Analysing Music Video

The Commissioning Process and Working as a Writer

The Commissioning Process and Working as a Writer

Commission Editors:

Commission Editors usually begin their career as editing assistants. They then begin working their way up the ladder to get to being a commission editor. Commission editors are typically employed by commercial book publishers. However freelance work can be available to commission editors if they have a large amount of experience. One of the main jobs of being a commission editor is to choose what will be screened. For example the commission editor for the BBC would choose what would be shown, along with the producer, but also the programming schedule of when each programme will be shown.

Producers:

Producers have full control of all aspects of a film's production. The producer chooses which members he would like on his team to complete the production of the film. Producers have the workload of pre-production by choosing the cast and crew but also the production they will be creating. The actual production making sure it goes smoothly and then post production and the marketing of the film. Producers will be shown lots of different film or TV programme ideas and they then have input on which one they would like to create.

Directors:

Directors may have written the script they want to produce, commission it to be written or can be hired after an early draft of the script has been complete. The director then must visualise the final production and how they want it to look. Directors manage all the cast and crew and leads them in the right direction. Directors also work very closely with editors in early pre-production to see what editing can be used to create the final product.

Script Editors:

Script editors are there to provide a critical analysis of the screenplay a production company has received. They do not offer solutions to fix the screenplay however they help the screen writer identify the problems and how this could affect the screenplay within production. Script editors are usually part of a production company but can be freelance too.

Agents:

Agents are used to find work for their clients, they use a range of contacts they have to give their client the best possible option available. For screen writing, agents would need to be very up to date as to what productions are happening and what screenplays have already been given the green light to be filmed. Then they would approach their client and tell them if their screenplay is similar to what has already or being created. Then they would try to help their client get their screenplay commissioned.

Writers:

The writers of the screenplay are responsible for researching the background of the story they want to create and also how they can make it appealing for a director to commission it. The writer would do thorough research on how they plan their story and how it unfolds. Then they would produce the screenplay and send it to various directors and companies to see if it would be good enough to be created. Again the director would have input to see if they could visualise the screenplay and also this is where a script editor is important too.

Corporations:

Corporations are the different channels in which show the programmes. An example of major corporations would be the BBC and Sky. Corporations exist to show the programmes we all watch but also to always give new screenwriters a chance to show what they have. For example the BBC have a competition called the Writers Room, which allows anybody to submit a screenplay of their own to the BBC for review and then the best screenplay is chosen and the winner will have their idea created by the BBC. Other major corporations such as Sky do also commission but it is much harder to show them.

Independent Production Companies:

If you cannot get commissioned by a major corporation there are always independent production companies which you could approach to ask if they will commission your screenplay. It may be beneficial for the writer if they are unknown because it would be cheaper for the company. Most smaller production companies produce their own scripts and also some funding from bigger production companies for a revenue of the final product.

Independent Producers and Directors:

Independent directors have a very easy job of producing their own screenplays because of the amount of power and input they have within the final product, however the major downside to this is that you would need to be in a good position by being able to afford to produce this screenplay by yourself. In addition independent producers are basically the same as they get to choose what to screenplay to finance they have to deal with the consequences if they make a bad decision and the film does not succeed.

Organisations:

Organisations for example The Script Factory are in place to aid screen writers and the people involved with writers. They do not finance the screenplay but they offer help in developing the screenplay and give advice on improvements and how to get it seen. As said before the BBC also help by providing the Writers Room.

The role of the writer throughout production:

Starting at pre-production a writer must research many things before even beginning to write the screenplay. Some of this research includes the background story of the screenplay, what the plot will be but also any influences in which the screenplay may be based on. Moving on to the script editing, once the screenplay has been created but in early drafts the writer must then keep re-reading and making improvements he seems necessary. Once the screenplay in final drafts the writer will then begin to try and get directors or producers involved to then begin production of the screenplay. When a director or producer is interested the shooting for the script production begins as soon as possible. Page lock down is vital if a production is to be filmed efficiently. Page lock down means that any changes or revisions of the script are coded specifically and sent out as individual pages. Then if there are any adjustments during shooting it is easier to see what needs to be changed before the final product.

When working as a writer there are many things you must consider within your work and also to get your work known. One of these could be agent representation. This is a very good thing when being a writer because your agent would help you get your screenplay noticed by directors and producers they have within their contacts. Agent representation is a great way to start as a writer but first you would need to find an agent who would like to represent you. Another part is royalty payments, when you are creating your screenplay you may need to think about music within the screenplay and what necessary precautions will need to be made so you can have access to the music you would like. Also when researching for the screenplay you must make sure you are not using anything which is libel because this will affect your chances of getting the production made. When being a writer you may need to pitch to different companies to make them interested in your screenplay, having a short but effective professional presentation would be a great idea to start with but then lead onto the story in more depth when presenting it. In addition time management is key to being a writer because you will either need to create your screenplay to a deadline if a company has asked you to create one or you may need to create a professional screenplay fast to then show directors before they choose another. However, another time management factor would be about adding changes to the screenplay.  Finally when working as a writer there are many legal considerations in which you must face. One of these is copyright, when creating a screenplay the writer must do research first to make sure that nothing already exists like their idea but also to make sure that when you are going to write a screenplay you do not just research how you want your screenplay and then steal it. One because the screenplay may be copyrighted and serious legal action could be taken and two, stealing this screenplay would be known as plagiarism. In addition to this when a writer you must be aware of bias opinions and censorship because you may create a screenplay on a great idea but because some people have bias opinions and also the way censorship is in life, the screenplay may be turned away. When creating the screenplay you must also keep in mind who would be the target audience for the screenplay be because if you screenplay would have a lot of violence and for an older audience then it would not be allowed to be shown before the watershed.