Helen Jacey - Agents

This lecture mainly focused on getting an agent and that this should be a scriptwriter’s main goal. I did not know much about agents and how they fit into a scriptwriter’s career so this lecture was really useful in helping me understand the role of an agent and their relationship with scriptwriters. My eyes were opened about agencies and research into them, not only this but how to deal with agencies and maximise your chances of them taking you on.

The role of an agent in a scriptwriter’s life is quite pivotal as they handle negotiations, payments, contracts etc. When reflecting on this and how this will affect my own professional career I was quite overwhelmed as to be honest it had not been something that had crossed my mind. However having gained some knowledge into the subject I feel I am more prepared for when the time to get an agent does occur. Even though this was highlighted in the lecture I also took note of the fact that it is still the scriptwriter that has to do all of the writing and networking and that getting jobs is not solely down to the agent. Danny Stack (2005) makes an interesting point when writing about obtaining an agent.

"Don’t rush it. Agents deal with talented writers every day. The competition is extremely high. Potential clients will have found a way to work in the system without prior representation and may have won an award, or made a well-received short film, or have something about them that makes their profile that little bit more enticing and interesting than ‘you’, a part-time bank clerk in Stockport."

He emphasises the importance of not rushing into the agency scene as they deal with writers every day. What I gain from this is that it is better to take your time and develop your scriptwriting practise than jump in to quick. He also says that “agents know good writers” which only strengthens my thoughts (Stack 2005). Aswell as this Stack also talks about competition and points out what might make another applicant more appealing than you. Taking this on board I now think it is important to enter competitions and maybe do some independent work that will appeal to agencies.

Letters of enquiries was another point brought up in a lecture and this may be a way of opening the door to an agency. Enquiring first allows you to find out whether an agency will consider taking you on in the first place which means less chance of you wasting your time applying to an agency that will not take you on at all. As I researched more into agencies and delving deeper into the subject matter I came across he use of referrals which links heavily with the lecture. Referrals are people in the industry who know who can then refer you to an agency giving you a higher chance of receiving an agent. Referrals have a higher chance of success than enquiry letters.

Stack, D., 2005. How to get an agent [online]. UK: Blogspot. Available from: http://dannystack.blogspot.co.uk/2005/10/how-to-get-agent.html [Accessed 7 December 2013]

Lucy Sher - Scriptwriting and Production

Lucy Sher’s lecture was an interesting one and a few things she said stuck with me. She focused more on the development side and reminded me that film making is a collaborative process and that being a scriptwriter means you have to work with a number of different people.

I remember her mentioning that it is a good idea to read your scripts out loud, something I have never done and surprisingly never considered. However after contemplating the thought I realised that this would be helpful in visualising scenes and giving the characters an actual voice which gives a better view of the scene that is being written.  This not only made me think about me reading my own scripts but also giving my script to others to act out so I myself can visually see how I want the scene to look. It will also give me a great insight into which lines work and which don’t.

Something else that stood out to me is her mentioning of a “universal conflict” within the script, meaning a conflict which everyone can relate to. This got me thinking about scripts I have written and whether they have conflicts within them that a mass audience can relate to. Niki (2013) talks about this idea of universality.

"You want to write a story about a couple of bachelors who fear commitment. This is a universal theme, but we've also seen it hundreds of times. Now give the concept a twist by having the bachelors display their party-on attitude in a unique way, and you end up with The Wedding Crashers, a fresh and successful comedy written by Steve Faber and Bob Fisher."

Not only does she mention using a universal theme but also says that scriptwriters should be creative with the themes so we don’t end up with something stale and clichéd. Instead we twist what we already have creating a new take on an already universal theme leading to a truly original script. This idea of a “universal conflict” can also be crucial when selling a script as a producer is more likely to buy something that appeals to a wide array of people rather than a script that only appeals to a very niche market.

Niki, A., 2013. Screenwriting concepts tips [online]. Boston: LifeTips. Available from: http://screenplay.lifetips.com//cat/64967/screenwriting-concepts/index.html [Accessed 3 December 2013].

Mary Evens - Living as a Scriptwriter in the Real World

Mary Evens made me aware of the reality of being a scriptwriter. She noted that she didn’t know anyone that was a scriptwriter full time which got me thinking about other jobs in the media I may want to do while scriptwriting on the side. She also mentioned writing a spec script before leaving university which I have in fact started to write. The real insight I got from this lecture was living as a scriptwriter in the real world.

After the lecture I looked at what jobs were available to me in the media industry an found that the most common and perhaps easiest job to get was as a runner. Having said this I also found out that people often work their way up from being a runner so only using this as a starting point to eventually get a better job in the future. Horton (2012) explains the approach we should take when breaking into the media industry.

"Forget the news reports of recession and unemployment. What do ‘you’ love doing? Don’t think at this stage about which companies you’d like to work for. Remember, Myspace and Friends Reunited were here yesterday, pretty much gone today."

