Screenwriting : Is screenwriting the most disrespected aspect of the filmmaking process? by Phillip E. Hardy, "The Real Deal"

Disrespected? I don't think so. The screenwriter is part of a team and every team has its more/less valuable players at any one time; and the mix changes with every project. We've all seen wonderful scripts fail and mediocre scripts succeed - all because of the players (writers, directors, actors, editors...) As a writer, I've been hired, fired and rehired time and again - it happens. Get over it. Some of my scripts have been made better, some have changed course and some have gone downhill - all at the hands of other writers. I've rewritten other's scripts - some for the better, some not so much - it's just a part of life.

Judging a script - good, bad or indifferent - is a value judgement by the reader and multiple readers are involved in the development process. We each have our pov and very few folks bring the same pov to the table. (Films are made by committee - take it or leave it.)

Agree with Doug. I don't think professional working writers are looked down upon, either. Marginalized at times, maybe...depending on the situations.

Not too long ago, someone posted a comment made by a studio exec - "writers are like a box of kleenex." The full quote, in context, was "On Broadway, writers are king. In Hollywood, they’re Kleenex.” That same studio, though, has an Emerging Writer's Program, so they're always on the hunt for new writers, even if the gist of the exec's might indicate otherwise.

A much better article on that page from Phillip's link was Taylor Sheridan's article about writing and filmmaking. I bet nobody knew the true theme of Mr. Sheridan's trilogy of stories (Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River). It's a great read.

Screenwriters get rewritten all the time. I don't believe that means screenwriters are disrespected. It sure can feel that way. We are creative people with deep, personal connection to our work. So are directors. There are very few directors who have final cut on their movie. Granted, I don't think there is a single non-hyphenate writers who have final say over their screenplay. I'll agree that of the four positions Laura mentions writers may be on the bottom but all four get second guessed all the time by the studios who have their business at the top of their decision making.

Screenwriting is the first step in a massively collaborative process. I wonder how many scripts that have been rewritten have benefited from the work...

Screenplays ... novels ... they are not works of a single person. Of my very first novel, I deleted at least 200 pages and rewrote about 300. My editor didn't leave one sentence as it was - which made the thing amazing in the end (even if I say that myself). When writing a screenplay, I don't expect things to stay unchanged. Maybe the director has a better idea for a scene, maybe an actor has, maybe an entire scene just doesn't work. It's about telling a good story, not about feeding my vanity. :-)

Writer / Director / Producers get to take all the credit for failure or success of a film. Writer / Directors have a Producer to blame or thank. Writers have the pleasure of taking an idea, which in itself has no real value, and turning it into a copyrighted commodity they may elect to hold or sell. If said script is sold and well produced, writer will have recognition plus future work in addition to the check. If the film is poorly executed, they still have the check. The script may be weak but well produced, and they will still benefit. The problem, if there is one, usually lies in the fact that writers tend to be ( gross generalization here ) isolated from film making, and invested in their vision behind their pages. If they treat writing as a job they will do well. If they treat it as a passion, they will feel cuckolded every time another takes the script over to make it theirs. Takeaway: Get paid for the option, get paid for the sale, get paid for rewrites, get backend, and don't feel you have the right to tell the new owner how to furnish the home you once inhabited. It's theirs. You sold it.

Hello, Phil and my fellow stage 32 members. To that question, I'd say it depends on what aspect you want to say is disrespected. When studios decide to make a certain film regarding a certain culture and they don't bring on a writer that understands the authenticity of the culture and does what they think will "sell," that is where I feel disrespect is valid. I would name some films, but that's a long list and my response is already growing long. We're making way with that in television, but not in film. It's not to say it's no happening at all, but it's lacking enough to question those higher powers. I think those screenwriters are the most disrespected, as well as the misrepresented cultures.

I guess I'm one of the lucky one percent because I've been optioned several times. The most recent one was about six weeks ago. I agree with Doug G. Everything I've had optioned came about because I found producers looking for esoteric subject matter and either quickly wrote a script on spec, or more pitched my concept for what they I thought they were looking for. I've had one spec script optioned by a producer that had previously optioned my work-for-hire screenplay.

Remember, getting an option is only the first step. Everyone who has advised flexibility with your work is essentially correct. Two years ago, I began working a New Zealand horror director who has made a number of films. He started off by saying, "You're the writer and I don't get too involved with that." After two rewrites, "It was mate, let me take a crack at rewriting this." If you're feelings get hurt over something like this, it's best to move on quickly and get over it." In this particular case, the director road tested his rewritten version of my script with some readers and they hated it. Que sera, sera.

