Screenwriter, Director and Producer

Generally, director, producer, and screenwriter are the main elements of filmmaking who are the ones behind the film camera making the celluloid dream come true.

Producers focus on the public, financial needs of the film and good quality of the film.

Director's focus on the total control of creativity pre and post designs and production of the films.

Screenwriters are the ones who write the story.

Filmmakers need to be established in a manner in which there is synergy among each of the relevant parties who are mentioned above.

Many of the Hollywood's greatest talents usually conducts and plays all these three roles in pre-production and post-production.

(01) Steven Spielberg
(02) George Lucas
(03) Martin Scorsese
(04) Quentin Tarantino
(05) Stanley Kubrick [1928 - 1999]
(06) Woody Allen
(07) Mel Brooks
(08) Oliver Stone
(09) Francis Ford Coppola
(10) Alfred Hitchcock [1899 - 1890]
(11) David Lynch
(12) J.J. Abrams
(13) Tim Burton
(14) Ben Affleck
(15) Billy Wilder [1906 - 2002]
(16) Paul Haggis
(17) Ridley Scott
(18) Orson Welles [1915 - 1985]
(19) Ron Howard
(20) Guillermo Del Toro
(21) Christopher Nolan
(22) Peter Jackson
(23) James Cameron

In the Sri Lankan context, there is Mr. Somarathna Dissanayake who directs films and his wife Mrs. Renuka Balasuriya who produces his films is a scenario where a collaboration is existent.

An obvious scenario is that the writer and director may be the same person. In this case the lines between the writing and directing stages as much more blurred. The director may also perform any of the other roles themselves, such as actor, producer, editor, cinematographer.

The writer and producer may be the same person, Tim Burton is the producer for Nightmare Before Christmas, which he also wrote the story for, though Henry Selick directed and there was also an additional credit for the screenplay.

The writing process may be very collaborative with many people on the team involved throughout the process. Anyone can be or could be involved in the writing stage, from the writer and Director to any of the other creative team such as DOP (Director Of Photography), editor and producer. This is how "The Usual Suspects" was created for instance.

The producer may be the 'boss' of the production, with directors and writers etc. being subservient to them, and the producer has the final call on things like script and editing.

But if the director has financed the film themselves then they effectively answer to no one. In this case, they may employ a producer who is then subservient to them, or may even produce the film by themselves. Consider, someone like George Lucas, who owns his own studio.

It's all about collaboration of skills and talent in the end. So identifying and doing the job role of these three factors is vital, therefore.

References

Images

·         Film vs. Digital? What is Hollywood shooting on? (2017). Format: (Jpg.). Available at: https://stephenfollows.com/film-vs-digital/ (Accessed date: 8/5/2017)

Websites

·         QUORA.com, Article title – What are the main roles of the producer, director, writer and actor in a film? [Online]. Available at: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-main-roles-of-the-producer-director-writer-and-actor-in-a-film (Accessed date: 2017/5/8)

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           Differencebetween.com, Article title – Difference between Director and Producer and Screenwriter [Online]. Available at: http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-director-and-vs-producer-and-vs-screenwriter/  (Accessed date: 2017/06/18)