I attended this event on Tuesday evening in Lecture Theatre 2 in the Leslie Silver Building. The Speakers were Dominic Minghella: writer, producer & showrunner (Robin Hood, Doc Martin, The Scapegoat and Knightfall - premiering on the History channel in December), Sophie Petzal: writer (Riviera, The Last Kingdom, Wolfblood, Medici: Masters of Florence, Vinay Patel: writer (BBCs Murdered by my Father, Good Karma Hospital) and Amy Roberts: writer & script editor (The White Princess, Mount Pleasant & Cold Feet) with Chair Lisa Holdsworth: writer/WGGB (Writers' Guild of Great Britain) Deputy Chair (Emmerdale, New Tricks, Robin Hood, Midsomer Murders).
The TV drama landscape is changing. The influence of on-demand services Netflix and Amazon are changing how we watch television. But are they changing how television is being written? Do longer series mean that the US writers' room system is coming to the UK? And does that mean there will be more opportunities for new writers? Will that system provide and actual career structure for those writers? Or do bigger budgets and higher stakes mean that production companies are more risk averse? Are they only now interested in established names? And if this is the case, how can writers break through and prove themselves to be a "safe pair of hands"?
This event brought together experienced writers to discuss what the future may hold for up and coming television writers. Including those currently studying at The Northern Film School, who kindly hosted the event. And perhaps more importantly, there was a discussion about how the WGGB can best secure fair minimum terms and working practices for all writers at all stages of their career. There was also an opportunity for attendees to ask question.
The future will be televised. And someone has to write it. The question is, "Who?"
Some of the information I gleaned from this event is taken from my notes below:
Doctor Who is running a writers' room this year. The paradigm of the US writers' room which is moving to the UK (e.g. a 10 part show - 20 weeks). WGA writers room and US writers: staff writers, mid level, supervising producers etc. have differing rates of pay. UK showrunner, executive producer, writers room and investment (i.e. get paid). As examples, Murdered by my Father worked without a script editor and a short film Vinay worked on, 8 months then head writer etc. Sophie worked on Riviera it was sudden and last minute and working from home, there was no writers room. Two days of story meetings is usual for UK. Writers to get episode on their own, now more authored drama with existing plotlines or beats and the story of the week writing has gone out of fashion.
When asked what was their worst experience as a writer, the panel had differing answers from don't remember one, to lower level as contributing writer can be quite tricky - write a script in 30 hours or don't get paid.
Writers get pulled from theatre to write for TV and people don't realise they are two totally different things.
What to avoid - if you are the 'shit' one you are lucky/doing well, when it is all out of your control (managerial, network politics), the 'must say/do something to justify my job' comments. Recommend find a project you love with the people you love as it is often not an arsehole free zone and you can fail upwards.
The good thing about the American system is you can hide in a room, but they can carry you through if you are not having a good day/not quite there yet and you will still get paid etc. Drafts to hear feedback in a safe way. Keep the paymasters well away from the writers as they can 'scare the horses' and you can be a conduit.
London is teeming with US agents and they see us as the incubator of original ideas. A writers assistant at 23 can work their way up in their 30/40s to inherit someone else's show to write and produce. Here you are told you are working on a set and the head writer is a showrunner, to give them control of everything but Vince Gilligan trained for that job. We could do it but a lot of jobs would be undermined if we do.
Writers are allowed to come on set for two days to see their work filmed and maybe writers should exercise their rights more. Writers have to juggle commissions in case one/more don't come off. UK paid for credit, US paid to work. There are 430 scripted shows in the US (was 22 now 13 or 10 episodes a year, for 10 two or three people could do it rather than a writer's room). Here writers carry around lots of speculative projects and the open-ended contract seems to be creeping in, used to be a deadline. Should the Guild address this with cut of points instead of amends, e.g. internal draft versus studio/channel draft - three drafts but only get paid for one. One of the panellists had one that went on for two years in amends, but it was a big one.
The monthly story system for soaps is not too dissimilar to the US system. We have fewer 'rock star' writers, Jack Thorne is one of the six writers that are thought of as elite, but the same amount of great shows. There is snobbery around soap writers, but they want the talent, e.g. a Vince Gilligan. But they are biased on CV that they are too terrestrial, dismissing continuing drama, e.g. episodes. Harder to get on these now. Who decides who is cool and who is not? Do not let anyone rank us as they are not I a position to do so.
Advice - Be open and collaborative. Build a nuclear bunker around your heart. Have fun, learn how to be kind and secure in yourself. Judge other people's work by what they are trying to achieve rather than what you'd do with it. Learn to write constantly and everywhere. Find people who understand you work and value their feedback. Keep entering competitions and get work experience. Write shit, short plays, films etc., and try and get on a film set if you are more impatient. People are giving you money for stuff they don't want in TV, so keep a part-time job as it (writing) being your life is nor the best thing. Practice verbal pitching to try and get elegance and charm. You can have the right ideas but you have to be able to sell them/persuade people. It is not a skill a writer naturally gets. Suggest finding some actors and engage with them as this will help with pitching. Be charming, keep developing you communications skills. Scripts are behavioural not literary.
The read through is the best feedback you can have. Then you can do a polish.
When asked what they would want the WGGB to ensure if the US system comes in - Being paid to work because the UK traditionally leaves writers vulnerable financially. An agent would disagree, but an original commission we do better in the UK as US paid to fail (get a lot of money up front, not a lot at the back end), our system the opposite. WGGB have a campaign 'FREE is Not an option' to avoid draft after draft on pilot scripts and not giving them money and some want the writer to be exclusive to them. Accountability goes upward: A writer is made to feel grateful to have that opportunity, the whole good exposure thing (pay us). Force some guys who aren't connected and do more for the middle field writers, £200k is a closed shop, so tiers for payment rates.
The WGGB meet with the establishments, e.g. PACT, BBC, ITV etc., and negotiate for the writers, they are their point of contact. They are a legalised Trade Union.
When collaborating with other writers the show has to feel consistent, they are both a two-way street in terms of praise/blame. Need the tone to be the same. You find your niche that you engage with. They don't know what they want, so commissioning wise pitch what you love and be optimistic. Can pitch cynically but don't write that way.
For further details of the WGGB The Writers' Union: www.writersguild.org.uk
Twitter: @TheWritersGuild
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewritersguild
Telephone: 020 7833 0777
Email: admin@writersguild.org.uk
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