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Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are writers who practise the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media such as films, television programs, comics or video games are based.

Profession[link]

Screenwriting is a freelance profession. No education is required to become a professional screenwriter but good storytelling abilities are required. Screenwriters are not hired employees, they are contracted freelancers. Most, if not all, screenwriters start their careers writing on speculation (spec), meaning they write without being hired or paid for it. When such a script is sold, it is called a spec script. What separates a professional screenwriter from an amateur screenwriter is that professional screenwriters are usually represented by a talent agency. Also, professional screenwriters do not work for free often, an amateur will often work for free and are considered writers "in training". Spec scripts are usually penned by unknown professional screenwriters and amateur screenwriters. There are a legion of would-be screenwriters who attempt to enter the film industry but it often takes years of trial-and-error, failure, and gritty persistence to achieve success.

Screenwriting in the film industry[link]

Every screenplay and teleplay begins with an idea, and screenwriters use those ideas to write scripts, with the intention of selling them and having them produced.^[1] The majority of the time, a film project gets initiated by a screenwriter and because they initiated the project, the writing assignment exclusively becomes his or hers.^[1] These are referred to as "exclusive" assignments or "pitched" assignments. Screenwriters who often pitch new projects, whether original or an adaptation, often do not have to worry about competing for assignments and are often more successful. When word is put out about a project a film studio, production company, or producer wants done, these are referred to as "open" assignments. Open assignments are more competitive. In situations where screenwriters are competing for an open assignment, more established writers will usually win these assignments. A screenwriter can also be approached and personally offered a writing assignment.

Script doctoring[link]

Many screenwriters also work as full or part time "script doctors", attempting to better a script to suit the desires of a director or studio. For instance, studio management may have a complaint that the motivations of the characters are unclear or that the dialogue is weak.

Script-doctoring can be quite lucrative, especially for the better known writers. David Mamet and John Sayles, for instance, fund the movies they direct themselves, usually from their own screenplays, by writing and doctoring scripts for others. In fact, some writers make very profitable careers out of being the ninth or tenth writer to work on a piece; in many cases, working on projects that never see exposure to an audience of any size. Script doctoring companies, also known as script consultancies, are also often used by directors, production companies and individual screenwriters. These usually do not offer full re-writes, but are used when a production company or an individual requires feedback on whether or not a script is marketable, how it can be improved, and whether or not it holds any potential for development. Many up and coming screenwriters also "ghost write" projects and allow more established screenwriters to take public credit for the project.

Development process of a project[link]

After a screenwriter finishes a project, he or she pairs with an industry-based representative, such as a producer, director, literary agent, entertainment lawyer, or a entertainment executive. These partnerships will often pitch their project to investors or others in a position to further a project. Once the script is sold the writer only has the rights that were agreed with the purchaser.^[1] A screenwriter becomes credible once their work is recognized, giving the writer the opportunity to earn a higher income.^[1]

Production involvement[link]

Screenwriters are rarely involved in the development of a film. Sometimes they come on as advisors, or if they are established, as a producer. Some screenwriters also direct. Although many scripts are sold each year, many do not make it into production because the amount of scripts that are purchased every year outnumber the amount of professional directors that are working in the film and TV industry. When a screenwriter finishes a project and sells it to a film studio, production company, TV network, or producer, he or she often has to continue networking, mainly with directors or executives, and push to have their projects "chosen" and turned into films or TV shows. If interest in a script begins to fade, a project can go dead.

Video game writing[link]

Video game writing is also considered to be a form of screenwriting. Some film and television writers also work in this industry.

Union[link]

Most professional screenwriters in the U.S. are unionized and are represented by organizations such as the Writers Guild of America. Although membership in the WGA is recommended, it is not required of a screenwriter to join. The WGA is the final arbiter on awarding writing credit for projects under its jurisdiction.

See also[link]

• Screenwriter's salary
• Screenplay
• Playwright
• Script (comics)
• WGA screenwriting credit system
• List of screenwriting software
• First look deal
• Television crew
• Film crew

References[link]

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Ferguson, Brooks (17). "Creativity and integrity: Marketing the "in development" screenplay". Psychology and Marketing 26 (5): 428. DOI:10.1002/mar.20281. 

Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, a Spanish writer, depicted with the tools of the trade.

A writer is a person who produces literature or nonfiction, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, essays, articles, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images.

A writer's output sometimes contributes to the cultural content of a society, and a society may value his or her work as art.