The unfortunate thing, is some producers are very vague about what they think they want or what they believe is missing with tone or story. For my latest work-for-hire option, the director has been very specific, which is extremely helpful. I just finished a rewrite that replaced about 35% of the material in the original draft. Though I think the original version was more commercial and formulaic, the newer version feels artistically superior. And since my director has worked on some blockbusters and has just had new widely distributed this week, I think it's in my best interest to take his feedback and learn from it. For this project, the original subject matter idea is from the director and I want to give him the widest possible latitude in providing him what he's looking for material-wise.

Antonio:

I agree that the writer should understand the culture they are writing about. This experience or knowledge may come from the following:

1) Being a member of that culture

2) Research about that culture or topic

3) Experience living with members of that culture.

I've now written four screenplays, all of them based on true stories, that are largely written for African American actors. Three of these screenplays have been recognized by Houston Black Film Festival and Harlem International Film Festival. Two of the screenplays also received high praise from the Vice President of Tyler Perry Productions. Now perhaps this is because I spent much of my youth having significant interaction with African American culture. But I also did my homework with the subject matter of my material: Take this quote about Four Negro Girls In a Church from Bluecat Screenplay contest:

" The greatest strength of Four Negro Girls in a Church is that it is a true story that very obviously required a great deal of research in order to write. The script is very informative about a piece of American history that everyone should know about. Because it is true, the story is so, so impactful. The writer cares a lot about this topic and this project, and that is certainly conveyed through every page of the script.I particularly enjoyed the scenes which feature Martin Luther King Jr.. These scenes and his dialogue are incredibly impactful. The writer is wise to include him in this narrative as he is such an important figure in the history of the Civil Rights Movement. The writer has captured Martin Luther King Jr.’s spirit of leadership, and Four Negro Girls in a Church would not be the same without him.”

So in the final analysis, let Me paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King: 'The writer should not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their material."

Thank you for sharing your insight, Phil (are you a new uncle?). And that makes sense, it’s only natural that you would reflect that. It’s what you know best, being you grew up around it. Just like the actor that played Santino in The Godfather wasn’t Italian at all, but he grew up with Italians to the extent to him portraying an authentic Italian. And I definitely agree with the paraphrased quote. It’s sad that we lived in a world where that reality is not an absolute anywhere.Thank you for sharing your insight, Phil (are you a new uncle?). And that makes sense, it’s only natural that you would reflect that. It’s what you know best, being you grew up around it. Just like the actor that played Santino in The Godfather wasn’t Italian at all, but he grew up with Italians to the extent to him portraying an authentic Italian.

And I definitely agree with the paraphrased quote. It’s sad that we lived in a world where that reality is not an absolute anywhere.

I think that we don't learn as Screenwriters enough how to protect our scripts and how to fight for them. I know many writers that were able to come back and say, I tried your note, but it didn't work for these reasons, and the note or request is lifted. Since these people aren't writers, they don't know the chaos they can be causing, but if you explain it, I have found them to be reasonable - or at least a compromise where we are both satisfied.

I did have to walk away from one assignment because a producer was trying to add something new each week based on whatever she binged on Netflix that weekend. It was her story that she was trying to develop, so I couldn't do anything but bow out gracefully from the project and wish her well. A younger me would have stayed around and kept trying. Older me didn't have time for that. The project is still in development to this day and I've done so much for my own work in that time :)

Hi, Phillip. The article to me seems rather pessimistic, to say the least... That quote?—rather jaded. And perhaps the article is skewed by personal opinion/experience, which is fine, it's always interesting to read various accounts and opinions and assessments. Thanks for sharing! ;)

But... once again this topic has such a wide range of considerations because it truly depends on specific context. And I'm going to grossly generalize by saying that filmmaking is a team or group endeavor. And often whether certain roles are "respected" or not depends on the individuals on that team— their personalities/egos, their work ethic/collaboration, their relationships with one another, and their individual contracts and allocated jobs for a specific project. There are many moving parts.

Respectfully, and generalizing again, I think for most of us aspiring creatives the more practical and realistic arena where we will most likely get a start is in Independent Film. And with Independent Film there's more possibility of either partnering with a director or producer, or producing a film oneself—thus having more creative control, which it seems many screenwriters would much prefer. ;)

Anyway, I think it would be beneficial for an aspiring screenwriter to produce their own work, perhaps a short, just to gain further experience and to gain a better sense of perspective/understanding of other aspects of filmmaking. Could help when opportunity comes a knockin' on larger projects. That said... I too found more interesting and inspiring reading in the other articles on that link, specifically the one on Taylor Sheridan, and Diablo Cody—her list of 7 lessons made me chuckle. ;) Thanks again, Phillip!