The commissioning process and working as a writer

In this essay I am going to be discussing the commissioning process and the specific roles of certain people in the commissioning process and the role of the commissioning bodies. 

One of the main job roles in the commissioning process is the commissioning editors. The commissioning editors have the power to decide whether something can go in to production. They have the main role in the process in deciding what is suitable and what isn’t. The producer’s role is to be the main source that is involved creatively. They are overall responsible for the production. They have to have good qualities such as being good motivators, negotiators and creative. They also have a lot of say on the finished production. They also have to have the ability to spot when something is wrong with the production and work out how it can be corrected.

The director’s job in the commissioning process is to handle the project budget and schedule. The director’s job can start weeks and months before the production has even begun. They also have to look after the production cast and crew and ensure they’re all doing their jobs properly. The script editor’s job is to provide an overview of the screenwriting process and have most of the say in the structure of the screenplay. The agent’s role is to provide all of the artists and actors that are going to be used in the production. Their role is to spot that would be good for certain roles and decide what characters these actors would be. Writers are responsible for doing all the research on the subject that the screenplay is about and developing a narrative for the screenplay. The writers have a lot of say in the creative side of the screenplay and the finished production itself.

Commissioning bodies;

There are different corporations such as the BBC writers room that have screenplays sent to them that could be considered to be used in productions. However, smaller production companies may not have the funding to produce various screen plays. Funding would also be a big problem for independent producers and directors because they may need the funding to produce what they want but don’t have it. Organisations such as Script Factory exist to promote screen writing and get people to send them their stuff. As well as this, there are many other organisations that people can send their scripts too. Competitions such as the London screenwriter’s festival get people involved in screenwriting and give them the opportunity to gain prizes such as for their screenplay to be used in a production.

The role of the writer throughout production;

One of the main roles of the writer thought out the production is the pre production planning. This can include making sure that everything before the production is set in place before the production starts. Also, the writers would have to keep editing the script in order to get it perfectly how they want it to be and making sure that everyone involved with the production process is happy with the script. As well as this, they have to work with the producer and director of the production to come to agreements. For example, if the producer doesn’t like something about the script they may be seen as inappropriate for the genre of film, the producer and writing would work a way around how to improve the script. Finally, the writer would make adjustments during the production stage; this could be the case if the actors are acting out a screen that only then the writer that feels that it’s not right. Therefore would make adjustments to the script.

Working as a writer;

In terms of working as a writer, writers have agents that find them work. It’s mainly the writers that want to be taken seriously that have agents to find them jobs to do. Writers get royalties to whatever money the screenplay makes. Also, the agent gets 10 per cent of the fee what the writer makes. The writer has a role within his profession to be professionally dressed and well presented. This also has to be taken into consideration in their righting that also has to be professional and taken seriously by the writer in order to make a script high quality. A writer has to be good at time keeping and making sure that the script is done on time and to a tight time schedule. This would involve how much time it would take to plan the script, write the script and also edit the script.

If the writer doesn't produce the script before a deadline, this could lead to them losing the job of writing the script and damaging their reputation. As well as this, a writer has a lot of legal and ethical issues to take into considerations. Screenwriters have to be careful not using anyone else’s work which could be seen as copyright or plagiarism. If they were caught doing this they could face being sued. As well as this, writers have to be careful of their target audience. Censorship means that if they are writing something that has the target audience of young children, there wouldn't be swear words or bad language in the script or production.