2. Job roles involved 1
Getting a piece of work commissioned in the television industry involves many
different people who each serve a different role which is necessary to complete
the process. The first of these different roles which is needed would be
commissioning editors or agent. The role of these people is to produce an idea
which can be made into a tv series either a book which they wish to adapt or just
an idea which can be fleshed out later which they believe could garner views.
3. Commissioning editor
The role of a commissioning editor is to search for different stories books and
ideas which they can buy to allow them to improve their product portfolio. This
requires for them to look into the market to try and see developing trends so they
can commision works which the audience will be able to relate to increasing their
chance of enjoying and as a result watching the show. A secondary role of this job
is to assist script writers and other members of staff further develop and improve
their existing ideas as well as ensure they they finish their work by the deadline
that is set. Some business decide to split the role between a team of editors
instead of leaving it to one person. Shane Allen is the BBC commissioning editor
of comedy and selects what comedy shows the BBC will create.
4. Producers
Producers will a very important role as they are involved in every part of media
and are the people who approve anyone who is being put on the team with the
objective of ensuring that they will work well together and that environment will not
get in the way of their success. In the preproduction stage of creating a product
they are responsible for raising the finance necessary to run the project, once
finance has been raised they high other key workers such as heads of
departments and office personal. Finally a produce gives the final go ahead on
key pieces such as locations, the script, and budget. More money spent in this
period can lead to less money and time being spent in later sections.
An example of a producer would be Dick Wolf who acted as the executive
producer of the law and order series.
5. Script writers
Script writers are the people who are required to create scripts to send to a media
company which serves as their their blueprint for a tv show and act as as a weight
to help keep a director on task with what he needs to create rather than go off on
a tangent.
One example of an script writer would be Stephen J. Cannell who worked on
shows like the A team and 21 jump street.
6. Agents
Agents deal with a small but important part of creating a film and without them the
industry as a whole would suffer. This is a effect of the importance of their role,
taking in new talent and then trying to find them work and promote them as good
stars. This means they spend a lot of effort building connections with other people
who are in the industry and maintaining these connections to better. Agents are
required to know what is happening in the industry so they know what projects are
underway and which are green lit so they can source actors and other talent to
take on a role. They act as a buffer for new workers and help them with
negotiations so they have someone experienced who they can trust on their side.
An example of an agent is Darley Anderson who works as an agent for tv and
films and has set up their own agency employing other agents who work for the
company.
8. Corporations (television)
Corporations are large scale organisations/business which operate many
departments and may own subsidiaries. They take a top down starting with a ceo
but breaking down to different departments such as documentary, sports. Each of
these department will have its own commissioner who decides what of this type of
show they will allow on their channel. Corporations will deal with many different
genres of tv making it for a variety of different genres from a document to a
comedy sci-fi this means they will accept all types of scripts but due to their quality
control that they can afford will only hire teams which they feel are up to par with
their already existing teams, this means most new teams would be unable to get a
job working for one of them unless they are formed of people who have already
proved himself.
9. Corporations slide 2
Corporations make less than half of their content in house averaging 40% instead
hiring out different teams and commissioning work form independent groups to
make the other 60% the work that they make in house will be things such as the
one show which is made in their main building or a corporation's largest tv shows
for example doctor who or strictly come dancing.
10. Independent (television)
Independent business independent studios rely upon corporations to get
commissions on what they are going to make, independent funding can also
cooperate with other companies in europe as this will often prove to be cheaper
than if they were to send a team over and film it themself. Another feature which is
different between corporations and independent groups is that unlike corporations
independent groups do not own their own television networks which means they
have to find a station and they make a show based on what they believe the
channel wants to televise to ensure that it is watched.
An example of an independent studio which is rather well know would be
(commissions for big corporations, make co productions with european funding,
rely on commission for corperation, corporations have the right to broadcast
12. Planning
The first step for a write to start a project is to find an agent/ commissioning editor who
is interested in the idea that they have came up with to know if they would be wasting
their time.
Before any large amount of time is dedicated to a project a writer will be required to
create a plan and basic plot to send off to their commissioning editor/agent. This
process varies at the start depending on what type of writer they are as if they are
independent they will start by creating ideas of what they could turn into a script where
as someone who is not indepent may be told what they should work on.
Once a task is decided the writer will then start researching the topic that their script
will be on so they know what they are working on better allowing them to create a
script of higher quality.
13. Writing
The writing process starts by first creating a short outline which high lights key points
such as characters, the key plot points and the storyline. This should then be sent off
to the commissioning editor/agent so that they will be able to inform the writer if they
are interested in what is being created.
Once the writer has heard that their is interest in a outline that they have sent off they
will start to develop a full script which will include character movements dialogue and
sometimes even camera movements to help guide the director create what they have
envisioned, and the motivations that drive each character.
After they have written a script they will send it off and then continue to redraft until the
client is satisfied with the end product that they will be buying, changes could be made
to fit the tone that the buyer is after or perhaps give it a happier ending.
14. Negotiating
While the negotiating does include some more general points in redrafts the main
aspect of it is finance and the deadlines which will be given to complete the scripts and
any changes which may be given.The aspects of finance which are discussed in
negotiations will be based around the length of the script, the time given to develop
ideas as well as the overall budget that will be allotted to the production.
One thing which is very important when it comes to the end results of negotiations
would be if the writer is well established or not as someone who has proven them self
in the past can expect better pay and budget etc. as a result of the production having a
higher expected success rate. Having a agent is also important as they hold many
connection which they have built over the course of their carer which may include
knowing commissioners as friends which would allow them to be better received and
perhaps ask for more money for their client.
16. Censorship and watershed
The watershed refers to the time period which companies are allowed to post
more mature content. In the uk the watershed starts from 9pm and end at 5:30 for
free programs while pay for view channels have more relaxed laws and can be
shown from 8pm until 6pm. 18 rated programming has harsher restrictions starting
at 10pm expect on channels which are dedicated to 18+ programming such as
horror which can start an hour earlier at 9pm. The watershed was introduced in
the year of 1964. The watershed protects children from distressing imagery,
sexual content, violence and swearing. For us this means we will have to keep
swearing to a minimum in order to ensure that our project will be accepted and try
and tackle topics which are ok for children to hear of if you want to to be shown
outside the watershed.
17. Copyright
The copyright, designs and patent act from 1988 protects a variety of different
forms of media from being copied or stolen from their original creators. Different
forms of medias protection lasts for varying amounts of time but the parts that are
relevant to our works is films which has 70 years of protection form when it is
released and broadcasts which are protects until 50 years after the death of the
last author. As a result of the uk being a signatory of the Bern convention any a
work is also granted copyrights in another 164 countries (a list of which can be
found here) meaning work cannot be copied and re released in nations such as
the USA or China. How ever abroad the time may differ for example films abroad
are only guaranteed to be protected for 50 years instead of 70.
18. Libel
libel refers to the act of spreading information that could damage the reputation of
a person/ company this refers more specifically to cases when the damage is
written. For statements to be considered libel they must be false, so if they are
true their is no problem.
This law means that script writers must make sure they are careful about what
they say, to ensure that it would not be able to classified as libel and if it could
they would need evidence to show that what they have wrote is true and as such
they have the right to write it down as they so desire.
