Unit 19: Learning Aim A
Scriptwriting: INTRO
A script is the backbone of any piece of media, it is a written text presenting the dialogue and movements for the actors alongside stage direction and various forms of notation to guide the crew. The script is most significant for the actors, as not only does it provide the lines which need to be said between characters, it indicates facial expressions and body language which can really help to evoke emotion in the scenes, allowing the overall media to be more appealing to the audience deepening their connection with it. When scriptwriters write a script, they must write it with the correct format; margins, dialogue, font sizes etc.
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SCRIPTWRITING PROCESS
When scriptwriters begin to write a script, they must write an initial logline, which is a simple sentence that describes the plotline of the story and poses the question of what the story is about (this will also include the creation of characters). Then the scriptwriter will create an outline writing down the main plots, events, and climaxes of the story in chronological order
VIDEO GAMES vs FILMS vs TV SHOWS
Scriptwriters across different media texts will have vastly different responsibilities. Film writers will have much less time as their movie will typically run between 1 and 3 hours depending on the genre, which means writers have less freedom to develop the characters and their respective arcs. Adding onto that film writers do not get the luxury of a much larger cast, where many different stories and arcs can spawn off (unless they get their own spin off films; Han Solo). Video game scriptwriters must take into consideration how their cutscenes fit into gameplay and whether their game is first person or third person. Third person games will make the job easier, as the player will be staring at the back of the head of a character the whole time, meaning the facial expressions and emotions will not need to be seen in the person’s face.
Roles and responsibilities: A1
Scriptwriters find work from various places - a lot of companies have their own study market in which they can selectively choose an idea. They would then proceed to bring in creatives writers to continue their ideas further.
COMISSIONED WORK
Some people might pay independent scriptwriters to develop a story on a vague idea in which they had, this is available via websites where people can independently sell their services and trades such as https://fiverr.com. Many writers would set their prices to vary depending on the length of the script.
AGENTS
Screenwriters get hired when an agent pitches the writer's script to a certain film company then they choose the screenwriter. The film firm will normally hire the same writer to make changes including rewrites or polishes to the story or writing sequels prequels (with additional payment).
UNIVERSITY
Going to university will allow you to gain as much experience as possible, and many universities will provide a placement year. They will use their established connections and place you into a company to write for an upcoming project, whether that is in the game, film or tv industry.
[TIPS]
Tips from scriptwriters on how to increase chances to be hired:
- Locate yourself in a major city (London, Hollywood etc.)
- Take courses / classes on scriptwriting
- Network with people in the industry (join groups)
- Build a portfolio
--> In the TV industry scriptwriters might be brought onto the team after the initial storyline has been created. People may be hired to join the team due to vacancies in later seasons where they will be required to not only develop existing characters but create new ones.
--> However, in the film industry it tends to stick with the original script, which is pitched to the agents and further developed on.
CASE STUDY: ERIC ROTH
Born on the 22nd of March – 1945
Eric is at the top of the screenwriting game, with a career lasting four decades, he continues to outperform himself and produce outstanding scripts. These scripts develop top films, notably Forrest Gump (1994), Munich (2005), Dune (2021). His experience varies as he has 23 credits as a film writer, 8 as a tv writer and 1 as a producer - adding up to 32 past projects.
He has proceeded to be nominated for 7 Oscars, the latest being in 2022, and has won an Oscar in 1995 for his screenplay on Forrest Gump. Overall, he has a total of 105 nominations and a further 13 wins.
Eric has a unique belief when it comes to writer's block, and it is that it does not exist. Essentially, he works every day working on his craft and describes himself as an idealist, who takes his time writing the perfect script.
Eric Roth has said that he himself is very disciplined and suggests that working on your self-discipline will help further your scriptwriting skills. He has said that he wakes up at 5:30am and proceeds to take a walk or do any form of exercise until 7:30am, which is when he will start writing until noon. Although he works every day, he limits himself to those 4 hours as he is sure that is how long he can maintain a creative mindset - until he picks up work again in the evening. He also suggests starting one page every day is a fantastic way to make progress in your script. Prior to writing your new page, you will need to re-read your previous pages from the beginning. This allows you time to edit and tweak your past work, which will help mold your script as a whole and give it a conscience tone, pacing and flow which will help improve your script as a whole.
