Research Dossier

 One example for a screen writing competition is Bluecat. If your a winner living outside the USA, your script is automatically eligible to win the Fellini award, given annually to the best internal script and that is $1 000. They have a rule that all entries must be in English, the feature screenplay must be between 65-125 pages in length. The pilot scripts must be between 20-75 pages and the short screenplays must be between 1-29 pages in length. Everything that is submitted must be your own work, you are not allowed to copy or use anyone else's work, or previous work. The script that you send in must be completely new and its not allowed to have been previously won at any contests, competition or award of any kind. In this event there is a number of prices for example the grand prize winner will receive $5,000, the feature screenplay award winner will receive $2,000, the pilot award winner will receive $2,000 also and so will the short script award. Some of the things that they accept are features, episodic pilots and short film scripts, each submission with receive one complimentary written analysis, script must be in PDF must have a properly formatted by file name (name of script by author by Author First Last Name.pdf) they don't have any title page requirements and all entries must also be in English. 

When going through the process they have to commission content, when doing this they have a number of things to look out for some of their strategic priorities include;

*To support the supply of distinctive, British ideas to the BBC from across the UK

*To maintain  a range of supply in the UK enabling smaller producers to survive and grow

*To strengthen production ecologies, talent and the creative pipeline outside London 

*To strengthen progress on diversity and representation both on and off screen

*To strengthen progress towards environmentally sustainable production to the UK.

As part of the commitment to creative diversity they are prioritizing £100m of their existing TV commissioning budget over three years. They aim to make the decisions as fast as possible: entering into a dynamic, creative dialogue with producers and managed by the relevant commissioning genre. Every idea has different considerations but generally BBC television aims to work to following timescales. 

Another screenwriting competition example is Austin MaCauley Publishers. To be able to enter in this competition you will need to include your full name, your postal address, telephone number and, if you have one, an email address, any details of past writing experience and an estimated word count for the complete manuscript. The process may take up to 6 week and they will get in contact with you when they have come to their decision. The synopsis should not exceed 500 words and you will need to include a copy of your full manuscript. Their publications range from historical romances to celebrity autobiographies, illustrated children's tales to in-depth technical manuals, hard hitting thrillers to meditative poetry. In this competition it doesn't matter if your a new contestant or if you have applied before. 

Background Material 

Sometimes when writing people can struggle to think about ideas to write about and can struggle to come up with a storyline, without a story line it is the hardest thing to do be able to come up with a story. People take this in different ways, some may read a book and can be inspired by the genre and the ideas could just come to them, some may start by brainstorming ideas, talking with others, seeing what sort of themes are popular in the chats and see what people have been looking for/at. One of the most popular things to do when a write cannot think about most writers find true stories to base their ideas on. This is a great and effective way in the music industry not only can they think of ideas but it is also a good way for people to send a message to people and show some things that can happen in the world, spreading awareness for things that have happened in the world that we never knew could happen. When this happens most of the time they try to meet the people who was in the specific life and try to get as much detail as they can to make the movie as close to the truth as possible, in most cases the writer has to put some twists in to help the movie hit people more for example they can make it more dramatic and twist some things. 

One example of doing scripts is the 2012 movie, "the impossible", this was based on a true life event that happened in 2004 it focuses on a tsunami that happened wiping everything away and it tells the story of a family who was on holiday in Indian Ocean. It shows the story of them being separated from one another and we go on the journey with them to find each other again. 

Another example for when a writer had taken inspiration from a real life event is the 2020 movie "I still believe" this shows 2 peoples story from when they where young and first fell in love to when one became ill and sadly passed, this movie has 2 main focuses, Jeremy wants to have a music career but he also wants to help the love of his love with what she is going through, when they find out she has cancer Jeremy tried to balance doing both but when she passed he lost his way and towards the end of the movie it shows how he was trying his best to get back to normal and still honor her while doing so. This story is based on a true story that happened in 1999, the movie is named after a song that Jeremy wrote in 1998 and because of the powering message and the meaning they used the song in the movie and had a different actor sing it. "I still believe" is the second music biopic by Erwin Brothers.

When you are looking for research to do with a script writing competition there is a lot you can do for example you can look on google to see if there is any local competitions going around and if so there is going to be some information about it for example if you go on the BBC website which is linked in below it will tell you everything that is needed for the competition such as how many pages, when its got to be in, the genre. When doing this you are competition primary research, we know this because you will be looking for the information yourself and if you look on the BBC website they will be putting it on there so will be able to make your own notes and research for it..

link for BBC writers competition - bbc witers competition

When I was completing my script I was looking at some examples, I used a Harry Potter script book which I have at home, looking to see how everything was laid out and how they had everything scripted. This really helped me because I could see the layout of how it is professionally laid out. When I was writing my script I would remember to the book. This would be classed as primary research as I was looking at the book for my own and using it for my own knowledge. The book I used is listed and linked below. 

