As a writer in the film industry, you are obliged to follow certain rules and stick to some limitations in your work. These limitations can come due to obeying the law or, the more complicated, ethical reasons. Legal issues include copyright, libel and censorship.
Copyright can protect any original ideas or creations a writer has. Writer's can apply for copyright and once they have it must be displayed on both the cover and the foot of each individual page in the script. Having this on your script tells the reader that you are the owner of this script and it cannot be copied or stolen. If writers don't properly copyright their work then there is nothing stopping another writer stealing the content.
Copyrighted work can be re-used or edited as long as the person doing so receives permission from the original creator. The official copyright website states: "If you include quoted passages, illustrations, images or other items in your work which are not of your own creation. It is important to ensure that you have permission to use these before any publication or sale. If permission is given as a personal agreement, (rather than a formal contractual or licensing agreement), you should still ensure that you have some documentation, signed by the owner of the work to prove that permission has indeed been given."
Using someone else's work without their permission is plagiarism. If a writer commits plagiarism the original creator of that work can take legal action which would most likely end up with the writer who plagiarised the work getting sued. Often many scripts can just be similar to another script. This means it can sometimes be hard to tell if the script has been plagiarized or not.
Censorship is the suppression of film content which may be considered harmful to audiences. There are often guidelines for Film & TV which state whether the content is suitable for certain audiences or not. The classifications followed are U, PG, 12A, 12, 15, 18 & R18. These classification guidelines protect certain groups of people viewing unsuitable content. For example, a 12 year old should not be allowed to view a 15 because it is given that rating since it is too mature for them. All films and television programs and even adverts have to be classified to protect viewers and to. Along with the rating there also usually comes a short description of the content such as violence or nudity. These descriptions let people to know exactly what it is the film before watching it. This can be helpful as some content may offend certain audiences, even if they were old enough to watch the film.
Watersheds are the point of time at which adult programs may be broadcast on TV. Programs which count as 'adult' include things containing violence, nudity, bad language etc. These programmes aren't allowed to be shown before the watershed, only programmes suitable for a family. The watershed in the UK is 9:00pm.
When writer's write their script they have to take the watershed into account. The content of their script will determine whether they are allowed to be shown before watershed or not. It has to be considered that if a show is shown after watershed then it could get less people watching it that if it was on before. This can effect what writers will put in their scripts.
Libel is a false statement about a person that does damage to that person's reputation in the public eye. It may also cause embarrassment or humiliation, or affect a person's ability to make a living. Writers must avoid presenting any living person in a negative light or making negative actions without evidence to support it.
Writers also have to avoid being bias when it comes to writing factual pieces about a real person or event. The views/opinions shared in the script need to be balanced. It would be unethical of the writer to give one point of view and not the other. However, depending on the message the writer is trying to give the viewer/reader, one point of view can be expressed more than the other but only because there is still both point of views shown. If the writer is focusing on one point of view more than the other they still have to be careful and make sure they do it in an unbiased way. If it was bias it could seem that the script was trying to force ideas onto the reader.
Current Practice For The Commissioning Of Scripts
Commissioning scripts is a very complicated process. First off, every channel has its own commissioning body. So there is the BBC commissioning body and the Channel 4 commissioning body. These are some of the top channels in the country and the hardest to get a script produced by. If you were to pitch to a high up channel like BBC or Channel 4 then you would need to know their preferences of program and their branding. For example the sort of programs the BBC produce are completely different to the kind of programs Channel 4 show. So you would need to know which channel your script is better suited. If it was more of an edgy story then Channel 4 might be the best option since that is what people think about a lot of their programming.
However, if you are starting out as a writer then the higher up companies might not be the best place to start. There are smaller independent companies such as Bedlam Productions Ltd. or Hat Trick Productions. These smaller companies would have much less demand so you could have a better chance of not just getting a pitch but have your script commissioned too. There may also be an independent director who would want to pick up your script.
Once a script is picked up it will begin to enter production. Throughout the production the writer has a lot of role stays very important. Before the actual production starts there is pre-production planning which basically informs everyone of what needs to be done before the script can enter production. Next, if the production company wants the writer to make any changes they have to until they believe it is fit to the standard they want and it fits the target audience. The director and producer often get involved and share their thoughts and ideas with the writer on what they think could change or what could stay the same. The director and producer both have more power than the writer so these decisions most likely won't be ignored. Once the final draft of the script is put into place the shooting script is written. This is the exact same script but with shots and camera angles added in for extra information. Page lock-down is the final stage before shooting. The script is completely finalized and agreed upon by everybody and production begins. A lot of changes can also happen after the script is finalized and during shooting depending if something is working or not. If a scene isn't working then it can be scrapped or changed to fit the needs of the production.
Throughout the whole commissioning process there are all sorts of jobs and positions surrounding it. Of course, there is the writer who comes up with the initial script. Working closely with the writer is the script editor. They give advice to the writer to make the script as successful as possible. Of course there is the Director, who takes the script and creates the visuals of the story. The Commissioning Editor decides if the idea will go into production or not, which is the biggest decision. Helping out the Commissioning Editor is the Executive Producer and the Editorial Assistant. They work by the side of the Commissioner to assure his needs are met and give support. The centrepiece of the whole production is the Producer. The Producer brings each department of the production together is involved in each of them.
Contracts & Employer Expectations
Being a writer in Film & TV is a job with a lot of responsibility. A writer is the person who creates the script and the script is what supports the entire production of a film or TV show. Without the script the production couldn't happen. A popular phrase is: “A bad movie can be made from a good screenplay, but not the other way round.”. This emphasises the importance of a screenwriter. It shows that without a good script to begin with, there is no way the finished production can work or be successful. A writer is completely crucial to the film making process.
To be a writer you have to be able to create original concepts and ideas, be able to write an entire screenplay from a simple idea and keep adding to the screenplay until it is as good as possible or the producers are happy with it. Also, writers have to be able to stay focused when they need to be because most writers work from home or at least work independently. Writers have deadlines to finish their scripts by and to meet that deadline they have to write so much per day. Without the right dedication and focus they won't achieve this which is why these are the traits needed by a writer.
Writers do not necessarily need qualifications for their job. All that is needed is a skill in writing. You could attempt to start writing without practise however it is beneficial to read previously successful scripts from the industry to get an idea what works and what you need to do in your own writing. There are also many books which you can read to give you tips and ideas for your scripts.
While some writers are issued to write scripts for a production many writers can write a script in their own time to sell it on. This means they have no deadline and are free to write whenever they want or need. These writers, when finished the script, will sell the rights onto a production company who then have the rights to produce the script themselves. Doing this doesn't guarantee the script will ever be made into a film or TV show but the writer does still get paid. Many writers sell their scripts and never hear of them again or they might even see them being made years later.
Another way to be employed as a writer in the film industry is pitching your idea to a production company. Doing this requires a lot confidence in your idea because you have to make the people you're pitching to see the greatness in the idea. If you aren't confident about the pitch then there is very little chance you will get it approved.
