Job roles in film and television
Research
Screenwriter: Skills
Knowledge of screenwriting: understand all the features of a great screenplay, know how to improve and amend one
Creativity: write well and innovatively, express your ideas effectively in screenplay-form
Arts knowledge: have a deep and wide knowledge of all genres of art, to be able to source ideas from a range of sources and understand the cultural context
Watching film and TV drama: have a passion for the genre and a love of the industry
Freelancing: find work opportunities for yourself and manage your finances, be self-motivated
[https://www.screenskills.com/starting-your-career/job-profiles/film-and-tv-drama/development-film-and-tv-drama-job-profiles/screenwriter/] Screenwriter. 2021 Screen Skills.
How to become a writer
Write your own screenplays as soon as possible. Practicing the form is essential. A degree is not a prerequisite to become a screenwriter, but having relevant education, whether that be in English or screenwriting subjects, is very useful. Practice writing screenplays in a professional format. Read existing screenplays online to familiarize yourself with the form. degrees in English or psychology would be relevant.
Case studies
Rob Edwards (screenwriter) TREASURE PLANET After graduating from the Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Edwards attended Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts in the Transmedia Department. Edwards moved to Los Angeles following graduation and gained success as a television writer. After writing for the long-running ABC-TV series Full House, Edwards went on to become a writer, story editor, and consultant for several prime-time series including Bill Cosby's A Different World and the Golden Globe nominated The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Edwards was also an Emmy Award nominee for the long-running sketch comedy show In Living Colour. Edwards is also credited with creating the NBC sitcom Out All Night which starred Patti LaBelle, Morris Chestnut and Vivica A. Fox. Throughout the 1990s, Edwards wrote and produced for television networks and on series including Roc, The Parent Hood, and In the House.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Edwards_(screenwriter)] Wikipedia. Rob Edwards.1 March 2021. 16:44.
Hiroshi Seko (screenwriter) JUJUTSU KAISEN Hiroshi Seko was born in Nagoya, Japan. After doing episode scripts for Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Attack on Titan, and Terror in Resonance, Seko was put in charge of doing all the screenwriting in the anime adaptation of Seraph of the End. Seko also wrote the Attack on Titan: Lost Girls novel. In 2016, Seko did the screenwriting for the anime adaptation of Mob Psycho 100, which was nominated for anime of the year and won the award for best action series at the first Crunchyroll Anime Awards. In 2019, he did the screenwriting for the anime adaptation of Vinland Saga and the second season of Mob Psycho 100, both of which were nominated for anime of the year at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Vinland Saga also won the award for best drama. In 2020, he did the screenwriting for Jujutsu Kaisen and Dorohedoro. At the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, the former won anime of the year, while the latter was nominated for anime of the year and best fantasy.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshi_Seko] Wikipedia. Hiroshi Seko. 23 August 2021. 15:03.
Steve Kloves (screenwriter) HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIRE Kloves, born in Austin, Texas, grew up in Sunnyvale, California where he graduated from Fremont High School. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles but dropped out when he was not admitted into the film school in his third year. As an unpaid intern for a Hollywood agent, he gained attention for a screenplay he wrote called Swings. This led to a meeting where he successfully pitched Racing with the Moon (1984). Warner Bros. sent Kloves a list of novels that the company was considering adapting as films. The listing included the first Harry Potter novel, which intrigued him despite his usual indifference to these catalogues. He went on to write the screenplays for the first four films in the series. However, he turned down writing the fifth film, stating that "The fourth film, Goblet of Fire, was really hard to do. I wrote on it for two years. But it’s not that simple and I don't know that I'll ever fully understand why I didn't do it." After Michael Goldenberg wrote the screenplay for the fifth film, Kloves then returned to write the sixth, seventh and eighth instalments.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Kloves#Life_and_career] Wikipedia. Steve Kloves.10 October 2021. 05:00.
