The Commissioning Process - UPDATED

An agent is a person who acts on behalf of someone else who usually has links and contacts with bigger companies and is the link between you and them. When you submit a script or proposal to them, they will pass it onto companies to try and sell it. You might need one however it's not essential as it depends on who you know and how you prefer to work. A pro for this is that you don't have to get that involved in the marketing of your work, someone else will handle it all however a con for this is that they take a percentage of the cost, usually being about 10-20%. I spoke to one director who said that he doesn't have an agent and is happy with that so that he receives more money. He went to say that having an agent might have been good at times however he doesn't have plans to get one soon. Website 'Writer Services' states the following for percentage rates - Domestic: 12.5%, Overseas: 15% and Performance rights: 12.5%.

You/your agent will then go to a commissioner to sell the idea.

The name of a BBC commissioner is Ben Stephenson who covers the drama and films section. You can also submit you ideas online by e-Commissioning which is designed to receive content ideas from TV and online content companies and producers. It is not a system for providing other goods or production services which is pretty much just submitting proposals online. When the commissioner receives it, they will look at the project and decide on whether the BBC should make it. They need to consider cost, popularity and success. Ben Stephenson has recently commissioned 'Life in Squares' a new BBC drama. 

If this doesn't work you might want to try a bigger company such as Warner Bros. This works by your work being read by someone who decides whether or not to make it, followed by a low level producer who will look at the submitted ones and then the person in charge of submitted plans, the director or creative acquisitions (or something similar) will pass it on to be made.

If an independent film company buys it they might ask for errors and omission insurance. Errors and Omission Insurance (also professional indemnity insurance) insures again damages incurred as a result of a claim covering trademark infringement, piracy and breach of confidentiality. If a independent film company purchase the film the writer may be invited onto the set however it depends on the production. After the script is written, the writers aren't usually involved that much as it is then down to the director.

One script writer said:

"I was very pleased when the production company had told me that the BBC have given the green light for my script to be made into a series. Although I cannot name the series, it is currently in production. It's very exciting to see characters coming to life and the story unveiling. I'm not on the set all the time hence I don't have input in design aspects however it is nice to observe the making of my script."

Sally Wainwright on Directing an Episode: (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/posts/Sally-Wainwright-on-her-new-series-for-BBC-One-Happy-Valley)

"It was brilliant; I’ve wanted to do it for years. It was really rewarding. It’s being involved, being there when it’s all happening, having those interesting conversations with everyone from the actors to the designers. As a writer you spend all the time by yourself going mad and then suddenly you’re in the best party on earth. I found it quite distressing going back to writing; it was like going into solitary confinement after you’d been to this fantastic do."

Adrian Hodges - The Musketeers - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/posts/The-Musketeers

"As Executive Producer and lead writer of the show, I had a very high level of creative control. This isn't quite the American show-runner model, which is hard to reproduce in a British context, but it is pretty close to it. Aside from writing four of the scripts and supervising the rest of the storylines and other episodes, including, at times some over-writing to ensure the tone and feel of the show was completely uniform, I was heavily involved in the creation of the look of the show, the costumes, the set design, the casting, the choice of directors and so on. This level of involvement is all about better collaboration at al levels, and making sure that everyone is committed to making the same show. I think this kind of role for the creator-writer is essential on any modern drama series, and I hope it happens more and more often in British television - certainly things seem to be heading in that direction and the BBC were more than supportive of the role I wanted in the show."

Terry Cafolla - The Whale - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/posts/The-Whale-Writing-and-researching-a-factual-drama


"I gave notes at all stages, not something that all writers always do in the UK system, but I think they should. Even if a note isn’t used, it’s good to have the discussion. We didn’t always agree but often the fruits of the disagreements got us to something we could all live with."