Broadly, a writer is anyone who writes, especially one who writes professionally. The term writer is customarily used as a synonym of author, although the latter term has a somewhat broader meaning.^[1]

See also[link]

	Writing portal
	Literature portal

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Writers

Paul Haggis
Paul Haggis, April 2007
Born	Paul Edward Haggis (1953-03-10) March 10, 1953 (age 59) London, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, and producer
Years active	1975–present
Spouse	Diane Christine Gettas (1977–94) Deborah Rennard (1997–present)

Paul Edward Haggis (born March 10, 1953) is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.

Early life and education[link]

Haggis was born on March 10, 1953, in London, Ontario,^[1] the son of Mary Yvonne (née Metcalf) and Edward H. Haggis.^[2] He was raised as a Catholic,^[3] but considered himself an atheist until joining the Church of Scientology.^[4] The Gallery Theatre in London, Ontario, was owned by his parents, and Haggis gained experience in the field through work at the theatre.^[5] He attended St. Thomas More Elementary School,^[6] and after being inspired by Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard, proceeded to study art at H. B. Beal Secondary School.^[1] After viewing Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film Blowup, he traveled to England with the intent of becoming a fashion photographer.^[1] Haggis later went back to Canada to pursue studies in cinematography at Fanshawe College.^[1] In 1975, Haggis moved to Los Angeles, California, to begin a career in writing in the entertainment industry.^[1][5]

Career[link]

Haggis began to work as a writer for television programs, including The Love Boat, One Day at a Time, Diff'rent Strokes, and The Facts of Life.^[5] With The Facts of Life, Haggis also gained his first credit as producer.^[5] During the 1980s and 1990s, Haggis wrote for television series including The Tracey Ullman Show, Due South, L.A. Law, and EZ Streets.^[5] He helped to create the television series Walker, Texas Ranger, Family Law, and Due South.^[5] Haggis served as executive producer on series including Michael Hayes and Family Law.^[5]

He gained recognition in the film industry for his work on the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby, which Allmovie described as a "serious milestone" for the writer/producer, and as "his first high-profile foray into feature film".^[5] Haggis had read two stories written by Jerry Boyd, a boxing trainer who wrote under the name of F.X. Toole.^[5] Haggis acquired the rights to the stories, and developed them into the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby. Clint Eastwood portrayed the lead character in the film.^[5] Eastwood also directed the film, and used the screenplay written by Haggis.^[5] Million Dollar Baby received four Academy Awards including the Academy Award for Best Picture.^[5]

After Million Dollar Baby, Haggis worked on the 2004 film Crash.^[5] Haggis came up with the story for the film on his own, and then wrote and directed the film, which allowed him greater control over his work.^[5] Crash was his first experience as director of a major feature film.^[5] Critical reception of Crash was positive, and Roger Ebert called it the best film of 2005.^[5] It received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, in addition to four other Academy Award nominations.^[5] Haggis received two Academy Awards for the film; Best Picture (as its producer), and Best Writing for his work on the screenplay.^[5] With Million Dollar Baby and then Crash, Haggis became the first individual to have written Best Picture Oscar-winners in two consecutive years.^[7]

Personal life[link]

Haggis lives in Santa Monica, California.^[8]

After maintaining active membership in the Church of Scientology for 35 years, Haggis left the organization in October 2009.^{[9][10][11][12]} He was motivated to leave Scientology in reaction to statements made by the San Diego branch of the Church of Scientology in support of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative which banned gay marriage in California.^[11] Haggis wrote to Thomas Davis, the Church's spokesman, and requested that he denounce these statements; when Davis remained silent, Haggis responded that "Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent."^[11][12][13] Haggis went on to list other grievances against Scientology, including its policy of disconnection, and the smearing of its ex-members through the leaking of their personal details.^[11][12] The Observer commented on defections of Haggis and actor Jason Beghe from Scientology, "The decision of Beghe and Haggis to quit Scientology appears to have caused the movement its greatest recent PR difficulties, not least because of its dependence on Hollywood figures as both a source of revenue for its most expensive courses and an advertisement for the religion."^[14] In an interview with Movieline Haggis was asked about similarities between his film The Next Three Days and his departure from the Scientology organization; Haggis responded, "I think one’s life always parallels art and art parallels life."^[15] In February 2011, The New Yorker published a 25,000-word story, "The Apostate", by Lawrence Wright, detailing Haggis's allegations about the Church of Scientology. The article ended by quoting Haggis: "I was in a cult for thirty-four years. Everyone else could see it. I don’t know why I couldn’t."^[4]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Haggis at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival

