MAJOR PRODUCTION; WRITERS PERSPECTIVE 1

For the production and post production stage of Unspoken, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't forgetting my role as a writer. I have decided that in order to keep my thoughts as a writer ongoing, I will keep a series of writers perspective posts to make sure I am still in the writers frame of mind. For this first writers post, I wanted to actually research what, if anything, writers should be doing during filming.

'Set Etiquette for Screenwriters' https://screenplayreaders.com/set-etiquette-for-screenwriters/ - documents how the role of a writer during filming can vary extremely. For example on a large film production, the director may want the writer present to ensure that the material is being interpreted and created effectively and as intended. However on a small and low budget production, the writer may double as a sound engineer. Another instance will be having the writer around to fix or tweak anything that may become unusable as filming goes along. More often than not however, a screenwriter goes through drafts and drafts of something, but once it is handed back over to the studio or the director, they will be completely done with it until the final film has been created and released. It completely varies from production to production.

I read a blog post by John August, who suggested that the writers involvement on set depends completely on the relationship that they hold with the producer/director. Some writers are sent a synopsis and will write draft upon draft, receiving feedback only by email until it is complete. Once they have completed the script they send it off, receive payment and never work on it again. This is what is known as a commissioned writer, they are commissioned to create dialogue around a storyline that has already been created. However, some writers, would be creating their own story, characters and setting. The script would be entirely theirs. This is the instances where they would sell and pitch their script to producers and directors that would option it to a studio to be created. In this instance, the writer would be heavily involved in the production. As long as the relationship they have with the director is a good and positive one, they would be involved in the production to help everyone understand the script as authentically as possible.

For Unspoken, I am the producer as well, so I will be keeping track of timings and scheduling and making sure props and locations are all in place as they should be, amongst other things. The two skills I would like to set myself for the filming to make sure that I am still working as both a writer and producer, as as follows:

1 - Be on hand to help the cast and Laura understand the script, correcting anything that may have been interpreted incorrectly as well as offering tweaks/alternate line changes to anything that perhaps doesn't work.

2 - Help to brief the cast on the few parts of the script that plan to be improvised, making sure that it is still what the script requires.