – as it is not a requirement for these shows to be adult-
themed, just permitted. In this instance, the rule applies to most countries with little
variation, effecting both television and the commercials that accompany them. The rules of
the Watershed within the UK are as follows: The Watershed on free-to-air television in the
UK is between 9pm and 5.30am but premium or pay-per-view services are allowed to start
the watershed at 8pm. Programmes that are rated 15 cannot be shown outside this period.
However, some 12-rated shows can be shown before 9pm, such as The Simpsons and
Doctor Who. There is no watershed on PIN protected channels (such as Sky Movies). On this
type of channel, trying to view adult material before 8pm will require a PIN.
There should be a gentle transition to adult material, and 18-rated content must not air
until 10pm on most channels that are without PIN protection. Channels that are dedicated
to airing adult content such as Horror Channel may be allowed to start 18-rated content at
9pm without PIN protection. R18-rated material is not allowed at all and must be edited to
fit 18-rated content guidelines if shown on television. As an example of what can happen if
handled incorrectly, an advertisement promoting road safety, which featured a somewhat
questionable sequence of a class of young children being flattened by an out of control car,
received an audience backlash and was banned from being shown before the 9PM
watershed.