Television[link]

Video Games[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Haggis has been nominated for dozens of awards.^[18]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	California portal
	Film portal
	Ontario portal
	Scientology portal

• List of Canadian directors
• List of film and television directors
• List of film director and cinematographer collaborations
• List of film producers
• List of British and Commonwealth Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of Big Five Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of Big Three Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of people who have won multiple Academy Awards in a single year
• List of people from Santa Monica, California
• List of people from London, Ontario
• List of former Scientologists
• Scientology controversies

Further reading[link]

• Wells, Barry. "Paul Haggis wants to inspire London students". Alt London (www.altlondon.org). http://www.altlondon.org/article.php?story=20060909170849642. 
• Forsythe, Coco (January 27, 2008). "Down In The Valley". FutureMovies (www.futuremovies.co.uk). http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/filmmaking.asp?ID=232. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Paul Haggis

Wikinews has news related to: Paul Haggis

• Paul Haggis at AllRovi
• Paul Haggis at the Internet Movie Database
• Paul Haggis at the TCM Movie Database
• Works by or about Paul Haggis in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

San Diego ComicCon 2004, with Lana (at the time called Larry) on the left and Andy on the right.

Lana Wachowski (born Laurence Wachowski on June 21, 1965; formerly nicknamed "Larry") and Andrew Paul "Andy" Wachowski (born December 29, 1967), siblings collectively known as The Wachowskis (formerly The Wachowski Brothers), are American film directors, writers and producers, most famous for creating The Matrix series. They are currently co-directing Cloud Atlas, based on the book by David Mitchell.

Life and career[link]

Lana Wachowski (formerly known as "Larry") was born Laurence Wachowski in Chicago in 1965. Andy Wachowski followed in 1967. Their mother, Lynne (née Luckinbill), was a nurse and painter whose brother is actor Laurence Luckinbill. Their father, Ron Wachowski, was a businessman of Polish descent.^[1][2] They went to Kellogg Elementary School, in Chicago's Beverly area, and graduated from Whitney Young High School, known for its performing arts and science curriculum, in 1983 and '86. Former students recall them playing Dungeons & Dragons and working in the school's theater and TV program. Andy then attended Emerson College in Boston, while Lana went to Bard College in New York. Both dropped out before graduating, and they ran a carpentry business in Chicago while creating comic books.^[3]

Style[link]

The siblings admit to a love for telling multipart stories. "Because we grew up on comic books and the Tolkien trilogy, one of the things we're interested in is bringing serial fiction to cinema," Lana has said. Andy puts his desire to shake up viewers a bit more bluntly, "We think movies are fairly boring and predictable. We want to screw with audiences' expectations."^[4]

Comic books[link]

Prior to working in the film industry, the Wachowskis wrote comic books for Marvel Comics' Razorline imprint, namely Ectokid (created by horror novelist Clive Barker) in 1993 as well as writing for EPIC Comics "Clive Barker's Hellraiser" and "Clive Barker's Nightbreed" comic series.

In 2003, they created Burlyman Entertainment and have released comic books based on The Matrix as well as two original bi-monthly series:

• Shaolin Cowboy – created, written, and art by Geof Darrow (with the Wachowskis contributing an opening dialogue to each issue)
• Doc Frankenstein – created by Geof Darrow and Steve Skroce, written by the Wachowskis, with art by Skroce.

Personal life[link]

Rumors that Lana was a cross-dresser or transitioning gender spread in the early 2000s, though neither sibling has spoken directly on the subject.^[5] The Hollywood Reporter and the New York Times have referred to the Wachowskis as "Andy and Lana (formerly Larry) Wachowski",^[6][7] and Deadline.com has referred to the duo as "Andy and Lana Wachowski."^[8] On some documents she appears as Laurenca Wachowski.^[5][9][10] In the 2012 documentary Side by Side, she is interviewed and credited as Lana Wachowski.^[11]

Andy has been married to Alisa Blasingame since 1991.^[12]

Filmography[link]

Future films[link]

The Wachowskis are collaborating with Tom Tykwer on Cloud Atlas, an adaptation of David Mitchell's novel of the same name, for Warner Bros. Pictures. Tykwer and The Wachowskis collaborated on the screenplay and are co-directing the film, leading their own crews that are working in parallel.^[14] The film is set for release in late 2012.

