Research Dossier
Submission of work
The BBC writers’ room is a year-round, script writing open call. They offer opportunities to be developed and produced for BBC broadcast by taking in scripts which provide the most potential. It’s important to look heavily into what the BBC are looking for as the different themes and categories should showcase a writer’s talent, ability, and voice entwined with the given scenario. Distinctive voices, captivating dialog, well-rounded, leaving the readers wanting to read more, are a few characteristics of what the BBC look for when picking out potential scripts from the submissions.
It’s important to consider that original scripts written “on spec” are produced extremely rarely, and writers should not send them in with the expectation that they will be produced. However, original spec' scripts are the means by which writers get noticed, so there is the possibility that a writer should always write your script with the same level of commitment as if it were for production.
• The script should be a minimum of 30 pages long (excluding title/character pages)
• The script should be saved as a single PDF document of no more than 10MB in size, with the writer’s name removed from the document.
• If the writer has written a spec' script for Online or Children’s TV/Radio, they may submit multiple episodes provided the total length comes to at least 30 minutes / pages.
As there is no direct prize, recognition is praised. By submitting your work in, you are putting forward an idea which could be picked up and put in production, this then allows recognition of the work and a career in this industry. The prize is recognition and as the Writers Room is open all year round, it is possible to submit different work in the different categories for you to get noticed.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/send-a-script/
The UKFF Script Competitions has 3 categories.
1) Feature Script
2) 3 Minute Script
3) 10 Minute Screenplay
UKFF doesn’t just give awards or money as a prize but aims to get a writer winning scripts into production. They are well known for successfully connecting scriptwriters to the film industry and getting the films made. With 6 of their winners’ scripts made into films. They continue to place scripts with well-known production companies. Last year’s winner, THE CANADIAN by Joadie Jurgova (quoted above) is now in pre-production with the producers of RUSH and BLACK BOOK, Egoli Tossell with a twice Berlinale winning director, Petros Silvestros. Winners will receive immediate marketing to the industry, winner's laurels and the associated publicity.
Winners and runners up in each category will also receive the latest version of Final Draft 11 (value £250) with many new features, as well as a free script listing and placement on Ink Tip. Producers have made more than 400 films from scripts and writers they found through Ink Tip.
• 1) For the 3 Minute Script Competition - The script only.
• 2) For the 10 Minute (or less) Screenplay - The script only.
• 3) For the Feature Script Competition - The Script only.
• In addition, you may also include (but this is optional) by email to murray@ukfilmfestival.com - 1) a 1-page synopsis, 2) A treatment /Outline of the script (up to 5 pages) Please indicate that the script has been submitted on FilmFreeway.
Austin Macauley Publishers accept manuscripts across all genres, with or without an agent, from anywhere in the world. Whether you are a new author or have been previously published, Austin Macauley Publishers want to hear your work. The review process may take up to six weeks. It’s important when submitting work to provide a Covering letter which should include
• Your full name (and pseudonym if applicable)
• Your postal address, telephone number, and email address (if you have one)
• Any details of past writing experience
• An estimated word count for your complete manuscript
• Synopsis and manuscript
This is the screenplay format sheet which I had to annotate and identify each key term in the text.
If you are a writer, it’s important to identify your work's inspiration. This could be from referencing real events to even taking inspiration from simple objects such as surroundings or people. For example you could use a news article to find a real event which happened in order to take that into your own work. E.g. The film Titanic (Cameron, 1997) was based on a real event which happened which gained mass popularity in cinema resulting in the skyrocket of income.
- One example of a piece of inspiration you could use for your work is from a real event, non-fiction, which can then be worked on and developed in order to create a film based on these real events. You could find an article from either recently or a while ago which you could research into in order to gain information and even develop those ideas from a simple event to even spread awareness to the cause or gain word of mouth from those around you because of the event which may touch hearts. It's important that you thoroughly research these news articles in order to not completely draw away from the message or the event if that is what you are going for. If you wanted to use the Apollo’s space mission you would need to be able to know enough inorder to correctly demonstrate a clear understanding not to spread misinformation or tear away from the real message.
- Another way you could find information in order to gain inspiration for your script could be through interviews from real people. A great example of where this is done well if through hollocaust survivors. Making a script based on events from WW2 may be useful if you are able to gather some research on survivors from it. The holocaust is one way through those in concentration camps to those who even knew people or where involved in the organisation. This allows a clear depiction of what was going on there to understand the impact and challenges faced in order to not make anything insensitive and give a careful but honest depiction on life in those conditions.
- Another way you can gather information for your script can be through books and old documents if you are looking to make something more historical, the historical documents provide a great depiction of what life was like back then due to the minimal experience we have back in those times. Creating historical events through the ideas in your screenplay needs to be thought out with care and historical documents are the closest thing you will get to the past. Even though fossils from the dinosaurs were used as analysis for Jurassic world in order to create an accurate representation of the different dinosaurs alive at the time and not to create anything historically inaccurate.
- If you are looking for more of an imaginative approach to a theme, looking at different art can even inspire you in your script. Looking at different media texts you can gather a world in your head which you are able to elaborate on if you have more of a creative vision. Many script writers use this tactic when walking about to gain sudden ideas and inspiration from items and even linking different scenarios in their heads to create an idea out of something so small.
Primary research is data or information you have collected yourself. This could include anything from questionnaires, interviews, observational studies, focus groups which is also called an original source. In the professional industry, primary research can be done through promotional advertising for the film, seeking interviews and press conferences. Anything which involves the scout for promotion would be classed as primary research.