Director: Skills
Leadership: share the vision of the film with a range of people from different departments, inspire them to do their best work, manage the cast and crew, make creative decisions
Imagination: envisage the film you want to make, see it, hear it, create the vision and execute it
Arts knowledge: have a passion for and deep knowledge of film and TV drama, appreciate all genres of art, so as to be able to draw ideas from a range of sources
Production: understand the film or TV drama production process from start to finish, from both technical and creative points of view
Staying calm under pressure: work methodically within a high-stress environment, make creative decisions when things don’t go to plan
[https://www.screenskills.com/starting-your-career/job-profiles/film-and-tv-drama/development-film-and-tv-drama-job-profiles/director/] Director. 2021 Screen Skills.
Role and Responsibilities
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. It is the job of a director to imagine the script in a visual form. As soon as a production has raised the cash it needs, either through being funded or commissioned, they work closely with the producers to appoint the heads of department, such as the director of photography, assistant director and production designer.
How to become a Director
There are many routes to becoming a director. Some start in theatre, some start as screenwriters, some come up through the assistant director route, others come from the camera department. Whatever the route, this is a role that requires extensive knowledge of the film or TV drama production process. It’s worth starting your career by getting work as a runner on set or in a production office before working your way up through entry-level positions. Create work that you can show off to employers. Direct your own short film, maybe using your smartphone, and edit it. This process is very helpful. You might consider getting experience of directing actors by taking part in amateur productions in the role of director.
Director Notes
- The director brings the screen play to life
- Director, producer, writer are the trilogy of film
- Once in production, directors focus shifts to cast and crew
- Feature film > producers job is securing finances
- Producer approaches director after, have a script get your crew together
- Writers are easily fired from film sets or in production
- In theatre the writer is very important and no changes are made to the script
- The director takes lead
- Need to focus on directions and ‘action’ flow and continuity on the shot e.g. shouting cut and not matching. Error in continuity.
- Having a clear understanding of peoples wants and needs
- DOP > director of photography
Producer: Skills
Film and TV production: have extensive knowledge of all the creative processes of making a film or TV program including screenwriting, directing, and editing
Storytelling: know how to tell a story, make and approve creative decisions to help do this well
Commercial awareness: understand what makes a successful film, be able to market it to distributors and the public
Leadership: motivate and communicate well with everyone throughout the project, take the lead on decisions, create a good working atmosphere and adhere to legal workplace regulations
Organization: be on top of the whole project, prepare schedules and a production budget using financial skills to secure funding and negotiate salaries
[https://www.screenskills.com/starting-your-career/job-profiles/film-and-tv-drama/development-film-and-tv-drama-job-profiles/producer/] Producer. 2021 Screen Skills.
Role and responsibilities
Producers are at the financial, practical and creative heart of a film or TV drama. They are often the first to get involved, spotting the creative opportunity and commercial viability of a production. They continue as the driving force right through to distribution.
They are the overall decision makers. Producers will come up with story ideas and hire writers or choose and secure rights to scripts. This is known as ‘optioning’ a script. They decide on the scale and budget of the film and source financing from investors, studios and distributors. They work with creative ideas from the director and approve production costs. They spot and solve potential problems throughout the production process. They approve locations and hire a team of staff for the production, delegating certain responsibilities to a line producer. It’s their job to create a good working environment and they constantly communicate with everyone to make everything run smoothly. They have ultimate legal responsibilities for the health and safety of the crew on set and delivery of a completed film at the end of the production process.
How to become a Producer
Film producers are often hired based on reputation so you need a lot of experience. A good understanding of all aspects of filmmaking is essential. Starting out as a runner or trainee to get this experience. See our production trainee job profile for more details. You’ll need a combination of business skills and creative vision for this job and an understanding of both sides of the industry. If you want to go to university, A-levels or Highers in drama and theatre studies, English, film studies or media studies are useful. Create a show reel that you can show off to collaborators and financiers.
Producer Notes
- The producer is the hub of the production
- Trying to make the production as cheap as possible
- Its very important to have a good relationship with the director and producer ‘getting on'
- You always must be aware of who you’re making the film for
- Honesty Is key, especially in finance
- Funding is extremely important
- Google > purpose to promote brand and encouraging people to engage In the brand, normalise using google and social media with advertising with big people
- Target audience = younger audience, sharp and slick, strong female representation, diversity, dressed formally, smart businessperson.
