Working as a writer (Research copied from power point.)

The role of the Writer
The writer is in charge of quite a lot of assignments on set but they are especially in charge of what we call the screenplay. The screenplay is something that is done in pre-production, and is the starting point to creating a new film. The screenplay is also known to literally be the written version of the film, or even the rough draft as normally films have to go through changes when it comes to production. Of course like everyone writers have to start from scratch, in this case, screenwriters normally start of with a piece of work called a Spec. A spec is a script that is worked on and paid entirely from their wages and sent to a company to examine on weather its a good script and if they can make a good film out of it. It is mandatory that a script is competed to the best of standards. This is because it has a huge impact of the final piece i.e. The film.

It is a stressing job since writers are hugely relied on in the film industry but luckily they  have people that work beside them  that help all the more!

Sources: - http://skillset.org/film/jobs/script/

Commissioning Editor

Commissioning editors are the people that read the screenplay to see what parts are best suited for the production company. Commissioning editors are normally to do with magazines, and publishing. Normally, the commissioning editor will take the publication to the company the writer is selling it to, and from then on the company have the right to accept or reject the publication.  They have to be quick with everything they are told to do, for example, depending on what company they work for they might have to read more than one screenplay/publication a day so therefore they have to be quick at reading. They also have to learn to be persuasive, as they need to persuade the company why they should use this publication, in this case the screenplay.

Source: http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_6576983_job-description-commissioning-editor.html

Producer

The producer is one of the last steps of a writers journey on working on a film. The producer is also a vital part of a film. The producer is the secondary vision of a film (the primary being the director) The producer has a lot of jobs that he/she needs to be in charge of, for example, finding ways to raise money for their film and also casting other roles of the crew. The producer is completely connected to the writer. The producer’s job is to read the script and get the rights to create his own screenplay from it, for the director to use it for his feature film.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_producer

Director

The director is the primary key of a film. Without the director the film would not be made. They are in charge with the making of the film, ordering the cast and handling the rest of the crew, for example, they are the ones that tell that cast how they must look and what they are doing on screen. The director is also the person behind the camera and must decide correct camera shots, and angles. They also play a massive role in post production and pre production. In post for example, they must inform editors how they want their film to be edited and in pre production they are hugely involved with making storyboards and rehearsals. They need to be artistic and visual, since the final product, even if based on the screenplay, is there vision and no one else's. 

Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_director

Script Editors

Script editors are almost like a guide and a assistant to the screenwriters. They job is to give screenwriters critique about their screenplays and how they can improve them. They are there to give ideas that could help the film become better but of course they also make the screenplay itself bolder. They are structural, and must know the screenplay given to them inside and out, not just the narrative, but also the tone, environment, feelings and themes running throughout the whole screenplay. The reason for this is because they must have an explanation/s on how to make the screenplay better. Script editors must think carefully about their decisions and opinions on how to change the screenplay. The whole point of a script editor is their advice, so if they don’t have an explanation and they cant back their opinion up saying why, then they are not helping the film and the screenplay become the best it can be.

Source - http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/script/article_4056_1.asp

Readers

The job of a script reader is all about analysing. They are analytical thinkers and the MUST be. The script reader evaluates the overall script. They are kind of like councillors, in the fact that they give their opinion on the next step needing to be taken, weather it needs to be edited etc. The script reader is a very similar job to the script editor. Script readers normally work for funding bodes, for example the UK film council. This is how they get paid and it’s quite a easy way to earn some money, although not as much as other professions in the film industry.  Screenplays need funding. The readers in this case are the verdict to weather the screenplay should get funded, or if it should be rejected. Overall the readers are like judges, in which the writers have to prove that their work should be funded and worked on by a film crew.

Source: http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/script/article_4055_1.asp

Studio Executives

A group of people on crew make up studio executive. One important role however is the executive producer. The executive producer takes on the organising of productions. For example, they are involved with making sure that the project is being marketed to the highest of it’s ability. Therefore they must understand about the market and commercial advertising in the media. Like agents, they might also attend film festivals so they can market the film they are working on.

They are connected to the writer because they must also be involved with reprising the script and giving the producer/director feedback.

