Screenwriter

Description

A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media such as films, television programs and video games are based.

Screenwriting is a freelance profession. No education is required to be a professional screenwriter, just good storytelling abilities and imagination. Most, if not all, screenwriters start their careers writing on speculation (spec) and so write without being hired or paid for it. If such a script is sold, it is called a spec script. What separates a professional screenwriter from an amateur screenwriter is that professional screenwriters are usually represented by a talent agency. Also, professional screenwriters do not often work for free, but amateur screenwriters will often work for free and are considered "writers in training." Spec scripts are usually penned by unknown professional screenwriters and amateur screenwriters.

There is a legion of would-be screenwriters who attempt to enter the film industry, but it often takes years of trial and error, failure and gritty persistence to achieve success. Screenwriters write and develop screenplays for film or tv drama. They do this either based on an original idea, by adapting an existing story into a screenplay or by joining an existing project. Screenwriters prepare their script in a way that enables readers to envisage the setting, emotion and the way it will work on screen. They collaborate with producers, directors and actors to draft and redraft their script, often working to tight deadlines.

Screenwriters are almost always freelancers. In film, initially, screenwriters develop roughly three drafts of a screenplay, with the third being known as ‘the polish’. This is the version that gets pitched to a producer or film studio. Alternatively, a screenwriter may be commissioned by a producer or studio to create a screenplay. Once a screenplay is picked up by a studio, more screenwriters may be brought in to work with a development producer to get it ready for production. In this case, any new screenwriter may share a credit with the original screenwriter, or they may be credited for additional dialogue, or as a story consultant. In some cases, the original screenwriter may be replaced entirely by another screenwriter.

Screenwriters work with development producers and their assistants. They are sometimes assisted by researchers, who provide information to allow for screenplays to be fact-checked. Screenwriters may have their screenplays overseen by script editors, who, in turn, may be supported by assistant script editors. In tv drama, screenwriters might work with story producers and story liners as well as script editors. Story producers provide the framework for season-long or series-long story arcs, which screenwriters can then write individual episodes within. Story liners fulfil a similar role, working for story producers in order to write an outline document for a series.