Imagine a film culture who values and celebrates their writers... where the film opens with 'A film by A Brilliant Talent' in HUGE letters....   wait... wait... I'm visualizing....    Instead of 'A Film by xxxStudios, yyyPartners, zzzzFilms' like (showing my age here) years ago. 



Imagine if the writer was credited first - just as/when the script came first!   



Imagine if, in all the publicity if, as many times as the producer or director are mentioned - so is the writer.



A trilogy of creativity.  At the very least equal status and consideration - if not listed before the others.  I know - I know, often the script is taken and the writer never consulted again while others input their talents...



That's where writers get lost and forgotten... while everyone else is contributing.  But in the end imagine if the world remembered the root, how the tree grew from a tiny seed and who planted that seed in the beginning...



It's not just a case of informing  those in the industry of the contribution a writer makes but also, informing the public - for them it would be a subliminal statement of value.



Once the mind-set of valueing writers is established everything else will follow: the time (money) to develop scripts, the appreciation of the time true craft takes and the education/practice required to deliver the skills of screenwriting.  



No-one expects a novel to be written in 3 months (I know some are but that's rare).



We don't expect them to go straight from the writer to the printing press.



We know they need to be edited, the authors need to be consulted and considered. 



And when the novel/book is finally printed, we revere the author because we realize and fully acknowledge their involvement in the final product.   The author is often what sells the book - once you've read one you want to read more of the same quality.



Imagine if we had the general public going to films by their favorite writer?



What a wondrous world for screen writers that would be.

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2008

This comment was made in response to a FILMNET posting.