Image Copyright Bleecker Films etc
From time to time, I get asked how to get into this business. I've done talks and workshops etc. I've done my best to mentor. And I've ended up with an A5 leaflet which I thrust into the eager hands of those wanting my advice.
I thought it might be worth sharing it with the world. So, here it is...
Screenwriting
“To make a great
film you need three things – the script, the script and the script.”
Alfred
Hitchcock
“Screenwriting is
the most prized of all the cinematic arts. Actually, it isn’t, but it should
be.”
Hugh Laurie
What does a Screenwriter do?
A Screenwriter writes stories for film and television drama.
Some people imagine the screenwriter just writes the dialogue, but there’s much
more to it than that. The dialogue’s the easy bit.
A screenwriter has to invent the entire story – the concept,
the ideas, the theme, the genre, the tone, the setting, the structure, the
pacing, the directions, the characters, the situations, the scenes, and, yes,
the dialogue. Everything you see on screen began life with the screenwriter
putting words on a blank piece of paper.
But the difference between a screenplay and other forms of
storytelling is that the screenplay is just a blueprint. Nobody reads
screenplays for entertainment (except other screenwriters). Screenplays are
there to be turned into film and television drama. They are technical documents.
It takes an army of directors, producers, actors etc to turn that story into
something that can be watched and enjoyed – to bring the writer’s vision to
life.
Qualifications/Training
What qualifications do you need to become a screenwriter?
What training is required?
Formal training
It is possible to do a degree in screenwriting (particularly
in the States), though it is more frequently done as just one module in a
general media or film-making course. Screenwriting courses are more often
offered as post-graduate MAs, or there are various part-time courses. But most
screenwriters I know don’t seem to bother.
Teach yourself
Most screenwriters have little or no formal training for the
job. Some have been obsessed with screenplays or film-making for years, and
just taught themselves. Others have stumbled into it from other kinds of
writing. But, in most cases, they have learnt by doing it. Writers write. They
usually talk about it quite a lot as well, but the main thing is that they
write, and they keep on writing, getting better all the time, until they
produce something worth reading. Then they write some more, and improve some
more, until they have something worth making.
Breaking in
Breaking in to screenwriting can be very frustrating. Would-be-screenwriters
often struggle to write in the evenings and at weekends, while holding down a
day job to survive. Gradually they’ll build up a portfolio and a reputation
until they begin to make real contacts in the industry. At some stage, they
have to persuade an agent to represent them and then, slowly, paid work might
start coming in.
If you’re lucky, or determined enough, you might find a day
job with direct relevance, such as being a runner on a film set, or a TV
researcher or script assistant. Others have careers in completely different
kinds of work. And that’s not such a bad idea, because the odds are always
against you. There are many more “wannabe” screenwriters, than there are
professionals. And of those professionals, a frightening number don’t make
enough to live on. Having a second string to your bow might save you from
starvation, and might even turn out to be what you really wanted to do all along.
Most people who want to be screenwriters fail - they’re not
good enough, not lucky enough, or not determined enough. But, if it’s what you
want to do, then the struggle is worth it.
Career Path
There isn’t really a career path for screenwriters. You are
self-employed, and at the whim of producers and script editors. It’s a question
of building up contacts and a reputation.
Television
In television, your first commission (after years of effort)
is likely to be a half hour episode of daytime soap – something like the BBC’s
“Doctors.”
Keep going, and you might progress to episodes of bigger
soaps (EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, Casualty, Holby
City). Some people get to this stage and decide they’re happy – it’s certainly
about the “steadiest” job in screenwriting. Sitcoms are another way in, though
the chances of a “newbie” being offered an episode are less, and the work is
not so steady.
Once you are known and respected, then the chances are that
you might be asked to write episodes of long-running series or serials – the
sort of drama you’ll find on most mainstream channels at nine o’clock. You’re
still working on other people’s programmes, but you’re much more responsible for
that episode’s content.
But what most TV writers aspire to is their own show – a
one-off, a series or a serial – that elusive “created by” credit.
Film
The number of screenwriters making a living in film in the
UK is tiny. Which is sad, because most screenwriters come to the business
because they want to make films. There are always opportunities to make shorts,
or low-to-no-budget films, but you will probably end up paying for the
privilege. If you’re good enough, or lucky enough, then Hollywood might beckon.
But don’t count on it. Most working screenwriters in the UK earn their living
writing for television.
Rewards
Creative
There’s nothing quite like starting from scratch and
creating a piece of drama that is watched, shared and enjoyed by millions. And
it’s yours – your vision, your idea, your story. I make up stories, and people pay
me to do it! Wonderful!
Financial
For those at the very top, screenwriting can earn you
millions. But I haven’t seen much of it. If you get as far as writing regularly
for television, then you will earn a respectable sum, but probably not enough
to, say, put your kids through private education. But then, you’re not doing it
for the money, are you?
Lifestyle
This one’s a winner. You might have to work through the night
occasionally to meet a deadline, but most days you work the hours you want,
when you want. You work from home – no horrid commuting. You want a day off –
it’s yours. Your kid falls sick and can’t go to school – no problem. If you
want to stay in your pyjamas all day, no-one will ever know.
Negatives
Artistic integrity
Screenwriting is a collaborative process. You can’t actually
just write whatever you want – someone has to film it, and it has to be
practical and reasonable. And, if you’re writing for, say, “EastEnders” most of
the story’s produced by the series story editors. If you’re at all “precious”
about your art, then forget it. Screenwriting is an art, but it’s also a
business and, often, you are simply a writer for hire.
Insecurity
You’re self-employed. No monthly salary, no sick pay, no
annual leave, no job security, and no pension. You’re only as secure as your
next commission, and only as good as your last script.
Working alone
Working at home has huge advantages. But it also leaves you
alone all day, with no work colleagues, no friends, and within easy reach of
the temptations of the fridge and the kettle. Loneliness and self-motivation
can be real issues, particularly if the work isn’t going well.
On balance...
I can’t think of a job I’d rather do.
So, you still want to be a
screenwriter...?
Watch
Watch films. Watch TV (drama, not Love Island). If you don’t
love drama, and watch it, why would you want to be a screenwriter? Think about
what you’re watching. Re-watch it. Watch with the script to hand. Make notes. What
works? What doesn’t?
Read
Read scripts (see below for where to find them). Read “How
to...” books on screenwriting. Read anything else that comes your way – it’s
all good for inspiration. Read more scripts.
Write
A writer writes. Write a screenplay. Start with a five-minute
short. Keep going. Write other stuff – poetry, lyrics, short stories, novels,
journalism, plays. You might discover you’d rather do those than screenwriting.
And they’ll all stretch your storytelling muscles.
Make a film
Make a short film. Write the script and get together with
others to make it. Use a camcorder, or just your phone. Try producing, directing
and acting (you might discover you prefer those). Work out what worked and what
didn’t. Then write a better script.
More Info
Books
Into the Woods,
by John Yorke
Story, by
Robert McKee
The Definitive Guide to Screenwriting, by Syd Field
The Writer’s
Journey, by Christopher Vogler
Adventures in the Screen Trade, by William Goldman
The Writer’s Tale,
by Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook
Websites
BBC Writers’ Room,
at www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom
Danny Stack’s
website and blog, at www.dannystack.com
Scriptuality,
my own rather neglected Blog, at www.scriptuality.blogspot.co.uk
Drew’s
Script-O-Rama, at www.script-o-rama.com/snazzy/table.html
The Internet Movie Data Base, at www.imdb.com
