Hey as a script writer for hire and UK script consultant with 25+ years’ experience in the business I get asked a lot of questions about scriptwriting.
Scriptwriters generally get asked the same questions, a variation of the below usually come up:
- Where do you get your ideas? (I buy my ideas at B&M Bargains)
- Did you meet any famous actors? (Yes)
- I’ve got an idea for a film or TV series would you like to hear it? (No)
And if you’ve written for existing TV shows you get these questions too:
- Are the houses real on ‘whatever soap’? – In Albert Square on EastEnders no (they’re flat fronts) – on Emmerdale a lot of the houses are real, but with nothing inside, or sometimes storage for the crew or toilets but a few are real and set dressed – all soaps are a mix of real and sets etc
- When you write a script for Emmerdale or Eastenders does somebody write the dialogue for all of the characters? (I get asked that loads for some reason – the answer is yes, your write the Dingles, and the Tates – or yes, you write for the female and the male characters)
Questions from people who want to be scriptwriters usually fall into these camps:
- How do I get an agent? (this blogpost should answer that)
- Will my script idea get stolen? (No, you won’t even be able to get anyone to read it in the first place)
- How to sell a story idea to Netflix? (you’ve got no chance – but here’s the details)
- How can I get a job writing for (whatever UK soap)? – this should explain that
- How much do soap scriptwriters get paid? – Answer is here is pounds and pence
But there’s really a massive wide range of questions that I get asked – especially by people who pay for my script report / script coverage services (the best and most comprehensive script coverage service on the market I’m told).
So, to help answer (a lot) of those questions I’ve put together a YouTube video that covers a huge amount of nuts and bolts business aspects advice for people who want to pursue a career in scriptwriting (in the UK especially)
The video covers scriptwriting advice and practical business aspects of how scriptwriting careers work in the UK film and TV business, including sections on:
• Agents
• BBC Writersroom
• Building credits on existing shows
• Why nobody will accept unsolicited scripts
• The UK film business
• The current state of UK TV
As well as advice on writing original scripts, sitcoms scripts and I reveal the biggest writing mistakes made by new scriptwriters (and how to avoid making those mistakes).
There’s a ton of scriptwriting advice videos on YouTube where people tell you the secret of this or the secret of that (if these people knew the secrets to screenwriting success they wouldn’t be making YouTube videos they’d be sat with Spielberg) – all the advice I give, is very down to earth and based on my experiences of trying to earn a living as a scriptwriter in the UK business).
If you have any questions – leave me a comment on the video itself on YouTube and I’ll try and to answer it.
I’m Matthew Cooper and I’ve been a script writer for hire and UK script consultant for over 25 years. I’ve written for most of the UK soaps, including writing award-winning episodes of Emmerdale, EastEnders, Hollyoaks and Family Affairs and I’ve been BAFTA shortlisted and Royal Television Society nominated as a script writer.
I’ve done high profile rewrites on released and studio backed feature films and TV (often uncredited) in my time, I’ve also sold original screenplays to Miramax and Universal Pictures.
I’ve worked on feature films, TV series, web series and as a director I’ve made five micro budget features films, the rubber reality horror thriller ‘Markham’ was released in 2020, ‘At The Mountains Of Madness’ hit the screens in 2021, When The Earth Gives Up The Dead (2022) was released on Halloween 2022.
My fifth microbudget feature ‘H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth’ is free to view on his YouTube here: https://youtu.be/AEfaYEsx7pM
And I also wrote and directed the comedy feature film SOBER starring Dean Smith (Last Tango in Halifax / Still Open All Hours) and Tom Gibbons (Funny Cow / The Archers) which will be released in 2025.
