Research Task 5

Research Task 5

My script is set in the future, where resources are scarce  In order to get a feel for this time I researched about how long in the future this will be.

Firstly I looked at how long it is predicted that fuel will last (if we continue to use it in the same way/rate) and I found this graph on the ecotricity website. This gave me a rough idea about how far into the future I would have to set my script if I wanted it to be based on realistic statistics.

The website that I got this from a website that is trying to persuade people to use alternative forms of energy. This makes the source very likely to be biased and one sided. This makes it an unreliable source.  

I also looked at predictions to how our oxygen levels in the atmosphere will be affected if deforestation continues at the same rate. This would be a good resource to use in the story as every living organism relies on oxygen, and is also created by trees and other plants which are being rapidly destroyed (this will make the story more realistic and believable). 

I checked to see where most of the oxygen in the atmosphere came from, and I found it was mostly from the amazon rainforest. I found that it provides around 20% alone, more than anywhere in the world. (http://www.CNN.com)



Character Development


Ed Armstrong

This is the protagonist in this story, with the story mostly following what he does, and the situations he gets into. This means that obviously this character needs to be interesting and original 

I then came up with this description for Ed:

'Professor Ed Armstrong, 49, tall, good thinker, excellent problem solver. Family man. His research into a process that could potentially artificially produce oxygen is nearing completion'


I then developed on this paragraph to create this finished description:

'Professor Ed Armstrong,49, tall, slight man with a unique way of thinking, excellent problem solver. Father of two children, Sally and Jack Armstrong. Main character in narrative. His research into a process that could potentially artificially produce oxygen is nearing completion, however his rapidly nearing his 50^th birthday. The hope of his children living long a fulfilled keeps him motivated'

I thought adding the points about his unique mindset would relate to how he has nearly solved the crisis of lack of oxygen. Also adding the information about his two children gives a better idea of his persona, rather than 'family man'.


Jack Armstrong

Jack is Ed eldest son. The story will follow parts of his life as he struggles to juggle his home life with the growing pressures of school.

The first description I came up for Ed was:

'Jack Armstrong, 16, medium height, popular, athletic, cleaver. Wants to help his father with his research.'

I thought that this description was too short and needed to have some information about how he was as a person. I then thought about how old he is and how boys of this age act in different company. I then developed the description into this:

'Jack Armstrong, 16, medium height, popular, athletic. Very much has the brains and abilities of his father, but keeps that under his belt whilst in the company of friends. He knows of his father situation and is willing to do whatever it takes for the research to be completed. He is motivated by the fact the research could save his father from termination.'

As you can see with this description we get to learn more about what kind of person he is by the fact he hides his intelligence when with friends. Also we can see that jack he has the same type of brain as his dad, rather than being generally clever. 

Research Task 2

Research Task 2

The BBC has 4 channels, BBC 1-4. I have chosen BBC 3 as the best place to air my script as this shows similar programs to my idea. Many of the programs shown on the channel are very different to what you would see on the other BBC channels. BBC 3 is seen as the 'experimenting' ground for the network and often has programs that are 'out there' and not afraid to break the rules. Often if a new series is successful on BBC 3 it is moved either BBC 1 or BBC, to widen the audience. Some programs that are of a similar genre to mine, such as sci-fi program such 'Being Human' have been very successful on this network. BBC 3 also proves a great place for new series to be aired, like the soon to be launched called 'In The Flesh' which is a post-apocalyptic thriller which is again similar to my script. 

When it comes to viewing figures according to BARB, BBC 3 has around 1.5% of all viewing figures in 2009 with most viewers being within the demographic of 16-24 year old's. Viewing figures for pilot episode of sci-fi show 'Torchwood' got a colossal 2,519,000. This information was all provided by BARB, which is the company that compiles all audience measurement for the UK, so is a very reliable and unbiased source, meaning we can trust the information they have provided. 

I also thought it would be good to research into who uses the internet the most, as this is where the rest of the series will be accessed from. I searched from the highest users of the internet and found this statement 'Teens and Gen Y (ages 18-32) are the most likely groups to use the internet for entertainment and for communicating with friends and family. These younger generations are significantly more likely than their older counterparts to seek entertainment through online videos, online games and virtual worlds.'. This statement clearly shows that through putting my show on BBC 3 I am reaching a demographic that are the most likely to use the internet for entertainment, and therefore the most likely age group to continue watching the series online. 

This statement was provided by PEW internet via  marketingcharts.com. Pew is a research company that specializes in the internet. Pew is also an independent research company, meaning its research is endorsed by anyone else. This means the information they provide is completely unbiased and there for a trust worthy source.  