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child Book

With using Primary research there is some good and bad points when using it for example when you are doing your own research you will be able to ask about the questions that you would like to know and you wont be limited to the information that you would like to know. Sometimes when doing primary research this could mean you are interviewing someone for their work or their passion, this will allow you to go in depth about the things you would like to know and they will be able to ask the question's directly to the person and they sound answer straight away which will be less time consuming. However with everything else there is some down falls when using primary research for example if you are doing an interview with someone who you don't normally talk to and you have only one chance to ask them a question, when your in the moment and when their there they may forget about a question and they wont be able to ask them as the time would which you may have to wait some time to find out the question you are after. 

This would be the same for secondary research, this means that you are looking at other peoples work/research to find out what you are after. The good thing about using secondary research is you are able to have the answers to your questions all the time, we know this because if  someone has access to internet they will be able to wither google it or they will ask someone on social media who is into the same things as they are and be able to find out the answer. The downfall to this is it is very time consuming sometimes you can be scrolling for hours trying to find the answer to something which can sometimes take a long time to find what you want. Another example of why secondary research is good is because you will always have access to it if it is on the internet. 

The most useful information I have used and found most useful when writing my script and coming up with ideas is the book that is spoken about above, this is because I was able to see the layout of how a professional script is made. This helped me with all the placements for the actions, the characters and where I would wright the speech for the characters. When writing my speech I have used a writers blog called Celtx this website allowed me to put the actions and emotions into the right place and not have to be all jumbled up. 

The History and Development of Editing

The video I have chosen is a music video by K-pop artist Agust D daechwita. The reason I have chosen this is there is a lot of different angles and lot of different shots. In this music video the rapper (Yoongi) plays a role of lots of different people. At the beginning we see him in a hat looking like he hasn't got much money and he's going in a shop, we also have him with a car and we have him as a king. At the end of the song we see the king kill the version of him as the poor version. 

Throughout the video there is a number of Cut transitions for example at 0.23 we go from the kings palace to him in the market, this is where we get our first close up and we can see that he has a scar on his face where we learn that he has got by trying to defeat his version of the king. By using the cut transition shots this allows us to be able to see all the different versions of himself in such a short time period, by cutting straight to the scene it saves a lot of time and it make a lot smoother and less confusing for the audience. 

In this music video they have made sure to carry out the 180 degree rule. They have had to be really careful when doing this because they have so many characters that the person is playing. Sometimes it can get confusing and we can only tell when the character has changed because of the background and the clothing that they are wearing. The music video is about him trying to become king so he is fighting himself to become the person he wants to be. When having to do they they are having to be careful about how they are having to have both characters they are having to have the different point of view from the other characters perspective. For example when they are looking at the king he is either on the right side of the screen or the middle, we hardly ever see him on the right side. The other characters he plays are normally in the right side or the middle of the screen, this makes it easier for the audience to know who is who. Most of the screening is in the middle so the rapper is almost always centered, when he is going round the camera follows the far so it goes round in a circle this allows us to follow him as he goes along and it make it easier and less confusing for the audience to look at. They have used a variety of angles for example at 2.22 they have used a low angled shot which makes him look more fierce and high up. This makes the him look more high up and more powerful than he actually is. They also do a lot of close up shots, this is helpful because we can see more details of the eyes and the scar on the side of his face. There is also an eye line shot making it look like the two different sides of Yoongi are looking at himself. At 2.04 there is a slow motion of the car going round which creates more suspense, at 3.49 there is another slow motion when he is bringing the sward out of the case, this is done so we are thinking what is he going to do with that and why is he doing it so slowly as it makes him look dangerous.

Job roles in media

Job roles in media

Screen writer (and script reader and script editor)

-          They prepare their script to relate to the audience

-          Collaborate with producers, directors and actors and redraft their script

-          Often work with deadlines

-          Almost always are freelancers

-          Screenwriters develop roughly three drafts of a screenplay, with the third being “the polish” this is the version that gets pitched to a producer or film studio

-          Once screenplay is picked by a studio, more screenwriters may be brought in to work with a development producer to get it ready for the production.

-          Any new screenwriter may share a credit with the original screenwriter

-          It is possible for the writer to be replaced entirely by another screen writer

What they are good at 

-          They know how they can improve

-          Understand all the features which makes a great screenplay

-          can effectively make ideas come alive

-          they have a deep and wide variety of all genres of art meaning they are able to get ideas from a variety of places

-          they can easily find work for themselves such as freelancing

-          good with managing finances

-          are able to keep themselves self-motivated

 

Who they work with?

