Job Description for a Scriptwriter
Scriptwriters are hired to work either as an employee or a freelance writer to compose and revise scripts for dramas, comedies, commercials and soap operas that appear on stage, in television or in movies. They have a difficult job that can be appealing to many individuals because of the creativity it requires.
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Education
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There are no set education requirements for script writers. A college education, however, is preferred by most employers. Additionally, there are higher education options available in script writing such as master and associate degree programs, but these are not necessary to be hired.
Skills
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Most of the skills required from this job are developed through experience writing scripts. For example, these professionals must be able to create realistic characters and express ideas clearly. They need to be able to write a compelling story that is attractive to a diverse audience and write dialogue that sounds believable. Additionally, these workers need to be able to meet deadlines. They should work well both as part of a team and individually, as script writing can be done both collaboratively and individually. They also must be convincing, as a significant portion of their job involves selling a script or marketing an idea to a production company.
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Continuity Writer
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One of the different options for scriptwriters is to be a continuity writer. These workers usually work for a local radio or television station, writing announcements, composing advertising copy for sponsors or creating previews for other shows. They must be creative in their writing and be able to write persuasively. They also are typically under pressure to work quickly.
Television
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Writing for television can be very systematic, as there are exact length and content requirements based upon the length of each episode and time of day the show is aired. Also, meting deadlines takes precedence over artistic expression in this field. Unless launching a new show, the characters have been developed, so this portion of the job does not require as much creativity. Typically, television writes work under a head writer who is responsible for making creative decisions.
Film & Stage
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Film allows script writers more creativity in their work. These scriptwriters typically create their own original script and then work with an agent to convince a studio to buy and produce it. They also may negotiate the job of converting a novel into a film script. Because of the freedom and flexibility in this job, competition is often very high. Most successful film screenwriters must spend a significant amount of their time in either Los Angeles or New York trying to sell their scripts since these are the most popular locations in the U.S. for film production. Some scriptwriters hire an agent to sell their original script to be produced on the stage. As with movie writing, this field is highly competitive, but allows more flexibility in geographic location.
Work Environment
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Many scriptwriters are hired to work full time for radio stations, television stations or motion picture producing companies. These professionals typically are assigned stories to write on a regular basis. Many playwrights and other scriptwriters work on a job-by-job basis. These freelancers may be temporarily employed by a production company to attend rehearsals and rewrite if their script is bought.
Salary
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According to a 2010 survey from Indeed.com, the average annual salary for a screenwriter is $177,000 per year. This information, however, may be significantly skewed since many screenwriters are unemployed and therefore not included in this statistic. Additionally, this figure can vary greatly based on geographic location, skill, employer, years of experience and other factors.
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References
- Photo Credit cameraman(focus point on the camcorder) image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
