The Commissioning Process- Drama

 

Q3. How to get a script commissioned.

First you need to know what you should include in your proposal. It must include the following;

• You must include how your programme idea would fulfil the BBC's wide audience. 
• If you will run your programme infront of a live audience, you must think about accommodating disabilities according to the BBC. (Disability Act 1995)
• You must think about how your production team will fulfil the health and safety act. The BBC must apply with the Health and Safety Act so if you have concerns about how safe your programme will be, how will you address those concerns.
• Cross-genre ideas are accepted into the BBC however you must only choose one genre for the programme so choose the most appropriate genre and explain why you chose that one.

Proposal Responses 

(The BBC reminder: 
"All proposals for TV and online content ideas from registered suppliers must be submitted online through e-Commissioning for BBC network content.
Proposals will not be accepted via email.  Find out more information on the e-Commissioning system and if you are eligible to register. If you are a member of the public or an individual without broadcast production experience, please do not register for e-commissioning. You can find out more about your options in the ideas from the public page.")

• One week after you have submitted your proposal, you will receive an acknowledgement of your proposal. This lets you know that the BBC have received your proposal.
• Within six weeks after the acknowledgement, the relevant Commissioning Editor will reject or accept the proposals.
• Accepted proposals will be funded (prices below). The external supplier and the BBC must now agree a contract.
• The final decision will be made no  later than twenty weeks from receipt/ acknowledgement. Then the relevant Commissioning Editor must then give his/ her approval.

When writing a Drama, it would be common for you to write for either category one or two. This is because you wouldnt have contacts so you couldnt get any well known named actors in the programme and you wouldnt have big stunts because it would be too costly for a beginner writer. To get the higher pay, you would have to keep the audience entertained and want to watch every week or day. For drama one, you are looking at a wide target range which would be easier to accommidate for as everyone watches popular programmes such as Eastenders, Doctor Who etc. Drama two would be on at a later time so would attract a smaller tagret audience however these programmes allow the writer to be more free with the style of writing. For example, the programme can have provocative scenes, more violence, etc. Drama two can also be on for a longer time, For example, your programme can run for sixty minutes where as drama one can only run for about therty minutes.

I think my drama would come under Drama 3 as my drama would have known actors in it and be a popular programme for my age range. It would come on air the same time once every week, with sunday repeats,  to keep viewers interested. It would be on over the watershead time so either nine o'clock with a +1 channel of ten o'clock.

(+1 channel eg itv 1+1 or BBC 1+ 1)

BBC Website: Costs:

Drama Genre Tariffs for Independents

Daytime and Low Cost Drama
Indicative Tariff Range: £50k - £500k per hour
Within this range, programmes tend to fall into the following categories:

Category	Specification
Drama 1 Up to £375k per hour	This category covers a range of low cost output primarily for Daytime together with long running series for BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Three.  Producers will use innovative techniques and clever ideas to maximise the funds available especially for BBC Four. New talent will launch and grow here.
Drama 2 £375k - £500k per hour	Series at 30' and 60' of lower volume for BBC Three; singles and cross genre collaborations will fall into this category as will longer running and late night series for BBC

Lower to Mid cost Drama
Indicative Tariff Range: £500k - £700k per hour
Within this range, programmes tend to fall into the following categories:

Category	Specification
Drama 3 £500k - £630k per hour	Likely to be contemporary and less contained in setting both series and serials will have high production values with known talent. Low cost period series remain an ambition for this Category
Drama 4 £630k - £700k per hour	This category covers a mix of serials and returnable series. These productions would allow for more locations or higher cast aspirations; in period or contemporary settings.

High cost Drama
Indicative Tariff Range: £700k - £900k per hour
Within this range, programmes tend to fall into the following categories:

Category	Specification
Drama 5 £700k - £790k per hour	High levels of cast; stunts; foreign locations and period settings all drive this category. Cast will be large and talent established
Drama 6 £800k - £900k per hour	Heavy combination of multi-location; period; high cast and short runs in serials and event singles. CGI and effects may be significant here.

Premium Drama

Category	Specification
Drama 7 £900k+ per hour	Pieces in this category will be very exceptional and would be either Bank Holiday Events; Specials or Landmark commissions for BBC One. Pieces are only likely to fall into this category when there are no opportunities for major third party investment.

The Commissioning Process- Drama

Summary of the Content:

BBC 1- These programmes are classic programmes that are loved by a large audience. For example; Eastenders. These Programmes are normally ongoing programmes that tell a story.

BBC 2- This channel has more provocative scenes and strong language. They are focused on the past and present.

BBC 3- This channel's programmes will only have a maximum of two series. The audience is always the same but the style will always change with what is "popular".

Who is the Audience:

BBC 1- They have a broad audience,  there is no specific age range. they must "provide much-loved programmes... that appeal across the board" This appeals well with their target audience.

BBC 2- This channel has an older age range of 35-54 year olds. They are a "very diverse group in terms of lifestyle and interests".