-          Screenwriters work with development producers and their assistants

-          Sometimes assisted by researchers (they help provide the correct information for the screen plays and will also get facts, will also make sure that the facts are correct before they go anywhere.

-          When near the end the screenwriters may have their screenplays checked by script editors who will then have a run through of the work to make sure it all makes sense, everything is in the correct place and its all running smoothly.

-          After the script editors have looked at the screenplay, they may be supported by assistant script editors.

In order to become a screenwriter, I have to….

-          Write as many of your own screenplays as possible

Doing this you will be able to improve all the time making the work better.

-          It is not essential to have a degree but it is useful to have had some sort of education in English or screenwriting lessons

 

Director

-          They are the ones who have the creative vision throughout the picture, they never lose sight of it and they need to make sure everything is as they imagined it would be.

-          They are employed by the executive producer or producer. They are in charge of a whole production so all of the ideas have to go through them

-          They start with the script and work with the screenwriter and sometimes a script editing team

-          The director can also be the screenwriter as well

-          As director your job is to imagine the script in visual form.

-          When the money for the production have been raised the director then works with the director of photography, assistant director and production designer

-          When that has been finished they then work with the producers and casting director they include the notes about camera shots and they do some script changes

-          Some directors like to rehearse actors ahead of shooting however not all of them do.

-          They “block” the performance with the actor before filming begins this means that they go through where the actors are going to be positioned in the scene before they start to present and deliver their dialogue.

-          Directors will also be instructing other members of the crew, they mainly include lighting, wardrobe and make up supervisors.

-          They push the actors so they can bring out the best in them

-          Makes sure that all technical aspects are in place and get a great scene

-          When finished the first one completed is the “directors cut” this will be sent to the director, producers and financiers so they will get to see the final cut to make sure everything is up to scratch and is how they want it to be.

-          Directors may be employed by TV broadcasters, film or television production companies, or work on a freelance basis.

 

A good director

-        -  Holds a good imagination

-        -  Has great leadership

-         - Can work with a load of people

-         -Know most of the knowledge of arts, what does well together and what doesn’t, how things can be changed and what will make it better.

-       -   They understand the film or TV drama production process from start to finish, from both technical points of view

-        -  They work well under pressure

-         - Make decisions quickly when things go wrong

They have relationships with every department head. They work close with the producers and casting directors and during production they have a really close connection with the director of photography and the first assistant director. After the production they work closely with the editors to produce the final program and make sure it finishes how they want it to be.   

 

Becoming a director, you will need

-          some start in theatre

-          worth starting as a runner on set or in a production office and work your way up

-          got to have A levels or higher in drama and theatre, English, film studies or media studies. Or level 3 vocational qualifications such as

-          OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma/Extended Diploma in Performing Arts

-          BTEC National Diploma/Extended Diploma in Performing Arts

-          BTEC National Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production

-          Aim Awards Diploma in Creative and Digital Media

-          OCR Technical Diploma in Digital Media (Moving Image and Audio Production)

-          BTEC National Diploma in Film and Television Production

-          BTEC National Diploma in Film and Television Visual Effects

-          RSL Diploma/Extended Diploma in Creative and Performing Arts

-          UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production and Technology

-          UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma in Performing and Production Arts

 

Producer

-          They are often the first to get involved, spotting the creative opportunity and commercial viability of a production.

-          They continue to keep everyone in the correct mind frame and make sure everyone is doing what they are meant to be doing

-          They are the overall decision makers, everything gets run through them

-          Producers will come up with story ideas and hire writers or choose and secure the rights to scripts, this is known as the “optioning” a script

-          They are the ones who scales the budget if the film and source financing from investors, studios and distributors

-          Working with creative ideas from the directors and approve production costs

-          Approve the locations and hire a team for the production, delegating certain responsibilities to a line producer.

-          Their job to create a good working environment and they constantly communicate with everyone to make sure everything runs smoothly

-          They have ultimate legal responsibilities for the health and safety of the crew on set and delivery of a completed film at the end of the production process.

 

What’s a producer good at?

-          They have the extensive knowledge of all the creative processes of making a film or tv programme including screenwriting, directing and editing

-          They know how to tell a story, what makes a good’s story and are able to0 make and approve creative decisions to help this do well

-          They understand what makes a film successful and know how to market it to distributors and the public

-          Knowing how to wow the audience, they must understand and know what the audience is looking for, what they like in other movies and put that into their work   

-          Got to be able to lead a group of people, know how to work with them and deal with them

-          Got to have good communication if they don’t have this then the movie could go completely wrong as they wouldn’t know what each person is doing

-          Must be an organised person, be on top of things, make sure the schedules are prepared and they must be good prepare the production budget using financial skills to secure funding and negotiate salaries

Who does the producer work with?

