Screenplay Final Draft

The Commissioning Process

Job roles within the commissioning process:

Commissioning editors identify books or media products to publish in order to build up a publisher's list. They commission work by finding authors or responding to book proposals. They also ensure authors deliver typescripts to specification and on time. The role is most associated with book publishing. In magazine publishing, commissioning editors commission writers to produce articles and features. An initial entrant is likely to be recruited into a more junior position, such as editorial assistant, which may then lead on to a career as a commissioning editor.

Producers are either employed by a production company or are independent. Producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting script, coordinating writing, directing and editing, and arranging financing. The main producer sometimes will appoint executive producers, line producers or unit production managers who represent the main producer's interests.

The director gives direction to the cast and crew and creates an overall vision through which a film eventually becomes realised. Directors need to be able to mediate differences in creative visions and stay in the boundaries of the film's budget. Some film directors start as screenwriters, cinematographers, film editors or actors. Other film directors have attended a film school. Some directors write their own screenplays or collaborate on screenplays with long-standing writing partners. Some directors edit or appear in their films, or compose the music score for their films.

A script editor is a member of the production team. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production. The script editor will work closely with the writer at each draft of their script, giving the writer feedback on the quality of their work, suggesting improvements that can be made whilst. Unlike the writers, script editors will usually be full-time members of the production team, working closely with the producer.

The agent who represents writers and their written works to publishers, theatrical producers, film producers and film studios, and assists in the sale and deal negotiation of the same. Literary agents most often represent novelists, screenwriters and non-fiction writers. They are paid a fixed percentage (usually twenty percent on foreign sales and ten to fifteen percent for domestic sales) of the proceeds of sales they negotiate on behalf of their clients.

Commissioning bodies:

A legal entity that is separate and distinct from its owners. Corporations enjoy most of the rights and responsibilities that an individual possesses; that is, a corporation has the right to enter into contracts, loan and borrow money, sue and be sued, hire employees, own assets and pay taxes.

Production companies are often either owned or under contract with a media conglomerate, film studio, entertainment company, or Motion Picture Company, who act as the production company's partner or parent company. This has become known as the "studio system". They can also be mainstream, independent or completely independent. Hat Trick Productions is a British independent production company that produces television programmes, mainly specialising in comedy. Hat Trick is one of the UK's most successful independent production companies - their output immediately identified with popular and award-winning programming, light entertainment and drama, and now also emerging into digital media. Programmes have been nominated for every major award in the industry and the company has won more awards for its comedy and entertainment output than any other producer in the history of British broadcasting, except for the BBC.

An Independent director (also sometimes known as an outside director) is a member of a board of directors who does not have a material or pecuniary relationship with company or related persons, except sitting fees. Independent Directors do not own shares in the company. if an independent producer/ director wanted the film to become a bigger film, you would find an agent so they could hopefully provide meetings with a distributor if the film was potentially a profitable move.

The role of the writer throughout production:

Pre-production is the process of fixing elements involved in a film, play, or other performance. In filmmaking and video production, pre-production formally begins once a project has been given the green light. At this stage, finalising preparations for production go into effect. During pre-production, the script is broken down into individual scenes storyboards and all the locations, props, cast members, costumes, special effects and visual effects are identified. An extremely detailed schedule is produced and arrangements are made for the necessary elements to be available to the film-makers at the appropriate times.

The script editor has many responsibilities including finding script writers, series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production and developing the storylines. The script editor will work closely with the writer at each draft of their script, giving the writer feedback, suggesting improvements that can be made whilst also ensuring that practical issues like show continuity and correct running time are adhered to. Script editors will usually be full-time members of the production team, working closely with the producer unlike the writer.

A producer has control over the majority of the project, this will include the script and it’s many rewrites. The writer will have to work closely with the producer to achieve something that will do well when it comes to bringing the studio a profit. The writer will also have to work with the director to bring a screenplay into a visual story for an audience that will obviously have to be enjoyable to watch.

The shooting script is more elaborate, precise, overwritten version of the screenplay. The shooting script is not written by the screenwriter. It is written by the director alongside his cinematographer, while both discuss their ideas and shot plan desired for the movie. The shooting script is normally broken into shots, featuring precise cinematography terminology such as close-ups, dolly in, overexposed. The idea here is to inform the crew what is going on.

Once this stage occurs, there will be no more rewrites or edits, the script will be published and handed to the department. If any scenes do need to be rewritten and changed, locking the pages allows this to be easily tracked, so it keeps the revised and unrevised pages separate which will show the difference between the original script and the changes.

Working as a writer:

An agent is someone who looks after the sales and the work load of a client. They are more popular among actors, actresses, screen writers.  The amount of pay the agent receives is all dependent on how much the client and the agents agree how much the fixed percentage is, which ranges between 10-25%. The agent will negotiate the sale to publishers, theatrical producers and film producers. Some well know publishing companies will not accept clients unless they have an agent to represent them. Having a well-known and more experienced agent, is a big advantage as they will already have contacts to send on the work. For an example if a company wanted a writer for a programme they will go to agents to find one, who would take a profit of the payment the writer would receive for the job.