Warner Bros. have expressed interest in Hood, a modern adaptation of the Robin Hood legend, which the Wachowskis wrote and plan to direct. They also wrote an Iraq war-set gay romance conspiracy thriller titled CN-9, however the project failed to find financing.^[6] Jupiter Ascending, an original science fiction screenplay by the Wachowskis, is set to be made into a film by Warner Bros. The studio is looking for a major star to lead the cast, ahead of a planned spring 2012 start date.^[15]

Games[link]

• Enter the Matrix (2003)
• The Matrix: Path of Neo (2005)
• The Matrix Online (2005–2009) (provided the theme for the first year^[16][17])

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The Wachowskis

• Lana Wachowski at the Internet Movie Database
• Andy Wachowski at the Internet Movie Database
• Die Wachowski-Geschwister, biography. (German)
• Matrix Revelations, Wired article about the Wachowski brothers.

Tom Tykwer
Tom Tykwer, Biberach/Riß, 2006
Born	(1965-05-23) 23 May 1965 (age 47) Wuppertal, West Germany
Occupation	film director, screenwriter, film composer

Tom Tykwer (German pronunciation: [ˈtɪkvɐ]; born 23 May 1965) is a German film director, screenwriter, and composer. He is best known internationally for directing Run Lola Run (1998), Heaven (2002), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), and The International (2009).

Early life[link]

Tykwer was born in Wuppertal, West Germany. He was fascinated by film from an early age. He started making amateur Super 8 films at the age of eleven and later helped out at a local arthouse cinema to see more films, including those he was too young to buy tickets for. After graduating from high school, he unsuccessfully applied to numerous film schools around Europe and moved to Berlin, where he worked as a projectionist. In 1987, at the age of 22, he became the programmer of the Moviemento cinema and was known to German directors as a highly respected film buff.^[1]

Career[link]

In Berlin, Tykwer met and befriended the filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim, who urged him to create stories from his own experience and suggested that Tykwer record arguments with his girlfriend at the time, and turn them into a short film. Because (1990) was screened at the Hof Film Festival^[2] and well-received by the audience, which inspired Tykwer to continue pursuing filmmaking. He made a second short film, Epilog (1992), that plunged him into personal financial debt, but gained him valuable technical filmmaking experience. Tykwer wrote the screenplay for—and directed—his first feature film, Deadly Maria, which aired on German television and saw a limited theatrical release in Germany and the international film festival circuit.

In 1994, Tykwer founded the production company X Filme Creative Pool with Stefan Arndt, Wolfgang Becker, and Dani Levy. Tykwer and Becker wrote the screenplay for Life Is All You Get while working on Tykwer's second feature, Winter Sleepers (1997), a much bigger and more complex production than Deadly Maria. Winter Sleepers brought Tykwer to the attention of German cineastes and film festivals, but Tykwer was struggling financially. He knew he needed a new film, and the result was Run Lola Run (1998), which became the most successful German film of 1998, scored $7 million at the US box office, and elevated Tykwer to international fame. As Lola was becoming a success worldwide, Tykwer was already at work on his next film, The Princess and the Warrior, shot in his home town of Wuppertal. The film centered on a love story between a nurse and a former soldier.

Miramax produced his next film, Heaven (2002), based on a screenplay by the late Polish filmmaker, Krzysztof Kieślowski. It was shot in English, starred Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi, and filmed in Turin and Tuscany. He was approached by French producers to film a short contribution to Paris, je t'aime (2006), a film comprising 20 short films by many famous directors depicting love in Paris. Tykwer shot the 10-minute short film, True, with Natalie Portman and Melchior Beslon. He shot the film quickly with almost no pre-production, and the result was a tiny masterpiece that Tykwer later said, "symbolises an entire life for me, in just ten minutes."^[3] Tykwer's next film was an adaptation of the novel Perfume by the German novelist Patrick Süskind, and was filmed in the Spanish cities of Figueras, Girona and Barcelona. Tykwer later made his Hollywood debut with the big-budgeted 2009 conspiracy thriller The International, starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts, which was shot in several locations ranging from Berlin, Milan, New York, and Istanbul. The film received a lukewarm reception from the public to critics alike.

Pale 3[link]

Since Winter Sleepers, the music for all of Tykwer's films (with the exception of Heaven) have been composed by Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil, and Tykwer himself, unusual for a film director. The trio named Pale 3, originally a film scoring group, expanded to produce music unrelated to film.

Filmography[link]