They work with everyone. Producers lead and communicate with the whole production team as well as distribution and marketing teams. They answer to executive producers who serve as the overseeing face of the film studio, financers, or who are the overall leads on a series.

To become a producer, you’d need

-          Film producers are often hired based on reputation so you need a lot of experience.

-          Good understanding of all aspects of filmmaking is essential.

-          Starting as a runner can really help as this way you will have some experience

-          Must have a combination of business skills and creative vision for this job and understanding of both sides of the industry.

-          If you want to go to university and learn about being a producer there you will need to be looking towards a-levels in drama and theatre studies, English, film studies or media studies as these grades would be a massive push towards your goal

-          Build a portfolio, this will help you to be able to show of the work you have produced

-          Need a degree in media studies, film production or film history will equip you with knowledge and experience of cinema or television and production sets.

-          Taking short courses will help a lot as well this way you will be able to learn more in a short amount of time.

Script proposal

 

https://anyflip.com/datme/ycbr/

Log line; How far will you go when you love someone? In a local, quiet place there is a couple that are wanting just a simple date, packed with all their favourite things. They will wake up in the morning and can see them getting ready to go out, we will see Lillie putting make up on and doing her hair and we cut to the Dom where we see him doing his hair and making sure he looks okay, we will get a full shot of them both and can see Dom full length in the mirror making sure his outfit looks okay. We see them go to the car and follow them to their destination, listening to music screaming it at the top of their lungs having a really good time. When they get to the car park Dom remembers he left his money at home, at this point they are both questioning if they should go home and get it however the movie they want to go see in the cinema starts in 10 minutes meaning they have to chose between missing the movie or watching it. They both come to the agreement that they are going to use Lillie’s money and both agree the next date it will be Dom’s turn to pay. Walking hand in hand they go to the cinema, getting a close up shot we then see them getting the ticket, popcorn and drinks, when they take their seats Lillie rests her head on Dom and wait for the movie to begin. When the movie has finished we will se the trailers going up and then we go to their reactions, Lillie i9s bouncing of joy coming out of the cinema laughing, smiling and being happy skipping down the corridor holding hands with Dom and pulling him. Leaving the cinema they head towards Moya, this takes a little longer to get there as they like to look in the windows of the shops they know they cannot afford, when they get there they see that it is shut they don’t know why because it is normally open however Lillie remembers she was one of the last ones to look up a couple days before that and goes into0 her bag to bring out the key, standing there they think about what they are about to do and ask themselves if it’s a good idea or will they get in trouble however they want the day to be perfect so they put in the key and go in anyway, when they are in there they have a little bubble fight with the bubbles that are in the tray near the counter. After they have made their drinks they begin to tidy the floor and make sure is how they got there, leaving the money on the counter they leave and lock up carrying on with their date. By this time they are half way through the day, they do some more shopping, getting blankets and pillows ready for the end of the date. Heading back to the car they begin to get hungry but they are saving themselves for the end of the day, all around them they can hear sirens, ones that sound like police ones. They begin to question what they done in Moya and began wondering if they would get in trouble for “breaking in” and start to think of possible outcomes that could happen e.g. they get arrested, get a warning, they won’t get found and everything will be the same and they will be able to carry on the rest of the day without a care in the world. They eventually come to the conclusion that they are wanting to bend the rules a little and just open up Moya, get the drink that they want and then carry on with their day so Lily begins to get the key out of her bag and begin to unlock the barriers so they can have fun, once the barrier is open and they go in, she gets everything they need and get ready to start making the drinks. They decide once they have finished the drinks to close up and carry on with the rest of the day, Dom grabs the barrier and begins to close it while Lillie is locking it making sure everything is left the way they got it. They start to walk away from the shop and begin to start talking about what their going to do for the rest of the day. They begin to wonder if what they did was wrong and if their going to get in trouble but that thought soon goes away when something catches Lillies attention in the shop window. As they finish shopping they go back to the car and start thinking about places their going to have the picnic in the car, they start mind mapping ideas of where to go and one by one going to the locations to see what spot is right for them. They finally agree on the spot near the beach and go to the closest drive through and go back. Once they are there with their food and drinks they get the boot sorted, they lay out a blanket and get some cushions and make it all comfortable. As they finish their food they decide to have a romantic walk along the beach so they walk along hand in hand and in the distance they hear sirens and they look at ach other worry flooding through their mind, where they in trouble? Are they after them? As the sirens get louder the car parks right near their car and the police shouts their name asking if they are Lillie and Dom, they say they are and walk closer to the policeman with their heart pounding.