Source: http://www.skillset.org/tv/jobs/production/article_5479_1.asp

Agents

There are different types of agents that work in the film industry, but the type that works closet to writers is called the sales agent. This is the next step, as the sale agent will get the first choice weather to base the particular film on that particular script.

Once It has been decided on what the script and etc, the agents are responsible for elements like use of scripts, sound masters and also forms to do with legality. Agents also have to do a lot of promotion for the film that they are working on, for example agents must attend film festivals if their film they are working on is featuring there, so they can promote it. Hopefully more people will go see it and this earns them a bigger wage and box office money.

Source: http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/distribution/article_4156_1.asp

Scream 4 Screenplay

-The final scene, Set in the hospital once the killer has been found out by the last survivors they are trying to fight back to save their lives.

Jill Roberts aims the gun and fires.

Gale - “Dammit!” says in a frustrated tone as deputy Judy Hicks pushes them down to safety behind a hospital bed.

Judy and Gale begin to raise up to the surface, Judy gets out her gun, ready to shoot, but before Judy even raises her gun, Jill interrupts.

-In a demanding tone-

Jill - “Don’t even think about shooting.”

Jill points the gun of officer Dewy’s head.

“Or I’ll blow Dewy’s head off.”

There is silence between the characters. Judy begins to rise up, we cut to Sidney waking up after a previous fight with Jill. We cut again to Judy rising up further.

Jill speaks again, voice toned down but still trying to make her point to Judy.

Jill - “You had to be the hero huh?”

Judy begins to raise her hands in the air, her gun in her right hand. Jill points the gun at Judy this time.

Once again in a demanding voice.

Jill - “Give me your gun.”

Judy pauses, says nothing.

Jill shouts.

Jill - “What are you, deaf? Give me, your gun!”

Without hesitation, Judy throws the gun that lands at Jill’s feet,  she kicks it away abruptly. She is still pointing the gun at Judy, who has her hands still up in the air. Meanwhile, Sidney picks herself up halfway. It is unknown to what she is doing at the moment. We are cut back to Judy with her hands up in the air.

Jill - “Get up, and keep your hands over you head.” Says this in a bossy and pushy tone.

Judy - “Don’t do anything stup-.”

Without hesitation, Jill shoots the gun in which Judy falls to the floor with a grunt. “Don’t Fucking tell me what to do.” Jill says to herself after she shoots.

We cut to Gale who is still hiding behind the hospital bed. “Oh God.” she whispers to herself. She is very scared. Jill however, knows she is still hiding and points the gun to where she thinks she might be.

Jill - “Now get up bitch.” said in a demanding tone.

Gale - “Ok.”  says calmly. She slowly gets up.

 -Jill is getting irritated, Jill snaps.-

Jill - “Get up, Now!”

Gale is now standing all the way up, also with her hands up in the air.

Jill - “Common.”

Jill says this in a quite playful tone. Gale begins to walk around the hospital bed.

Dewy is now beginning to wake up, we see him struggling on the floor. We cut back to Jill and Gale.

Jill in a quite humorous voice.

Jill - “Common, get your skinny ass out here.”

Gale sounds out of breath.

Gale - “Ok.”

We cut to Sidney who is turning the dial on the heart moniter. While Sidney is doing this Jill begins talking

Jill –in the background-: “I’m gonna enjoy blowing your head off”

Gale is standing there, still with her arms up in the air.

Cut to the heart monitor numbers going up, with the sound effects. Gale begins talking here.

Gale – out of breath-  – “Okay, but can I just have ----- one final word?”

Cuts to Jill, gun still pointed at Gale.

Jill – “What? Please?”

Cut to Sidney grabbing the heart monitor pads.

Cut to Gale once again

Gale – still out of breath -  – “No.”

Numbers on the heart monitor quickly going up, then cut back to Gale

Gale – “Clear.”

Music playing throughout this scene ends abruptly.

Jill seemingly confused.

Jill – “Clear?”

We hear somebody’s breath and Sidney pops up to the surface, behind Jill

Sidney – “Clear.”

Sidney presses the heart monitor pads to both sides of Jill’s head, we hear the sound effect of electricity while Jill’s body shakes and falls to the ground, still.