Commissioning bodies
corporations: corporations allow you to get your work noticed by industry professionals, as this opens the doors to many wider and even intonational companies to pick you your work. this method is difficult to get into as your work has to be perfect. corporations work alongside production companies and those involved in the industry and receive thousands of commissions every day. making yours stand out in order to get noticed is key in this.
independent production companies: smaller and more independent production companies can allow a more low budget film get into production. because they are smaller, the name isn't as big making them much cheaper to work with, so for you as a writer you can get commissions for a much better deal than if you were to go through a more well known company. if your production goes according to plan you can also make a larger amount of money from this, as you paid for little production you are able to profit from a much larger value if generated through final reductions in cinemas.
independent directors or producers: independent directors are a much easier option to go for if you want to get your screenplay commissioned through a established but private source. they have a much easier job of producing their own screenplays in regards to the amount of power they possess over the final product. the downside is the cost of trying to find an independent director willing to put forth their practise. this can be the same for independent producers as although they have more freedom and authority to finance the screen play in their terms, all the decisions remain in their hands.
organisations: organisations purpose in the industry is to inform and guide upcoming screenwriters and creative individuals to work with professionals. although they do not have any power or finance over your scripts or work, they offer guidance and nurture through your practice and allow you to improve and submit your work though their guidance. the BBC writers room is a good example of this as this is an organisation where people submit their writing and screen plays to the company and they then place these into the wider world or independent companies to pick up and offer interest.
competitions: Competitions are a way for your work to be displayed in a competitive environment to prove your worth in the industry against other writers. competitions are a great way to get your work out there as if you win, you have more of a chance to be picked up by industry professionals as your work can be noticed by those interested.
5 ways a script can go into production
- Marketing, its important to know who you are selling to and through identifying your target audience, you can market your script into the wider world by advertising to those groups of people without making your gap too wide. this can be as simple as setting up ads on Instagram to promote your script to potential scrolling commissioners.
- finance, its important to be able to fund and kickstart your script. this will allow you to clearly identify the areas you need to work on or fund into to invest your money more through. even advertising can cost money so being able to keep some money aside in order to fund your production or any costs needed in order to put your script into production will be vital.
- you may have to pitch the idea to a commission in order to be funded or even noticed. However, studios and production companies have a policy of not accepting unsolicited submissions (whether they be screenplays, treatments, short stories, or ideas). This is because they want to avoid potential litigation, such as claims of plagiarism or copyright violation but being able to go in with a strong understanding and idea of what you want to achieve allows bodies to consider your options.
- you can option to sell your script. this will allow bodies to buy its rights from you to be able to adapt and change it under your title in order to then produce this and put into production. many small writers start out by doing this as this ells their work on and secures finance in order to keep funding new work in order to make work they are able to pitch themselves and take full credit.
- getting an agent can allow you to have someone take control of all the complicated management side in order to find you people and companies willing to hear your pitch. this also helps you for future employers to demonstrate your professionalism within the industry that by having an agent you are already signing yourself up to this practice and acting dedicating to getting your script into practice from help of an agent.
what is optioning:
A screenplay option is contracted permission that gives interested parties exclusive development and shopping rights to your screenplay. Producers and development executives utilize option agreements to attain the sole rights to represent the screenplay, package it, and attempt to secure distribution sales and the necessary budget to get the screenplay produced. They attain those rights by having the screenwriter(s) sign a contract that stipulates that the screenplay will not be shopped or packaged independently outside of the signatory party — a producer, development executives, production company, or studio. Screenplay options usually offer the writer a fee to take their screenplay off of the market — but that fee (if any) varies.
[https://screencraft.org/2019/11/21/the-screenwriters-simple-guide-to-screenplay-options/] The Screenwriter's Simple Guide to Screenplay Options. Ken Miyamoto. November 21 2019.
