A Film Consultant Will Help Improve A Script
May 12, 2011It is standard practice for a film consultant to assist the production team on a movie or tv undertaking. The main writers for a project may not be familiar with all the intricate technical jargon of their plot. However, they would like to make sure that plot developments are accurate and dialogue sounds true-to-life. Thus, the team will sometimes bring in a technical expert to consult on the project.
The consultant can be an expert in a variety of fields. Legal shows such as Boston Legal may require several different consultants – a legal expert, a police expert, and perhaps a forensic scientist. Other programs like Grey’s Anatomy may need a medical film consultant. Therefore, experts with graduate degrees and years of experience in their area are paid to make the script realistic.
This practice has been around since the early days of Hollywood. In recent years, the use of film consultants has burgeoned because of the audience demanding more sophistication. In the early 1980s, many projects with plots about computers had nonsensical and awful dialogue. This was at a time when a low percentage of people owned their own computer. However, everybody these days has a PC, so filmmakers can’t get away with corny dialogue any longer.
Two areas where the sophistication of scripts has greatly improved are hospital shows and lawyer shows. These include many of the longest-running and most most popular television shows. For example, the Law & Order franchise is a top-rated show for its network. Many hospital-based dramas are very popular as well – some of them include E.R., General Hospital, and Scrubs. In these shows, hospital issues intersect with the dramatic human elements of the teleplay. In order to ensure that plot developments are realistic, a film consultant is a necessary part of the creative team. The professional can also help with dialogue that needs technical accuracy.
If the spoken words in a script lack accuracy, a movie or tv show may be subject to ridicule. Worse yet, it may lose audience acclaim and go down in the ratings. Therefore, it is beneficial for a creative team to pay for a film consultant to edit the dialogue. Because audiences are able to critically analyze dialogue, they will be more motivated to keep tuning in to programs that have high-end production values. A large audience means better ratings and more advertising dollars. Only in the case when a project has a limited budget should the technical details in the script be left to the in-house writers. Although there are plenty of resources available online for most topics, it is preferable to have a film consultant review the script.
Learn more about using a film consultant. Stop by Franklin D. Smithsonian’s site where you can find out all about it.
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