How to Become a Film Scriptwriter? Screenwriter Job Description, Skills, and Salary
If you like to invent stories or films, intrigues, and write scenes, you will surely like the job of the screenwriter. Becoming a professional screenwriter for films (at the cinema or on television), series or even TV shows is not an easy task. So, here is everything you need to know about this job: required skills, training, and possible salary.
Nevertheless, to hope to find a job in this branch, know that it is imperative to have a solid experience and to have gone through training. You can always bet on the chance that your scripts will be spotted by directors, but it’s quite rare if you don’t have any prior experience.
But now, this job in the audiovisual sector is a sector that recruits a lot. For good reason, entertainment always needs little geniuses to set up twists, intrigues, and other storytellings.
What does a Film, Series, or TV Scriptwriter do?
Whether he officiates in a company as an employee or freelancer (paid by production) or as a freelancer, not much changes. The only additional constraint for an entrepreneur screenwriter is to make a name and clients. Something very complex given that to obtain orders or customers, you need a hard-hitting book, sufficient experience, and a hell of a writer’s style.
But apart from the difficulty of this profession for a freelancer, this work is not very accessible, if you do not have training or a well-filled portfolio. Often, you also have to be a specialist in your scriptwriting style: rather strong in suspense, an expert in scripts for programs with small audiences, etc.
In any case, the role of a professional screenwriter is characterized by several aspects:
- The imagination of stories, intrigues, twists, characters… exactly like a writer in short.
- Writing the script: scenes, audio, and visual descriptions adapted to film or television transcriptions.
- Sometimes, a screenwriter is not really in control of his script and must also know how to write and imagine precise and adapted scenes according to specifications.
- Sometimes, the screenwriter is also in charge of writing the dialogues: scripted conversations between characters, but also between two politicians for example.
Screenwriter: The Skills Required for the job
Thus, to become a professional scriptwriter, in cinema, and on television, but also why not a video game scriptwriter, one must master several essential faculties. Here is a non-exhaustive list :
- Know how to write perfectly in the language of the script: know the subtleties of language, etc.
- Know the writing codes and screenwriting techniques on paper: how to write a dialogue that will be transcribed, a description of a movement, and an interesting camera movement for the director.
- Know how to work in a team, receive criticism, and be picky.
- Have imagination, and be creative.
- It is also necessary that the screenwriter by profession knows the codes of language on television, depending on the type of scene to be created.
- A screenwriter must assume several professions in one finally: that of the writer, that of the audiovisual editor (like those who write the videos of YouTubers). But also that of the editor, because even if he doesn’t, he must have the final editing in mind when he creates a scenario.
Appropriate Qualifications and Training for this job
What are the training and diplomas to become a screenwriter? There is not really a diploma required, but they are favored. The most important thing is to make a name for yourself in the industry. But above all, to gain experience. Here are the recommended courses.
- Master in Audiovisual Writing
- Master’s degree in cinema and audiovisual
- specialization in screenplay
- Training at the City School
- Cinema license
- Bachelor of Screenwriting
- Audiovisual BTS
- IT GOAL digital imaging option
- Bachelor’s degree in arts, letters, history or languages, and civilization (specialty in audiovisual)
- Professional degree in digital professions
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