When looking at programs of a similar genres on BBC 3 and other competitor channels such as Channel 4 i have found that they are usually broadcast at around the same time slots. Recent thriller series 'Utopia', BBC 3 hit sci-fi series 'Torchwood' and Charlie Brookers mini series 'Black Mirror' where all aired at either 9  or 10pm on weekdays  Monday-Thursday. Considering all the above are of similar genre of my script 10pm on a Tuesday seems like the correct time for my series opening to be aired.  

However, these programs are all 1 hour long, and we can ignore the fact my show is only 5 minutes. So, i researched what time shorts are usually shown on BBC and also its competitors. I found that on Channel 4, there is a designated time for short films at 7.55pm. All the short films that are aired on the channel are limited to 5 minutes long, so this sounds perfect for my opener. However, i am pitching my script via the BBC commissioning process so i had to find alternatives in the BBC scheduling. Because most sci-fi programs are shown on BBC 3 at 10pm, i thought that a perfect time for my opener to be shown would be 9.55pm. This would be perfect as it would be of a similar genre of the following program and would mean that the audience is being shown to would be interested in programs of that genre. On the other hand, new BBC 3 drama 'In The flesh' is due to broadcast on a Sunday at 10pm. Broadcasting on this day seem out of convention for this type of genre. But, broadcasting a taster of a new web series before the pilot episode of a new BBC series seems like the perfect opportunity, as there will be a large amount of viewers who are fans of the genre. 

From the above research i have chosen to broadcast i have chosen to broadcast my web series opening on BBC 3 on a Tueday at 9.55 pm. I have chosen this slot as it people who like the genre of sci-fi/thriller will be watching the TV as they are watching similar programs that are being shown at the time. This means that they are more likely to be interested in the series opener and more likley start watching the series online. I have chosen BBC 3 because the programs that they show are most similar to my script. Also, they 'offers an environment for new ideas', which to me sound like the perfect environment for a new series to air. If i had chosen another time slot or a different channel the people who view it are less likely to be interested in it, which would mean that they would not want to go on the internet and continue to watch it (which is the purpose, to get people to watch online).

Research Task 4

Research Task 4

In this part I am searching for literature that may help me when screenwriting, either blogs, websites, videos or any other source. 

The first source I found the blog/website of John August. This website has some interesting posts covering how to write a scene correctly, all the way to getting your first job. This is a piece of information I found useful, outlining in easy steps how to write a scene correctly:

The writer of this blog/website John August is a successful screenwriter, with credits for films such as "Charlies Angels" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Clearly, John has alot of 1st hand experience of what is like to work as a screenwriter, which means its information is very likely to be truthful, making this a trust worthy source. 

2. The Screenwriters Guild of Great Britain

This is the website for the trade union of writers working in Britain. This website keeps up to date with useful posts for anyone working or trying to break into the industry. It also tell you about minimum amounts of pay that you should be taken and if you are a member will negotiate this for you.  This website helped me a lot when I was blogging about the commissioning process of the script. 

We can defiantly trust this information this source provides as it is the verified website of a well established trade union. This union has many years of serving the industry and are clearly a legitimate source. 

3. 10 Rules for Writing a Successful Short Script

I read through these quick 10 rules and it really helped me to consolidate my ideas, and think about how to use my 5 pages to there full potential. 

Rule number 8 "If your film is less than 5 minutes, one type of conflict might be sufficient to satisfy your audience" helped me to think about what I should do with my ideas, and how to make them work most effectively in my 5 pages.
The source of this is a blog, which isn't that trustworthy, as anyone can write a blog, even if they have little of know knowledge of the subject they are writing about. However, on the bottom of the page it says the the author is a lecturer at the Los Angeles Film School and has written a number of feature films. This shows that the author will know how to properly write scripts and will have an indepth knowledge into the topic.

4. Screenplay Formatting Help

A simple blog post that explains well how to lay out a script properly (although if you are using Celtx it does it automatically)

This blog was particularly helpful when it came to finding out what I can and can't put into the script. For example I didn't know that particular sounds could be put in. 
However, this source is again a blog, and with no information of who wrote this page the information it could have been written by someone with no knowledge of the industry at all, therefore all the information could be incorrect/opinion. Due to this uncertainty this source cannot be entirely trusted. 

5. Gorilla Film Makers Guide

This is a book that is all about how to create films on a tight budget. In the section on writing scripts I found a lot of tips that helped me understand ho I should write my script.

