Will I Get Credit?

When you write a script you have this fantasy — the fabulous story you're writing will appear on screen with your name alongside the Written By credit.

This may actually happen to some writers, but I haven't met any of them yet. The reality is, you write the script, you rewrite the script based on notes, others are likely to also rewrite the script, and if you're lucky it gets shot (where more changes are made), and when it shows on a screen you, along with others, get writing credit.

Reality Bites

Today got a statement from producers, which shows me who all rewrote my script and who of those will get credit. I also got the dubious pleasure of reading the final shooting script to see if I think more that 50% of my original script is still in there.

For those of you who aren't familiar with how credits are given, here's the abbreviated version. If a writer rewrites more than 50% of your script, then you share credit with them. If they write more than 75-80% (you'd have to check with WGA for the specifics) then you get "story by" and they get the credit.

It's Fair

You may say, "Oh my God, that's not fair! The original writer should get the credit." But actually, it's really fair. If someone asked me to rewrite a script — and it's a lot of work — and over half the material up there was mine, I'd want credit.

The problem arises when you try to figure out what constitutes 50%. 50% of the scenes? 50% of the words? 50% of the story in general?

All I can say is, THANK GOD, the WGA figures that stuff out, because after reading the final shooting script all I can say is "My objectivity is shot!" In some ways I think it's exactly like my script, just a different hue, and at times I'm thinking "What the heck is this?"

What to do?

I'm glad I'm onto other scripts and detached somewhat from this story. Otherwise, I'd be a basket case.

It would be nice if writing scripts was like the fantasy, but it's not. It's a business and a collaborative process. Unless you also produce and direct the movie, you won't have control of your creative work.

If you have to have that control, you might look into writing novels.