Freelance Scriptwriting
Writing scripts for television, film and plays is big business. Freelance scriptwriters are involved in devising programmes, writing proposals, pitching ideas and liaising with everyone from tea boys to Art Directors. Who can often be the same person....Some words of advice.
An awareness of the film industry is a prerequisite: hotshot directors, different genres, studio specialisms. It's not enough to enjoy films or theatre. Be informed: subscribe to journals, newsletters, magazines. Hang out with actors, directors, producers where possible.
Writing scripts is about bringing words alive and having the skill to convert them from one dimension to three, loading them in such a way that actors/actresses can inflect, emote, gesture, articulate appropriately. It's having a handle on the big picture, weaving seamlessly from scene to scene, drawing on the unspoken to elicit reactions from the audience... and of course having an original idea which will be viable and lucrative. Mind-blowing stuff.
Beware online courses promising to give you the "edge" - the Internet is rife with them and they can often be a regurgitation of guidelines, rules and hints packaged in a charismatic and emotive way. Cherrypicking the best scenes from existing productions and padding them out is a non-starter. It's all been done before: there's a fine line between artistic licence and plagiarism.
Rely on yourself to develop a first draft - have confidence in your inspiration, believe in your product and work with friends/colleagues to bounce the script around, refine it, polish it and then, only then, seek out a reliable, professional opinion.
We've got the contacts/links to help you on your way. Now stop reading, start working...
