Role of the Writer

Commissioning editors are like scouts. They go searching for talented writers and the best new writers. Looking at treatments and sorting through stuff/people to bring forward. Producers make sure everything runs smooth. They make sure the film doesn't go over budget and arrives on time. Directors have overall creative control of the film, they are the boss. Script writers edit scripts to make sure the dialogue works and makes sense. Agents represent the actors and seek work for their actor (including technical crew).

Exposition scenes are difficult to do. They are scenes that move the story along. Used to introduce scenes that didn't happen in the book. Lots of things had to be left out of the film because they didn't move the story along. 

Jackson - 1st thing - broke down 3 books into a 90 page synopsis treatment cracking the code of the boos.

Tolkeins took 15 years to write the book used Tolkeins language as much as possible.

1st screenplay - Miramax wanted 1 film so let Jackson go elsewhere to find the money. New Line saw it was 3 films so 2 film scripts needed rewriting.

The method used was being surround by notes, locked in hotel rooms. 15 month shoot with the script being rewritten constantly for the whole project.

Actors were asked to input ideas about what made them laugh and what they thought their character would do in a situation. For example, Frodo playing/handling the ring. Liv Tyler ideas brought in- no women characters in the book.

Role/relationship of the writer with everyone else in the team.
Wrtiers:
-Fran (?) relationship with director?
-Peter Jackson
-Philippa

All massive fans of the books - so lifelong ambition to turn the book in film.
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Need to write about relationships:
- How do they interrelate?
- What happened to the script? - (writing, rewriting as they went along - actors brought their own   ideas as to how the characters would talk).
- Script is never finished until the film is finished. 

Look at finished screen play.
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The role of the writer. 2 options.
- 500 word report about the role of the writer.
- Video presentation 5 mins - edit together a selection, add your own voice over.