I understand that a possessory credit goes to the producer or director due to DGA’s guidelines, but what about the screenwriter? Yes filmmaking is a collaborative process and the director is the person that adds his vision and brings it to life or however you may put it. The thing is, in a lot of cases, the concept of the film came from the screenwriter alone. Plus the concept is a vision itself.
I would understand if the director or the producer was the one that wrote the concept down on paper and later brought on a screenwriter to write the script but it just sounds odd that the only credit a writer would get besides “written by/ screenplay” by is “story by” and not “A film by…”. I did some research but couldn’t seem to find a film where a screenwriter got such credit. So my question is…
1. Was there EVER a screenwriter that was given a possessory credit?
2. Despite DGA's guidelines for the credit, is there even the slightest possibility for a screenwriter to negotiate a possessory credit for the film they wrote. (Kind of like how a director would negotiate it with the studio, pro comp., etc.)
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The DGA isn't going to let possessory credits go, so on a DGA film, no, a writer isn't going to get "A Film by..." credit. Now if there's an economic reason that the writer's name sells more tickets or DVD's, then money will often win out. If Stephen King writes a screenplay based on one of his books, then calling a film "Stephen King's The Mist" would be a no-brainer for the studio to get behind. But even then, the "A Film by" credit would still go to the director. In the non-union world, you can negotiate anything you can arm wrestle a producer for. The "Film by" credit stems from the auteur movement. But it exists because a director is a marketable commodity. Martin Scorsese or Woody Allen's name alone will sell tickets. Most screenwriters don't have rock star names the public will recognize. Even Shane Black didn't get that kind of love back in the day when he was writing and selling multi-million dollar scripts. Personally, as a DGA member, I think handing out "A Film by" credits should require a higher bar than just a vanity credit. A director who really puts a look and stamp on a project like Tim Burton or James Cameron or Sophia Coppola or Wes Anderson, should get it. Paint-by-numbers action films and projects with no distinct voice should not. If you really want the credit, fight for the directing slot. You wrote it. You know the material. Make it yours and get that credit.
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That makes sense. The better solution would be to try and attach yourself as director then transform that vision when it's time to start production.
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2. Yes, this is something that can be negotiated.