- For primary research it is important to gather your own research from your own will, this is to gather a clear perception of your idea from the outlook of other people instead of using other sources of inspiration. You could use a survey for this. By creating a survey you could write down questions about what the audience thinks of your script idea. This could be through a simple plot point which prompts people into answering if they would want to go watch your film and why/why not.
- You could also gather a group of people from the passion of your chosen genre to sit down and ask them questions about a potential script you are making in person. This gives a constructed interview and allows for questions and criticism to be made in order to suit the majority of who you are interviewing.
- You could also promote your own idea out to the public through forums and through different sites to see if anyone picks up on it and is even interested in developing your idea for you. This would be a great opportunity to get noticed and then have your work taken on by a professional to develop and consider putting into production. This gives you the feedback needed into what was liked about your script and what could have been better.
Secondary research is data or information which you have taken from another researcher or source. The data has been collected from someone else, which could include materials published online, reports and public documents. Secondary sources are reports that draw on research and other references to make interpretive, analytical or synthesised claims. Secondary research in the film industry can come through second-hand scripts, someone else's ideas and thoughts and even online research into film adaptations which you may want to produce.
- The use of someone else's already made script is an example of a secondary research, as it is already done by someone else. You can find these scripts online by request or even a submission of other people to you personally. As it is something you haven't created, it is your job to adapt that making it secondary. This could also be speaking to the original creator to understand the thought process behind the ideas of the script.
- You could also look at news articles to gather an idea on a genre or concept for your script. This means your script has taken inspiration from a source online and based on a real event. The real event can then be elaborated or played into due to the imagination you can create for your work which allows a base for your script to then build from.
- You could also create a survey from different genres of movies or from the game genre and ask people to note down their favourite movie from each. This will identify, first of all their favourite genre and then sendond, their favourite film from the genre to then ask them to elaborate on what they liked about that film and what made it so successful to them, this can then help when working on your own script to entwine these ideas in.
For my own screenplay I looked at two different sources. I looked at a RPG game and a song to fit the theme of my concept. I first looked at the RPG game, ‘Your turn to die’ for inspiration for my piece as it involves a similar concept to mine with a certain scene playing out. Sara, grieved by Joe's death, strongly believes that she is at fault for it, this creating hallucinations. Unlike Oliva, Sara has help and is able to overcome this guilt. This ties in with my own concept and I took this for my own inspiration. I then looked at the song Agnes by Glass Animals. Agnes is dead and the friend who narrates this song is reflecting on the fact that even though Agnes is dead, he still thinks about him. The song is showing the effects of drugs and addiction on a relationship. More specifically, though, it is about losing someone to addiction. This relates to my own work as I have taken inspiration from these pieces of existing media allowing my own work to have a base.
Primary research can be a good way to personally understand the concept of the film you want to produce and the way you publish that to the world is done off your own back. You are able to share your ideas personally and not from a second-hand point of view. It's a good way to start if your ideas are good enough, but it can be difficult to get those views across if your name or film is not great enough, you run the risk of scrapping your ideas because it's from your own mind and may not be up to Hollywood's standards in competition.
Secondary research can be seen as an effective and overall safer way to produce within the media industry. The use of using research and information (scripts) as a new adaptation or even as an interpretation can be a safer and more effective way. You already have the source and information from books, already produced films, reports and scripts which makes your understanding of the adaptation more efficient than if you were to use your own ideas. But this can come at risk as the pressure of matching the storyline and not going off the plot completely can be the make or break of your production. Accuracy is key so it's important for that to come as the main priority and will determine your overall profit in the box office due to the research conducted.
For my own script I decided to use/ take inspiration from two different sources. I have taken most of my inspiration from songs and games I have played recently which gave me my overall inspiration for my script in geral. First I used the story line from the Tasūketsu japanese Death, episodic horror adventure RPG game ‘Your turn to die’. From the perspective of the characters Sara and Joe, through Sara’s perspective. I decided to use the plot point of Sara’s hallucinations of her best friend Joe after he died in one of the death games, at her mercy. His hallucinations towards Sara inspired my own connections with my two characters to link Nate and Olivia with the dead friends coming back as a hallucination to feed into the guilt which Sara and Olivia both share over their best friends. Using your turn to die is a high achieving game with an overall rating of 4.9/5 and 98% of users liked, creating a reliable and efficient piece to base my own work from since this was so popular with fans and the emotions they felt when Joe was at Sara’s mercy to live.
For my own work I looked at the game ‘your turn to die’ closely and looked back through the game play to what I could take inspiration for. I originally looked at the idea of having my own characters Nate and Olivia both come to the conclusion at the end of Olivia surviving the outcome and walking out on Nate with the acceptance of him finally being gone. In the game play of your turn to die, a similar thing happens with Sara in one of the outcomes. In outcome 1 Sara is able to accept Joe's death, making a sweet mutual understanding between them both, Sara then is able to forgive herself for what happened and the hallucinations of Joe fade away. In outcome 2, Joe continues to taunt Sara which leads her into an even bigger spiral, making the hallucinations drive her insane.
When looking at my own script idea I took those two options and took them into consideration. I originally scrapped the idea of having Olivia completely accept his death as the whole build up to this point felt anticlimactic in the end. Instead I turned it into a sweet moment for them both but a mutual acceptance when they both die ‘together’ which has more impact in the end. Especially as it can still be open to interpretation for the audience.
For my final presentation I have gathered my information together from the developers website to put on a presentation. My own work is developed from the websites and sources which I stored on the document in order to look back on later when creating my final work. My own knowledge was put in place too when researching the game. This was then entwined with my script which I was able to look back over and take notes into my own inspiration to give the correct credit and base my structure from.
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