The Role Of The Screenwriter In The Motion Picture Process

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In the motion picture process, one of the most important documents is the screenplay, and as such, one of the most important people is the screenwriter. In this essay I will explore the fundamental nature of the screenplay and screenwriter, the position of screenwriters in the industry, the different types of screenplays, and directors known as auteur directors.

Screenwriting is the art of creating a script for a film or any other media that requires it such as television and video games. This script contains the narrative and story that the particular production will produce as a final product with a few changes along the way. The screenplay acts as a blueprint or the manual for the production process, explaining how the film or production …show more content…

Instead, they edit or rewrite the screenplay of other screenwriters. Editing is usually performed to give the screenplay more polish, and rewriting is performed when the central story is good, but the screenplay in general needs more work. Script doctors are what established screenwriters who rewrite portions of the screenplay late into the development process are called.

Despite the importance and large role screenwriters have within the industry, they are often overlooked and underappreciated. Many films are credited to be a product of a particular director, and the directors and cast members of films are the small percentage of the crew that mostly accrue the credit for a film by the general consumer. However, a good production cannot exist without a good screenplay, and therefore the screenwriters should be given more credit than they usually are by placing their names in bold alongside the director and cast in the …show more content…

Whether it is for film, television, or video games, screenwriters and screenplays are needed in all areas of the industry in various roles such as coming up with new ideas, expanding on already established ideas, writing, editing, doctoring, and collaborating with other screenwriters. Despite their large and indispensable role, screenwriters and screenplays are often underappreciated both within as well as from outside the industry. There are directors who write their own screenplays and who carry their own distinct style of filmmaking, known as auteur directors, which may diminish the need for screenwriters, but these directors are few and far between. Screenwriting is an art form that will never cease to exist as long as there are stories to be told and motion pictures to