One particular tip that helped me was a short column on description, particularly about how much to use and how often to use it. 

The author of this book, Chris Jones, has worked in the film industry for a number of years. In this time he has directed a number of films a short films. This means his knowledge of this subject is likely to be valid and reliable for my purposes. 

Research Task 1

Research Task 1

These are the 4 options I have for my script that I am going to write. I think that I am going to choose to write an opening of a web series. This is because it seems like a really good way to get into script writing and also means that I don't need to write the whole story, like I would with the short film for tv or for educational value. Also, i would be able to actually produce this script myself and post it online at a later date if I wanted. The other options would have to be an encapsulating story, which would be much harder to write.

From this the purpose of the script is quite clear, in short, it must hook the viewer and entertain them enough to make them continue to watch the series online.

For my script I want to write about a time in the near future, so this would fit into the genre of sci-fi thriller. For this genre I researched into the BBC channels and found that BBC3 is most suitable channel to air a program of this genre. The channels statement also says that they (BBC3) 'offers an environment for new ideas', so taking all this into account this sounds like the perfect place for my screenplay to be aired.

I then looked for a suitable time slot to air my program. Firstly, I looked at similar programs and what time they where aired, and found that a majority where shown at 10pm. I then researched short films on BBC3 and Channel 4 and found that they are aired mostly at 7.55pm, instead of a commercial  break. However, this is before watershed which would mean I would have to be very careful about the content of my script. 

Bias and Libel

Bias and Libel

Libel is the act of putting into print something that will deliberately harm someone's reputation, and trying to create hatred or other thoughts about them. To avoid legal issues, a writer will often use 'fake' characters and settings exaggerating them to make the point. A good example is seen in George Orwell's 'Animal Farm' where Russian politicians are depicted as farm animals, the best known is the pig 'Napoleon' who was based around Russian dictator Joseph Stalin.

Bias is another thing a screenwriter has to be aware of. Being biased means that you are favouring one side of an idea, without fully considering the other. When screenwriting a writer may choose to be giving a message or a moral to the viewer, or try to inform them of something, but they must do it in an unbiased way. They must be unbiased because people don't like to have views forced on them, they would rather be the evidence and draw conclusions for themselves.

Censorship And Watersheds

Censorship And Watersheds

Censorship is the suppression of film content which may be considered harmful to audiences. Film/TV programs often have guidelines which state what audiences the content is suitable for. The guidelines are used to classify films as follows: 

These classification guidelines protect groups of people, for example children viewing content that would be unsuitable for them. All films and television programs and even adverts have to be classified to protect viewers and to allow people to make appropriate choices. For example; if an adult was choosing a film for a child then they would know that a 15 would be unsuitable for that child to watch.

Censorship also protects people from offensive content, it does this by highlighting what the film/TV program contains, often on the back of the cover or in the tv guide if it is on television. It highlights content such as violence, nudity and swearing.


Watersheds

Watersheds are the point of time at which adult programs may be broadcast on TV.  Programs that contain things such as violence, nudity and sexual intercourse aren't allowed to be shown before watershed, and only programs that are suitable for family viewing are allowed to be broadcast. The time for watershed in the UK is 9pm. If I was to put adult content in my script it would have to be shown after watershed, meaning that possibly fewer people would view it. When I write my script I will think about what content is appropriate and what shouldn't be depicted, even after watershed. For example, even if sexual intercourse is permitted to be shown after the watershed I would have to think carefully before using it, as it may be a bit close to the bone. 

Plagiarism And Copyright

Plagiarism And Copyright

Plagiarism is the act of taking someone else's idea or work and trying to pass it off as your own. The risk of plagiarism means that a writer must be especially careful when releasing work, and must be completely certain that the idea and work is their own. There are services online that can scan your work to make sure that there are similar articles already out there. If a writer commits plagiarism the original author of that work has the right to take legal action which could end up with suing or in some cases a prison sentence. If someone plagiarizes your work as a write, your first step is to obviously check if it is all your work and not just similar. After this you would contact the author to see if they will remove the work. At this point your must have proof that you wrote the work originally. If still no conclusion is reached a lawyer should be hired and then legal action taken. 

Copyright is a concept used by most governments which gives the creator of a work the exclusive rights to it, however usually for a limited period of time. Copyrighting your work means that you are protected against plagiarism and means that you have proof of ownership for that script. As soon as you finish a piece of original work it is automatically copyrighted in the uk, no need for any registration. A better way of stopping your work from being stolen which is approved by the Writer's Guoild which is by submitting your script to www.thescriptvault.com. By registering here you have given a date to which it was created and helps in any court situation. 