BBC 3- This channel attracts the younger audience, 16-34 year olds. This channel is a "mixed genre". It "focusing on the young" and is "never afraid to try new stuff". This channel targets a generation that is constantly changing so its important this changel has a good "development of new ideas".

 Extra notes:

BBC4 doesn't have a drama section on their channel.  Its for more informative people. They have shows that include; current affairs, documentaries and a small section of news. There is no drama because tv drama's cost too much and drama's don't match the target audience they are aiming at.

'The Big bang Theory' and 'Lord of the Rings' Role of the Writer

Producers:

They sort out all the technical stuff eg Hiring camera crue, actors etc.
They have to be organised They run around making sure everything happens on time, within budget. They do what the director says. Their name gives the film kudos.

Director:

They tell people what they want to happen and when they want that done. There is only 1 director however there may be a co-director to help.
They are basically the idea's person. He\She directs people on what he wants them to do.
basically has the overall control of the film.

Script Editor:

Edits the script as the movie gets directed in a different way to the writer wrote it/ modified by the director. Most of the time the script editor is the Director.
Keep to the original style of the script with only Small changes.

Agents (Film and TV):

Agents for editors, camera people etc.

Writers:

These people produce scripts which are then given to different people to be made into films.
Anyone can be a writer, you don't need certificate's etc.
Have to get o with the director as they will be working together and sharing ideas, the writer writes it in his way however the director may not agree on some aspects of the script.



* The Director and Editor must have a close relationship or the film will be ruined. They must share ideas and work together as a team. The same with the Director and Writer, they must share the same imagination/ thoughts so the script can achieve its best. They must compromise when come to different ideas. Must be the film both the Writer and Directer imagine.

The Big bang Theory Notes:

2 geeky guys meet a hot girl neighbour Penny.

Chuck Lorre- Co-Creator and Executive Producer
Mark Cendrowski- Director

The writer and director must have a good relationship because they both have a huge input into how the series will plan out. Each series is 12 programs for America and 6 for the UK so each series will have to be planned carefully. One change to one program can change the whole series.

The characters are all nerds and the program plays on the nerd relationship. People can relate to the situation shown. It gives the nerds a voice.

The Role of the Writer

Lord of the Rings

Some writers decide to work with the actors as they play the character. The actors have put themselves into the characters shoes and they might have comments on the feelings of the character, maybe they think the character would react differently. What made the actors laugh, what are their thoughts on the scene. (eg Frodo playing/ handling The Ring.)
Liv Tyler ideas brought in- no woman characters in the book.

Method- being surrounded by notes and trying to pick the best parts from all the notes. 15 Month shoot- script constantly being re-written because of small but noticeable changes/ improvements.

Jackson broke down 3 books into a 90 page (synopsis) treatent "Cracking the Code" of the book.

Everyone (Director, writers, actors, script writers etc) Were all big big fans of the books and it was their dream to make a film no matter how long it takes.

Exposition scenes are scenes that move the story along. In Lord of the Rings, they had to introduce scenes that didnt appear in the book. They may have cut out scenes because the scene didnt move the story along. An example is the four pages of exposion at the beginning where the ring is lost by another king.

The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is a television series which means they have to constantly think about how one show will change the next. One series may be different due to; the change of target audiences, different script writer etc.

The apartment scenes and office scenes are done in front of a live audience so that the script writer/ director can see if their jokes are funny or if something isn't working as well as planned. This, in my opinion, is a good idea because then the script writer and director can see what the audiences reaction will be before the show is put on air.

I like that their is a human connection in these TV series because the audience can understand/ sympathise with the characters. The audience knows what it is like to be an outsider. The audience get to know the characters and make hopes for them. Eg they want Howard to finally get a girlfriend and they want Sheldon to finally get an award. We become part of their lives, we feel like you have a bond with the characters.

The script writer has to have a big ending to the 12 episode (6 in UK)  so the audience will return for the next season.

Comparison

The Lord of the Rings the writer(s) knows exactly how the film will end. They have planned what the film will look like before its even filmed. They only prepare for minor tweeks unlike The Big Bang Theory where the writer(s) are constantly changing the ending of the season. One episode can change the whole series so the writers have to be prepared to come up with new ideas.

In The Big Bang Theory, the audience can build a relationship with the characters. We know what the characters are like and we feel like we are living their life with them. We make a bond with the characters and wish the best for them however in a film their isn't that bond. In a film you get to know the characters but because you see an episode every week or every day, you feel closer to them.

A similarity is that both the series and the film make you feel a certain way about the characters. You know within five minutes of meeting the character who the evil one is, who the hero is, who you feel sympathetic for and who you hate. That doesn't change. Both the writer(s) and directors have to work together whether its a series or a film, that bond must be strong as they work together to create the series or film. Both their ideas go into the film or script, so its import an they have a good relationship. They are the people who make the characters come to life.