This quote is interesting as he focuses specifically on the company aspect but says we should not think about what company we want to work for because of how volatile the media industry is. What I take from this is that we should not let the economic state of the country effect our passions and desires and we should strive to get a job that we will truly “love” doing, something that I will most certainly take into account. I began to think, what do I love doing, what would I love to be? The answer, a scriptwriter of course. I've often had dreams of working for the BBC or C4 but now I will focus on just scriptwriting and achieving my dream.

Getting a script into production is difficult enough as it is, so if the script is not any good then it will prove even more difficult. Mary suggested writing a spec script while still at university which I think is a great idea as you will be learning all the skills as you’re writing leading to a high quality script. Also it benefits being around people on the same course who you can brainstorm with and ask for feedback, something that will be common when actually working in the industry. When thinking the spec script I am currently writing I feel like I should take this on board and maybe speak more with my course mates an ask for ideas and feedback which will hopefully help improve my work. Film making is a collaborative art so it will be beneficial to start working on the collaborative aspect now.

Horton, A., 2012. Five essential tips for breaking into the media industry [online]. UK: Worldview Media. Available from: http://www.worldviewmedia.tv/2012/03/five-essential-keys-for-breaking-into-the-media-industry/ [Accessed 5 December 2013].

Helen Jacey - Life as a Scriptwriter and the Future

Helen’s lecture made me think about the future and where I would like to be I around 5 years time. She brought to light that scriptwriting is a very hard career choice and highlighted the importance of work experience and networking. Two major professional aspects that will help advance ones career. Also something that was interesting was the kind of people you send your work to. Something that I had not thought of.

Thinking about it in 5 years time I hope to have sold a number of scripts and maybe have a job in the media industry. Gaining work experience now will be vital in making this come to fruition, something Helen made me realise. The media industry as a whole is a tough industry to break into so having work experience particularly within the industry would be a great place to start. Also within this time I hope to have a number of scripts in different stages of development and hopefully start to make a name for myself in the industry. I understand how hard it is to sell a script in an absolutely saturated market and hopefully within these 5 years I hope to develop my craft in the hopes that my script will be innovative enough to catch someone’s eye and hopefully end up being produced.

Networking was a main focus of the lecture and the importance of it was heavily highlighted. What I took from the lecture was that networking should be something scriptwriters do constantly and almost subconsciously. Throughout the career of a scriptwriter they will be networking every day working and communicating with new people. It are these connections that will eventually help scriptwriters break into the industry. Another point brought up was working with people that “know” you. Maybe on a professional and personal level. From this it will be a much more enjoyable experience to collaborate with someone that knows you well rather than a stranger. Hopefully through networking I am able to meet a lot of people who get to know me therefore wanting to work with me in the future. Reflecting on how I am currently networking I think I need to create more opportunities for myself to network and maybe network more among my peers at my university. 

Intensive Day

 

Unfortunately I missed the Intensive day due to medical reasons but after watching the videos of the lectures Serena Cullen brought up some interesting points that got me thinking about my professional career.

Firstly she talked about target audience specifically but not only about identifying them but how we should use this to sell an idea for a TV show. Essentially she says that it is all well and good saying that this is the target audience but it is another thing determining whether the target audience will actually watch the TV show. From this comes a number of questions concerning production and broadcast which will be vital in pursuing a career in scriptwriting.

“Every solid audience profile starts with a fundamental understanding of who your audience is. Demographic profiles are limited in their potential to uncover motivations and buying patterns. But they’re a great launch point for any discussion.” – DeMers 2013

The above quote explains the nature of reaching a target audience and it is this idea of “motivations” and “buying patterns” which is fundamental when selling an idea. Will the target audience you are going for actually want to watch your show. This is when ideas of production and broadcast enter as you need to know what your target want in a TV show in terms of character, arena, storylines and much more. If the target audience are not able to relate then it is futile. Also what time is the show being broadcast as this will have a huge effect on who watches it. Post watershed are more adult TV shows where as Daytime TV will be more for mothers and young children.

Something else I found thought provoking in her lecture was when she compared Art-house movies and online products and said that people today want to watch more content online than go to the cinema and watch an art house film. She then elaborates more on the emergence of online content and says that it is not the end of TV but maybe the end of TV scheduling and that the Cinema experience cannot be replaced. These are interesting points as online content can be seen as more dynamic than TV and cinema and maybe something I want to consider in my professional career. Many TV shows have experimented with online an example being Eastenders which created an online series specifically tailored for a teenage audience. This allowed for Eastenders to maybe reach a different target audience and maybe expand their fan base. From a production perspective it also allowed for emerging writers, directors and actors to gain some experience in one of the longest running soaps in the country.

Online content is something I may want to think about because with the emergence of on demand providers such as Netflix and Lovefilm everything shown on television will eventually be shown online giving the audience greater control of what they want to watch and when they want to watch it. As well as this content made specifically for the internet is becoming popular as it is easily accessible and free to watch. For the producers it will have very low production costs and can be produced independently.

DeMers, J., 2013. 6 steps to decoding your target audience [online]. USA: Forbes. Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2013/08/27/6-steps-to-decoding-your-target-audience/ [Accessed 1 December 2013].