Careers in Screenplay Writing

Screenplay can be defined as a written document that consists of the story of a film or a television program. Through screenplay, one can describe all visual and behavioral elements which are essential for explaining a story. All the work of a director, cast, editor, and production team revolves around the screenplay or the script. Therefore, it becomes highly significant for a scriptwriter to draft a script that is comprehensive and clear, so as to let every member of the team (in a film or a television program) get a brief idea about the narrative. There are two important components of writing a screenplay - action and dialogue. While action is written in present tense, dialogues, on the other hand, are written for the characters of the film/television serial/telefilm. Therefore, screenplay or scriptwriting depends on the mind and thinking of a scriptwriter. Screenplay writing has emerged as a well-paid job, because success of a motion picture predominantly lies in its screenplay. A number of institutes in India conduct courses for screenplay writing.

Course Details
India has a number of institutions that run programs for screenplay writing, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The curriculum generally includes the layout of screenplay, development of idea/plot of the story, creation of characters, and so on. The eligibility for UG courses is 10+2 pass, from any recognized Board. For PG courses, graduation in the relevant field is necessary.

Career Prospects
Screenplay can prove to be highly lucrative yet challenging, at the same time. The result of a film or a television program largely depends upon the way the screenplay is written. After pursuing a course in screenplay writing, one can develop screenplay for stories from different genres, such as comedy, drama, science fiction, action, romantic etc.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
Several institutes in India enroll students to courses in screenplay writing. Center for Research in Art of Film & Television, Delhi; Film and Television Institute of India, Pune; Whistling Woods International, Mumbai; MONttAGE Film & Television Academy, Mumbai; and National Academy of Media Education (NAME), Mumbai are some prominent institutions in India offering screenplay writing programs.

Remuneration
Screenplay writers can earn respectable five- to six-figure salaries. However, the remuneration solely depends upon the writer’s work, creativity, and thinking. The salary also varies according to the type of project one is associated with – whether it is a film, short-story, telefilm, or television serial.