Royalty payments are the payment a writer will receive from the use of the scripts or the sales of books and films. For example for each book sold, the writer can receive a percentage of the payment this is known as royalty. Royalty payments are split between the writer, agents and the producers and such. Payments and salaries that writers will receive vary wildly

Censorship is what something may be considered to be harmful, rude, or inappropriate towards others. Libel is when someone is responsible for something. These two apply to writer as for example if the writer decided to add an offensive line to their script then the writer would be to blame. Copy right is very important for writers and especially freelance writers, as it is potentially protection for your future. It is a way for the work of a creator, such as an artist or author to stop other people copying, distributing their work. However certain rules apply such as the work must be and original idea and unless other agreement is made the writer holds on to the copy right.

Research Texts

Silent Witness:

In the opening scene of the episode there was a shooting outside a nightclub. The shooting came from a moving car beside the nightclub, they were shooting towards the entrance of the nightclub and the people outside it. A few people ending up dying with a few injured also. The nightclub owner was the main target (Ainsley Modest) as well as his bouncers,  plus the gang in the car that shot towards the night club. Wayne the 12 year old drug dealer is also heavily involved with the gunman, the police and the gang.

Edge of Darkness: 

In the opening scene there is a confrontation between the chief detective and a detective over cases that have been stacked up on the detectives desk, the chief detective tells him that thats what he needs to focus on. They talk about an election fix which the detective thinks is more important than the the chief does as he knows that only a few votes are involved in the fix and its not a big case. The chief detective is the oldest one out of them both and has a lot of power where as the other detective doesn't have as much power as him but is very important. 

Screenplay second draft

Screenplay first draft

Screenplay Treatment

Beginning

Its an early sunny morning in Norfolk and two teenagers that are set to go out for the day. One boy and girl. The boy goes to pick up his girlfriend as they decided to go for an early morning walk on the day which is their 2 year anniversary (mid shot of them holding hands and walking). They start to talk about when they first met and the first date they went on. Shots of them on the first date that they went on as they are talking. They decided to take a seat on a bench and discuss what they were going to do later on to celebrate the anniversary. The boy then receives a text off of another girl saying "whats your plans for later on?" as he looks at his phone so does his girlfriend and they start to have an argument if anything is going on between them.

Middle

Whilst the argument is going on, in the background a figure is walking towards them and it turns out to be a man in his 40's. He goes up to the couple and asks the boy to give him a hand with his car just down the road. He leaves his girlfriend and says "ill be 5 minutes". He walks off with the old bloke and he is explaining whats wrong with the car. As they get closer towards the car 2 big blokes in leather jackets and jeans walk past and wink at the teenage boy. As they look at the car the 40 year old then gets in the car and starts it up, he asks the teenage boy to open the boot for him. As he opens the boot he discovers a girl tied up in the boot and rolls her over only to then find out it was the girl that messaged him. The bloke then tells him to take the girl, so he then unties her and pulls her unconscious body out of the car. The bloke then winds down the window and says "wouldn't it be a shame if your girlfriend was to see this". As he looks over to bench where he was sitting with her there was no figure sitting there. The bloke then pulls away with out saying anything else and leaves the two teenagers alone.

End

As he is carrying the unconscious girls body over to where he was sitting, his phone starts to ring and its his girlfriends number ringing him. He decides to ignore the call and try to wake up out the unconscious girl. It starts to ring again and again he decides to ignore it again. He wakes up the unconscious girl and she seems startled to see him, she gives him a smile and says "now you have me". He looks confused at her and repeats to her what she just said. "Yeah now she has gone you have got me" she says. Out of her pocket she pulls out a medicine needle and stabs him in the back of his neck. He then falls to the floor unconscious as she is starring down on him.

Script Testing

Screenwriting Research

Annotated Script 

Ten minute shorts

I picked this short as it relates to a theme in my script. The kidnapping happens to a young chap like it does in my script and also its a bunch of thugs that do it. I also like some of the shots used in the film as well and it works well with the intense soundtrack in the background. 

This short also relates to my script and short idea as well. It's a love story mixed with a kidnapping, the exact same thing occurs in my idea. The shots are very good as well as the mix of ambient sound and diegetic sound. The use of make up is really good as well, plus the actors fill the roles they are given well. They use flashbacks to show the past of the kidnapper. It's got a dramatic twist and a really unusual twist as well which I think is done really well.

Audience research

I asked the question of what genre the class preferred out of the 4 given to them. Love came out as the top genre to do a short film on.

I then asked the class if they thought that there is a gap in the market for a short love film, they responded saying yes they believe there is a gap in the market and think it's a good idea to fill the gap.

I also asked the class what I should mix in with the love element of the film and kidnapping came back as the best response, so I will use that in the short film.

Theme

The theme I will be undertaking due to how my audience research was taken is a love story. I find that it's easy to write about and there is also a lot of things to write about it as well as you can mix it in with so many different things like I will be with kidnapping. I will try make it to be as believable as possible to the audience and make them connect with whats going on on screen.  

I've looked at relate able films/shorts so they can help me out with what to create on my final piece.