Developing skills:
A scriptwriter can develop their skills by learning the baseline and fundamentals of good story telling. They must pace their plotline with a clear voice and goal, this includes having a consistent theme throughout the movie. A good understanding of genres and audiences will allow more direction actions to help engage the viewers. The ability to craft memorable characters is one of the biggest, as a good character can evoke emotions within the audience: allowing them to be more invested in the storyline. A good connection between audience and a character will consist of feeling a connection and sympathy, which will need to be studied for the scriptwriter to have this effect. These fundamentals are vital to writing a good script, so step one to developing scriptwriting skills is to learn these.
A great way to develop skills in scriptwriting would be to take specific classes. Although formal education is not needed to be successful in the scriptwriting industry it can help you learn the basics, develop your skills, and meet more scriptwriters like yourself. Going to university to study screenwriting is also a viable option. You could also enroll in a placement year where you can get experience in the real world, allowing you to increase your skills there.
To produce good scripts, it is useful to study already made ones. You can learn from already established screenwriters such as Eric Roth, or just by consuming media about screenwriting such as documentaries books and other visuals pieces. Taking notes while watching/reading different forms of media will also help, as inspiration comes from all your experiences and to get ideas you must get your brain working.
A great way to develop your skills and write a successful script is to write about something you personally care about. Although trends may say and knowing popular content in the industry is great, it is believed it is more important to write stories that you find interesting and have a personal connection with. This can motivate your work and help raise the bar of your content to a different level. Writing about things you care about will improve the quality, because you will want to put time and effort into it, making it better overall.
Alternatively, finding a mentor would also be a good option. Someone with professional experience in the industry can help refine your skills and give you contact in the profession. Feedback on your work will be a fantastic way for you to help improve your already made scripts, as you yourself will not often see mistakes or weaknesses until someone else points them out.
Ultimately, the best way to develop your skills is getting practice, so any of the tips above would suffice – the main parts being learning and most importantly actively producing.
Demands and requirements:
In the TV, scripts tend to vary in length but usually remain smaller than other sectors. For example, video game scriptwriters are not bound to page limits, as a game is as long as the player wants it to be. Videogame writers must take into consideration the gameplay and choices of each player as some may decide to search every corner of a particular building, writers will want to have ‘Trigger’ dialogue that may never get said. This is known as loose formatting, as there’s multiple outcomes of the story: so, there will be many ‘if this then that’ dotted through the script. Due to there being many different outcomes, videogame scriptwriters will generally have to write more, so a main skill which an employer would look for in a videogame writer would be time management.
Usually, TV and film scriptwriters will work independently on their story, and then proceed to pitch to an agent where they will be hired accordingly. This means that they would require the ability to be able to work alone for prolonged periods of time consistently. Contrastingly, scriptwriters in the videogame industry will need to work alongside developers/game designers and write according to the restrictions of the game engine. Every videogame will inevitably go through multiple stages of iteration and change, and these would be out of a scriptwriter's control. This means that game scriptwriters are required to have excellent communication skills and the ability to demonstrate efficient work within a team.
Legal and ethical considerations: A2
There are a few legal and ethical considerations which scriptwriters need to take before/while producing their piece. These are as follows:
Legal:
Scriptwriters must make sure they copyright their work otherwise their ideas can be stolen by other writers or their whole script can be copied. Copyright is shown by writing on the front of their scripts the year of completion and your name. Legal action can take place if anybody’s work is plagiarized, this is valid for 70 years after the death of the writer. A writer can take inspiration from other texts, but cannot directly copy or steal the storyline, so a scriptwriter must consider this as they draft their script.
Another thing scriptwriters must think about while writing their script is the honesty and decency that the story presents to the audience. A writer will face libel if they do not write truthfully that they are basing their script on a true story, as that is spreading misinformation. Libel laws also include the slander or deformation of one’s character or public view. This means if you spread misinformation about a person to ruin their public image you are causing them to be shunned, discredited, or even avoided – which is something that a person can take legal action on.