How Does This Relate To Me?

How Does This Relate To Me?

All of the previous blog post relate directly to me when i submit my script to the BBC, given that it is chosen. When it comes to royalty payments, agreement with the BBC and the writers guild ensure that i would get paid correctly. If the BBC choose my script i will be paid a 10% fee. At this point the script still belongs to me. If the BBC chose to produce my script and turn it into a program, then it belongs to the BBC. The full terms for script submission to BBC 3 is here:

WRITE ABOUT GETTING AN AGENT

Also when writing my script i am going to make 100% sure that it is presented properly and formatted correctly, as mistakes in these place are what are mostly likely to get your script discarded. To do this i will use the software i mentioned earlier, Celtx. I am going to use this because it is free to download and does everything that i need it to, such as having the correct format set as default, as well as easy drop down menus which make laying the script out correctly that much easier.

When it comes to writing my script i'm going to make sure that i manage my time correctly, meaning i wont be in a rush to complete for a dead line. I am going to do this by making mini deadlines through out my writing time, for example a deadline for when i should have finished thinking of ideas or a one for which i should have a certain part of the story completed. I am also going to have a deadline which i should have finished the whole script, and then use the remaining time to make corrections and re-draft it.  

Time Management

Time Management

Managing your time correctly when writing a screenplay is vital. If you spend too much time or get hung up on the minute details in a script, you may end up with a novel rather than a script. A common problem when writing a screenplay is spending alot of time trying to think of an amazing idea, because the longer and harder you try to think of an idea, the less likely it is to come to you. Taking a small idea and adding things to it is away of getting past this, and playing games to pop random things into your head is also a good way to get started. This is a sure fire way to get you writing, rather than spending a colossal amount of time thinking. Also, first ideas are often the best.

Alot of writers spend alot of time thinking of characters, and create elaborate ideas which end up being hard to portray. The less time you spend creating a character and listing all their traits and mannerisms, the more time you can have breathing life into that character through their actions, which will add alot more depth to that character. You learn more from a character by the way they act in situations, rather than in descriptions.

Some production companies and screenwriting competitions will ask for a sample of your script before they want to see the whole thing. In this situation it is important that this sample is representative of you entire script. For example if the sample is to be 10 pages long then there is no point making an excellent 10 pages and having another 108 pages of rubbish, in  other words all parts of a script should have equal amounts of time spent on them.

Professional Presentation

Professional Presentation

When presenting your finished script it is vitally important that it is presented in a professional and correct way. If a script isn't written according to the conventions of a usual script, then often it will be immediately rejected. This is because the person reading your script want to see that you know about how a script is written properly, and wont bother to read it if it is set out in a scruffy and wrong way. To explain how a script is properly laid out, take a look at this picture. 

SCAN IN SCRIPT LAYOUT PAGE

From this sheet you can see how a script should be properly presented, and the conventional layout of a script. Often, using the usual word processing programs make it very hard to layout a script in the correct way. To make it easier for screenwriters special word processors such as Celtx have been made. Celtx is a free piece of software (also available to use online) which has been made specifically for scripts this means things such as scene headings and dialogue very easy to write. Programs such as Celtx make it much easier to avoid the simple mistakes that may get you script discarded. 

A simple mistake that will get your script tossed straight in the bin is the use of silly fonts and layouts. Writing in comic sands with no margins is a sure-fire way in getting you script screwed up and tossed. All scripts should be written in courier font (the font i'm using now) in 12 point size. Margins should also be 1" and all in black.

All descriptions should be kept to a minimum, if a script reader sees an elaborate paragraph for the opening setting, instantly chucked. Descriptions should be 2 sentences at most for characters, and 3 at most for setting. 

Scripts should be no shorter than 90 pages and no longer than 118. This is often the first thing that a reader will look at, so is extremely important. 118 is guideline for the soul reason that it sounds alot less than 120.

Don't try to direct from the script. Leave out things such as camera angles and leave them for the director to decide. People don't like it when you try and do their job.

When i come to produce my script i am going to make sure that i follow all these simple guidelines, because it increases the chances that my script will actually get read. To make sure that i don't make any silly mistakes i am going to use Celtx when writing my script, this is because it has all the correct margin sizes, fonts and basic layouts built in, which saves me the hassle of setting them all myself, and reduces the risk of inconsistencies which could get my script discarded. 

This is the opening page of the script for 'Alien 3'. I have annotated parts of the script to show what they do. Note this page has camera angles, use these very sparingly!

This is another example of a professional script, this one is 'Die Hard'.