Shooting Scripts
Blocking a scene
Every film shoot is divided into five parts:
1. Block – determining where the actors will be on the set and the first camera position
2. Light – time for the DOP to light the set and position the camera for the first shot
3. Rehearse – camera rehearsal of the first set-up with the actors and crew
4. Adjustments – making lighting and other adjustments
5. Shoot – shooting the first scene (then repeat the process)
Blocking a scene is simply “working out the details of an actor’s moves in relation to the camera.”
[https://www.nyfa.edu/film-school-blog/the-5-stages-of-blocking-a-scene/] New York Film Academy. The 5 Stages of Blocking a Scene. FRANK PASQUINE. JUNE 18, 2009
Shooting scripts
A shooting script is a version of a screenplay used during the production of a motion picture or a television show. Shooting scripts are different from spec screenplays. They incorporate scene numbers and follow a well-defines set of procedures that specify how revisions to the screenplay are implemented and circulated among cast and crew.
The shooting script is usually created by the director and cinematographer but on a smaller productions or television shows the screenwriter might be involved as well.
[https://nofilmschool.com/shooting-script-example] No Film School. Shooting script example. Jason Hellerman. July 11, 2019
Page lock-down
Page lockdown is the process in which any changes or revisions to he script are coded specifically and sent out as individual pages as opposed to having to manually change the numbers on any subsequent page or force members of the cast and crew to transfer large sections of handwritten notes over and over.
Working as a Writer
Agent representation:
literary agents are one of the most important aspects of working as a writer. these people work closely with the writer and represent them as a creative individual. its their job to pitch unpublished work to editors, negotiating deals and gaining licencing between authors and publishers. they focus on the business side of the deals and publishing work.
literary agents are employed by literary agencies to represent them as a brand so if you would like to get in contact with one, you will need to find a company in order to fit your preference. the agents are in high demand as everyone is eager to publish their work so you may be downturned a lot if you do not meet the high needs. this does not mean somewhere else wont take you though and its important to keep hunting and submitting your work to as many agencies as possible. its important to have realistic expectations but not completely loosing hope. chances of you being scouted first time is extremely rare so its important to keep trying and find as many literary agents as possible to try and submit your work though these companies.
Payment:
if you are able to make a name for yourself in the industry the pay, pays well. not only does it pay well but your name is then marked into the industry which then allows you to be recognised by other companies, increasing your value in the industry. screenplays account for 1% to 2% of a film’s budget. However, arguably, screenwriters are entitled to ask for up to 5% in fees paid to them for rights to the material. Overall, this means that screenplay compensation varies drastically, according to such individual production costs.
If the budget of the film is MORE THAN £2m, the screenwriter can expect to receive a minimum fee of approx. £42,120
If the budget of the film is BETWEEN £750k and £2m, the screenwriter can expect to receive a minimum fee of approx. £25,650
If the budget of the film is UNDER £750k, the screenwriter can expect to receive a minimum fee of approx. £18,900
[https://industrialscripts.com/uk-screenwriters-pay/] How Much do UK Screenwriters Earn. Industrial Scripts. September 24, 2013.
professional presentation:
when pitching your work in a business environment, being able to sell yourself is key. this can also come down to your overall presentation on how you deliver the pitch and express your idea to the audience. if you are able to sell yourself this is then a positive moving forward
Do: Arrive on time, dress according to the business setting, speak loud and clear for everyone to understand your ideas in as much key detail as possible, take a very limited amount of time being able to be short and snappy is more effective than over complicating your pitch and make eye contact for everyone to be able to approach you and want to work with you, having a friendly and inviting nature.
Don't: overcomplicate your pitch, over-run, show up late, dress inappropriate, act as if you know the industry inside out because you do not, think you are better than everyone in the room, confidence is key but don't act over cocky and do not go in without a plan or key ideas you want to present.
time management:
- being busy is a normal part of our day to day lives with roles and responsibilities we need to attend to outside of the workplace. this is ok to be busy but being busy doesn't mean being unproductive. taking time even a small minute out of the day to note down some ideas or add to your script will only benefit you in the long run
- if you are on the move a lot, it might be important for your script too be accessible from a small device such as your phone. this will allow you to add and edit your work while on the move and as you always have your phone or laptop with you, it wouldn't take long to take t out and note down some ideas.