Finally, watershed is also something that scriptwriters will have to consider, as it will control when their piece of media is shown and to which audience. The watershed begins at 9pm and this means material unsuitable for children should not be shown before 9pm or after 5.30am.
These legal laws aren’t to be taken lightly, as if they are not followed the person responsible can face legal action. For example, the band going by the name Led Zeppelin had some issues with copyright when as were accused of borrowing from another song for their song ‘Stairway to Heaven’. According to BBC News (2016), both the singer (Robert Plant) and the guitarist (Jimmy Page) are being sued for using the opening notes from the song ‘Taurus’ that was released in 1967 by the band Spirit.
Ethical:
Scriptwriters should consider their views and ideologies that they are promoting as they should not give biased work. All the opinions presented must be moral, and the audience should not feel as if they are having anything forced on them. This could be political views or religious ones, either way the scriptwriter must evaluate their delivery and make sure it is not too assertive.
Furthermore, a scriptwriter will have to tread lightly on the certain topics; race, gender, sexuality, and religion. Misrepresenting can cause a to writer public image to be destroyed, they must be careful on the content they release and what their target audience’s reaction. For example, a lot of texts used to depict Muslims as terrorists, this is completely unethical and can affect a writer heavily if they do not censor their content and misinterpret large chunks of the world’s population.
An example of a company that has faced backlash due to discrimination is Universal Studios. In their 2009 romantic comedy named “Couples Retreat”, for unknown reasons Universal Studios removed the Black actors from the poster. Actor and comedian Faizon Love has sued against Universal due to the studio’s decade long racist advertising campaign for the movie. When the picture was released internationally, the studio used a different poster from which Love and Hawk’s (the two main black leads) faces and names were removed. The studio also refused to invite Love to participate in the European press tour for the film’s initial foreign release.
Final words: EVALUATION
It is evident that scriptwriters across the industry all share similar roles when it comes to developing their scripts. They control dialogue and stage directions, which can have a significant impact on the audience's perception. A good dialogue can clearly tell the audience how a character is feeling, and good stage directions can show the audience the character's emotions. These are vital to improving the experience of the consumers, as they will help the movie/game/show achieve its goals. Scriptwriters across sectors play a similar role however videogame scriptwriters are required to leave certain areas blank, as gameplay will interfere, and engine restrictions will be run into along the way. Most scriptwriters pitch their scripts and ideas to an agent which will lead to them being hired to develop the script further (if the agents approve it). Other forms of work are available such as private commissioning or working for a company specifically; Disney. In order for scriptwriters to find work they must have a portfolio to prove their ability to write a cohesive and clear script. This portfolio will also act as practice for the scriptwriter, as the best way to improve their skills is to practice them. A scriptwriter needs to develop a variety of skills in order to succeed. Time management plays an influential role in their job as often they need to meet deadlines with less time than they might have hoped for. A lot of writers such as Eric Roth tend to work multiple times a day so a good workflow and mindset will benefit their production rates significantly. Most scriptwriters attend classes to meet likeminded people that they can share ideas with and converse to. These classes also allow direct tips/skills/lessons about scriptwriting so they can help get their foundation knowledge up to scratch, which will later allow them to develop their own scripts to be ready for an agent. To conclude, ethical and legal matters are the highest priority for scriptwriters, as a poor mistake may lead to the slandering of their name, causing a detrimental effect on their future career. We have seen multiple films and even large companies face immeasurable backlash from not following these regulations, which is something no scriptwriter would want, hence it being a priority to follow the rules.
Bibliography:
https://freshmenscreenplay.com/the-secret-how-97-of-screenwriters-are-hired
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-write-a-screenplay/
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-script#1XhZFWjVXM8VvnV8YotpyD
https://freshmenscreenplay.com/the-secret-how-97-of-screenwriters-are-hired/
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/screenwriter#:~:text=You'll%20normally%20start%20by,to%20produce%20scripts%20for%20them.
https://www.freelancevideocollective.com/10-best-screenwriters-of-all-time/
Everything from A1 under the "Case Study" subtitle is new.
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