what is the role of a writer of a movie in general?

Answer 1

They write the screenplay and sell it. Unless you are one of the major screenwriter's in Hollywood that is as far as you go. Sometimes they will keep you on the project, but most times they will not.

So you get your at least 350k and your done.

Answer 2

Broad question, broad answer.

If the script is original that is the writer wrote it then his role is to develop the script with the director, star and producers. This is about 6 rewrites. Taking into account directors vision, producers money and actors ego. When the film is shot, the writer is there to continually rewrite the script because of filming difficulties, star tantrums, drunk directors, money running out and so forth. When the film is a flop, it's because of the lousy script. When it's a hit it's because of the fantastic director and talented star!
If the screenplay is adapted that is the story is optioned from another writer or adapted from a previous movie or play than this is about 30 rewrites! Honestly lot a work! Way more than people realise!

Answer 3

It depends on the film. Some writers create a screenplay, much like a novelist writes a book. They find someone to champion their work, they pitch it to the studio, and it either sells or it doesn't. The few that are very lucky watch the studio approve the script and make a film out of it. Other writers do contract work for the studios and work as 'hired guns', meaning the studio comes up with a concept for a film and ask a writer to put together a script. These types of films usually employ numerous writers who cobble together a story, and these scripts are usually rewritten over and over again, depending on the filmmakers' needs and what the studio would like to see in the film. Generally, the less credited 'written by', 'story by', and 'based on an idea by' people on a film the better; big studio productions usually have 5 or more people with these credits, along with uncredited 'script doctors' asked to help out for a chunk of change. Very few studio films have only one writer; independent flicks are more likely to result from this process. In film school, you learn about the 'auteur' theory, which deals with films that are written & directed by a driving creative force (like Godard in the 60s or Scorcese in the 70s). At one time, certain filmmakers were so respected that the studio would give them carte blanche to make a movie, but the excesses of the late 70s and early 80s by filmmakers like Peter Bogdanovich, William Friedkin, and Michael Cimino led to studios exerting more control over the creative process (and their money). While effective studio-oriented filmmakers like Spielberg were able to work within this system, the more autocratic types like Coppola never fully recovered their abilities and failed to adapt to this new paradigm. If you ever visit LA, half of the people you meet have a script they've written, hoping to make it in the biz - most of these scripts are awful (I've read many, and trust me, my IQ hasn't recovered yet). I'd recommend working on your writing skills in areas outside of film before tackling a screenplay, as anyone can use screenwriting software to create a script but only talented writers can make one worth reading. Hope this helps!

Answer 4

The writer is a lot like the man who lays the foundation of a house. There are great houses with poor foundations that crumble, and then there are houses that look shabby, but have lasted the test of time because of its foundation. the writer is the one that makes a foundation of a movie, and if the foundation is solid, then the movie should do decently well.

Answer 5

To take the directors vision of the film and put it into words,so the actors can see what the director sees.