Week 8’s study block was all about how digital technology has changed the means and ways modern screenwriters are able to sell their projects and screenplays.

The screenplay is the standard format for a film idea, but more and more these are being accompanied by visual and musical support material, normally in the form of a treatment or moodboard. Crowdfunding through sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo were highlighted as an example where the focus of the pitch is no longer the screenplay. What all the successful pitches have in common is that they’re highly visual, there’s often original concept art and proof concept films or scenes, and the rewards are all very creative and produced for the sole purpose of the pitch. Within these pitches there’s a minimal description of the story and a total absence of screenplay. The idea, mood, visuals and credentials are what potential backers clearly are more interested in.

What does this mean to writers? It means we should be open to raising our game and getting better at selling our screenplays with supporting visual material. Not in the screenplay itself, but potentially as an accompanying document. What we need to be mindful of is that visuals are an interpretation of the text, and directors see that being THEIR role. This means the imagery should be designed to get people excited and see the potential, but not be so specific that a director feels like they’re being told how to interpret the screenplay.