Screenwriting or scriptwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is often a freelance profession. Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, developing the narrative, writing the script, screenplay, dialogues and delivering it, in the required format, to development executives. Screenwriters therefore have great influence over the creative direction and emotional impact of the screenplay and, arguably, of the finished film. Screenwriters either pitch original ideas to producers, in the hope that they will be optioned or sold; or are commissioned by a producer to create a screenplay from a concept or true story, or adapt one from an existing screen work or literary work, such as a novel, poem, play, comic book, or short story.
Types The act of screenwriting takes many forms across the entertainment industry. Often, multiple writers work on the same script at different stages of development with different tasks. Over the course of a successful career, a screenwriter might be hired to write in a wide variety of roles. Some of the most common forms of screenwriting jobs include:
Spec script writing Spec scripts are feature film or television show scripts written without the commission of, but is on speculation of sale to a film studio, production company, or TV network. The content is usually invented solely by the screenwriter, however spec screenplays can also be based on established works or real people and events. The spec script is a Hollywood sales tool with the vast majority of scripts written each year being spec scripts, but only a small percentage make it to the screen. Although a spec script is usually a wholly original work, it can also be an adaptation. In television writing, a spec script is a sample teleplay written to demonstrate the writer's knowledge of a show and ability to imitate its style and conventions. It is submitted to the show's producers in hopes of being hired to write future episodes of the show. Budding screenwriters attempting to break into the business generally begin by writing one or more spec scripts. Although writing spec scripts is part of any writer's career, the Writers Guild of America forbids members to write "on speculation". The distinction is that a spec script is written as a sample independently by the writer; what is forbidden is writing a script for a specific producer without a contract. In addition to writing a script on speculation, it is generally not advised to write camera angles or other directional terminology, as these are likely to be ignored. A director may write up a shooting script themselves, a script that guides the team in what to do in order to carry out the director's vision of how the script should look. The director may ask the original writer to co-write it with them or to rewrite a script that satisfies both the director and producer of the film/TV show. Spec writing differs from assignment writing in that the writer markets the completed script to producers. In order to sell the script, writers typically include a marketable title, polished writing, and a logline, laying out what the movie is about. A standard logline will convey the tone of the film, introduce the main character, and touch on the primary conflict. Usually the logline and title work in tandem to establish the hook, and industry standards emphasize incorporating irony into them when possible. These elements, along with clean formatting and structured prose, will impact whether a producer options a spec script.
Commission A commissioned screenplay is written by a hired writer. The concept is usually developed long before the screenwriter is brought on, and often has multiple writers work on it before the script is given a green light. The plot development is usually based on highly successful novels, plays, TV shows, and even video games, and the rights to which have been legally acquired.
Feature assignment writing Scripts written on assignment are screenplays created under contract with a studio, production company, or producer. These are the most common assignments sought after in screenwriting. A screenwriter can get an assignment either exclusively or from "open" assignments. A screenwriter can also be approached and offered an assignment. Assignment scripts are generally adaptations of an existing idea or property owned by the hiring company, but can also be original works based on a concept created by the writer or producer.
Rewriting and script doctoring Most produced films are rewritten to some extent during the development process. Frequently, they are not rewritten by the original writer of the script. Many established screenwriters, as well as new writers whose work shows promise but lacks marketability, make their living rewriting scripts. When a script's central premise or characters are good but the script is otherwise unusable, a different writer or team of writers is contracted to do an entirely new draft, often referred to as a "page one rewrite". When only small problems remain, such as bad dialogue or poor humor, a writer is hired to do a "polish" or "punch-up". Depending on the size of the new writer's contributions, screen credit may or may not be given. For instance, in the American film industry, credit to rewriters is given only if 50% or more of the script is substantially changed. These standards can make it difficult to establish the identity and number of screenwriters who contributed to a film's creation. When established writers are called in to rewrite portions of a script late in the development process, they are commonly referred to as script doctors. Prominent script doctors include Christopher Keane, Steve Zaillian, William Goldman, Robert Towne, Mort Nathan, Quentin Tarantino, Carrie Fisher, and Peter Russell. Many up-and-coming screenwriters work as ghostwriters.
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