We have all heard the news - "Animation is big business." Andersen Consulting predicts the Indian animation industry to grow from USD 550 million (Rs. 2,750 crore) to USD 15 billion (Rs. 75,000 crore) by 2008 and NASSCOM estimates the worldwide market to climb from USD 45 billion (Rs. 225,000 crore) to as high as USD 70 billion (Rs. 350,000 crore) by the end of this year. This means wonderful opportunities for animation screen writers. To best take advantage of these opportunities, script writers need to understand the business. It is tough and highly competitive. I cannot count how many times I have heard, "I'm writing a screenplay." To differentiate yourself from the crowd you require the knowledge and tools that will show others that you are a professional. This is important because animation is expensive and successful companies are looking for writers who can really deliver. Many of you will think this does not apply to you because you are interested in writing short films that you want to make with a group of friends or at the company where you work, but not considering business, and specifically the market, could mean the difference between making a film that is seen only by friends and family, and one that earns you recognition, job advancement, and possibly income. I am not suggesting that you give up on your artistic vision or ideas about breaking established rules and blazing new trails. As I have written earlier, "great writing comes from passion," so be true to your heart, but if you take the time to understand the business you will make educated and calculated decisions that could help you as an artist and a professional.

Types of screen writing

When it comes to business there are three basic types of writing: pitches, spec scripts, and assignments. Pitches are your own ideas for scripts that you want to try to get others interested in. The "spec" in "spec script" means speculative. These are scripts that you write on your own with the intention of finishing and then trying to sell them. Assignments are where you are hired for a specific job often when story and character have already been established. Usually to get an assignment you need to have proved writing your own scripts. This is one reason why you need to take a professional approach to writing and making your own films. They become your calling cards and could start your career as a screen writer for hire. With all three types, it is important to understand the market.

Pitches

Scriptwriting is a long and arduous process. For that reason many writers choose to pitch their ideas instead of writing a complete screenplay. Pitches can be as simple as the Hollywood high concept - one sentence pitch to a detailed treatment of twenty pages. An example of former could be, "When fairy tale creatures invade his swamp an ogre with a heart of gold goes on a quest to save a princess finding friendship and love along the way." A slightly longer version of this is called the "elevator pitch" which means you need to sell your idea in the time it takes for a short elevator ride. So, get to the point quickly. What is helpful about this kind of pitching is that it forces you as a writer to concentrate on the key elements of your story. If you cannot summarize the essence of your main characters and their quest then you probably have not thought through your story clearly enough.

Treatments are prose descriptions of your characters and plot told with an active voice in the present tense. This is a useful format to help "sell" someone on your idea. Here is the opening paragraph from a treatment for a script of mine called We Crazy:

It's a beautiful summer day in a quiet section of San Francisco. Through a chain link fence we see three intense, violent looking men each guarded by a muscular hospital attendant dressed in white. A voice bellows over a loud speaker, "Group A in. Group B to the breathing area." The three men from Group A go into the white three-story building and we see the sign, "PAGE Labs and Hospital." Group B comes out consisting of four men and a woman, followed by two attendants.

When I am preparing pitches I tend to create four summaries of varying lengths. They are:

• One sentence pitch - includes ?protagonist, their dramatic need and suggests the ending.
• One paragraph pitch - includes the above plus the antagonist, how they try to foil the protagonist, and key details of the plot.
• A two to three page treatment - includes main characters, setup, plot points, key action, and ending.
• A ten to twenty page treatment - which summarizes the entire script with at least a paragraph for every sequence of the film.

Spec scripts

The best way to prove yourself, as well as improve your skills, as a screenwriter is to write scripts. Having ideas is great, but being able to take the seed and bring it to blossom means dealing with the details and hard work of writing, re-writing, and polishing a final script. If you are a new screenwriter you will find it difficult to convince a company to hire you based on a concept no matter how creative it is. Writing your own spec scripts will give you both samples showing your ability to finish a screenplay and the possibility of selling your completed work. New writers can start with short scripts to easily demonstrate their talents. Short form allows you to practice plot and character development, establishing beginning, middle, and end, as well as vital essentials like dialog and gags. Whether your scripts are short or long make sure the writing is polished and professionally presented before you start showing it to production companies.

Assignments

There are two big difficulties with assignments: getting them and doing them. Most assignments come after you have successfully proven yourself either by writing, sometimes in different mediums, or by making your own films. In the US, we have an agent system that provides writers with both business contacts and editorial advice. Since there are few "literary" agents in India, you will have to develop your own contacts. This is difficult work and not necessarily easy for the writer with an "artistic" temperament. The good news is that this is another area where the Internet has made the writer's job easier.

You need to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry. When you are ready, make sure you understand who to contact, then make the call or send an e-mail, getting to the point quickly, confident, but not egotistical and ready to accept rejection with grace. Once you get an assignment, the key is being creative while understanding that such projects are collaborative and often full of compromises. Writers, who think their way is the only way, generally find themselves unhappy and out of work.

Protecting your work

New writers often spend so much time worrying that their stories will be stolen that they never show them to anyone. Of course there is always the possibility that the unscrupulous will appropriate your masterful idea, but if you take the time to protect yourself you will sleep easier at night. In India, the best way is to join the Indian Filmwriters Association, Andheri West, Mumbai (fwaindia.com) and then register your treatments or scripts with them. Check out their website for details. You can register scripts online with the Writers Guild of America (wgawregistry.org) even if you are not a member. It costs USD 20 (Rs. 1000) per script for five years of protection which can then be renewed. There are other online registries you can find if you search the web, but the WGA is the oldest and most established service of this type. An old trick I have used is to send a copy of a finished script to myself by registered post. I make sure I have put the name of the script somewhere on the envelope and sign across the sealed flap to show it has not been opened. I have a box of sealed envelopes safely stored as proof that the screenplays were created before the postmarked date.

Keeping it legal

The entertainment business is complicated. Getting proper legal advice is important when negotiating contracts for selling your script, writing assignments, or licensing a film you have made. Many skip this step of the process and regret it when their hard work is making other people rich. That is not to say that as a new writer you should expect to share in the profits of a film, but you should take the time and pay the price to make sure you get paid for your work. The advice of an attorney who works in the entertainment business is best, but someone with contract law specialization will suffice. You can also consult books like Mark Litwak's "Contracts for the Film and Television Industry" and "Deal-making for the Film and Television Industry." Both are readily available in India. You can also look for advice from one of the many "Lawyers for the Arts" organizations, but keep in the mind that there are key legal differences between countries.

Getting down to business

As a writer, and possibly as a filmmaker, you need to reach out to both your peers and the world in general. This has never been easier. Joining writers group, either in your area or online, is something you need to do when you start working on a script and not after it is completed. Try to get honest opinions. If you are only open to people saying you have written a masterpiece then you will not improve as a writer. Keep an open mind and be ready to discuss new ideas so you can perfect your script. If you have written and then produced your own animated films get out there and publicize your work. YouTube, networking sites like Orkut, MySpace, and Facebook, and having your own website or blog are some of the best ways to spread the word. Do not be shy. You are an entertainer and like the song says, "there's no business like show ?business."