- before sending out your script, make sure you read it through with family members or close friends who can help make constructive criticism and allow you to expand on areas you may have looked over or forgot to add.
- if you have free time, it is important to use that to your advantage. adding to your script or attending meetings will allow you to stay focused on your task without feeling like time is being wasted doing nothing.
- keep writing. writers block can be the biggest issue, but by even leaving your current project and focusing on something else for a bit or another script may spark that connection you are looking for in order to complete your work. through this you can then take advantage of this time to focus on other aspects which may be troubled in your work like missing sentences or mistakes, going back through can even inspire a much needed part.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Plagiarism is when you, a creator, take someone else's work and credit it as your own. This can be in any form of media but is most commonly seen in writing and scripts. You are using someone else's ideas and concepts without their permission making your work a replica of there's, resulting in a plagiarized piece.
Copyright is the legal permission of a person, place or thing to have its full protection against anyone else’s use. It stops people from using that certain thing for themselves without permission. You get copyright protection automatically when you create a piece of media, you don’t have to apply or pay a fee. So this means that you automatically get copyright protection when you create:
Original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, including illustration and photography
Original non-literary written work, such as software, web content and databases
Sound and music recordings
Film and television recordings
Broadcasts
The layout of published editions of written, dramatic and musical works
And it prevents people from
Copying your work
Distributing copies of it, whether free of charge or for sale
Renting or lending copies of your work
Performing, showing or playing your work in public
Making an adaptation of your work
Putting it on the internet
Bias
Bias is when you have a particular view or belief that you put into practice through your work or entwined in with work you have been given to make it adjusted to your own preference. You can be biased in the media. For example if you have created your own fantasy world, you are in control, making it your own work leaving room for you to explore and adapt the world to your liking. But there are ways you cannot be biased, this can be through historic events you are trying to interpret. If you are covering a tragic event, you are not allowed to throw in unnecessary or made up thoughts on what happened, you have to make it fact or as close to the truth as you can.
Libel & Defamation
Defamation or libel (magazines/ printed texts), it’s important not to make fake accusations against a living person that may result in them being hated against. This may also apply to characters that are based on real people if the person, even if not named, is recognisable. This is important for screenwriters to be aware of because for legal issues of representing a real living person, to make what happens as close to the truth as possible and not include anything off track of what happened or something completely made up as this would result in a fine for defamation of someone basic human rights and not be accused of something they didn't do.
Target Audience
OFCOM (The Office of Communications) is a company which regulates the TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services and airwaves over which wireless devices operate. Their aim is to make sure that people in the UK get the best from their communications service and are protected against scammers and possible threats over technological devices. Compared to OFCOM, The BBC is a statutory corporation (state created corporation) which is independent from direct government intervention, with its world services now regulated/overlooked by OFCOM, but still being responsible for setting its overall strategic direction, decisions, the budget and guarding its editorial independence for World Service purposes.
Rating Process | BBFC The BBFC is a licensing requirement company which enforces age rating within the cinema. They take into account a film's purpose and level of view towards views and rate that film with either U, PG, 12A, 15 or 18. This is to depict the censorship of a film towards the viewers, giving it the correct classification in order to enjoy through the cinema. They have the power to reject or even cut work if not to the standard they hope for. They look for behaviour such as discrimination, drugs, horror, dangerous behaviour, language, nudity, sex and violence. The BBFC rates a film depending on these outcomes and usually is responsible for the synopsis of the film in general. The process of classification decided for films/other forms of visuals, allows families and children to choose what is right for them and what they should be avoiding. The process of this is overlooked by the compliance officers which are based on the BBFC’s published guidelines. They communicate with people across the UK and have an excessive amount of research along with the BBFC’s 100 years of experience in order to decide the regulations of a film, ready for distribution.
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