Screenwriter

A screenwriter writes the story for a movie, TV series, or program—including the plot, structure, characters, scenes, and dialogue. He or she works alone or with a team, producing successive drafts until the final script is ready for the director and producer to take to the set.

What does a screenwriter do?

He starts with an idea, a true story, or a book for which the rights have been acquired, and transforms it into a story suitable for film. The process moves forward in stages: a synopsis of a few pages, followed by a treatment that outlines the entire film scene by scene, and then a script with dialogue—that is, the complete screenplay with its dialogue. Each stage is read, discussed, and rewritten, sometimes many times over.

For a TV series, the writing is often a collaborative effort. A show bible establishes the setting, the characters, and the broad outlines of each season, and then the episodes are divided among several writers. The writing team is led by a showrunner or a writing coordinator, who ensures the overall consistency of the series.

Screenwriters also write to persuade: statements of intent, project presentations, and proposals for funding committees. A screenplay serves first and foremost to bring together a producer, financiers, and a crew.

Screenwriter or director: What's the difference?

The screenwriter writes the film, and the director stages and shoots it. These two roles are often filled by the same person, who is then called a writer-director, but they are two distinct professions.

Under the law, they are both authors of the work.Article L113-7 of the Intellectual Property Code presumes that the author of the screenplay, the author of the adaptation, the author of the spoken text (i.e., the dialogue), the composer of the music for the film, and the director are co-authors of an audiovisual work. A screenwriter may therefore be credited for the screenplay, the adaptation, or the dialogue, depending on what they wrote.

Who does the screenwriter work with?

His first point of contact is the producer, who commissions or purchases the project, finances its development, and seeks out partners. He also works with the director, who adapts the script for the production, and, in television, with the heads of drama at the networks and streaming platforms, who oversee each version.

During filming, the script supervisor ensures that the script is followed shot by shot. During editing, the film may still deviate from the script: the script is a step in the process, not the final product.

What skills do you need to become a screenwriter?

You need to know how to construct a narrative: establish a conflict, develop the characters, and maintain the pace from one scene to the next. You also need to write dialogue that sounds natural when spoken, which is not the same as writing well on paper.

Finally, this profession requires the ability to rewrite. A screenwriter receives feedback from the producer, director, and networks, and must incorporate it without losing what makes the project strong. Consistency is just as important as talent: meeting deadlines, delivering drafts, and defending a project verbally.

How much does a screenwriter earn?

Screenwriters do not have a minimum wage: they are authors, and they assign their rights to the producer by contract. According toArticle L131-4 of the Intellectual Property Code, this assignment must include a share proportional to the revenue derived from the sale or exploitation of the work. In practice, the contract provides for a lump-sum payment during the writing process, followed by a percentage of the film’s profits.

For television, a portion of the authors’ royalties is collected and distributed by the SACD, the Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers. Screenwriters are covered under the social security system for artists and authors.

Above all, these figures show one thing: getting into this profession is rarely done through job postings. You break into the field by writing, having your work read by others, and meeting producers.The CNC’s writing grant, awarded after review by a committee that meets five times a year, is one of the few sources of funding available to an individual writer.

What kind of education do you need to become a screenwriter?

No specific degree s are required. France Travail notes that a career as a screenwriter is open to anyone who submits samples of their own writing—with no specific degree s—and that a bachelor’s or master’s degree can make it easier to enter the field. In practice, a film studies program teaches students how to construct a narrative, the language of the image, and the rules of the profession.

At ESRA, the ESRA Cinema program is a three-year course of study leading to a state-accredited “ degree ” degree at the Bac+3 level; in the third year, the specializations in film directing and television series directing focus on screenwriting and directing, culminating in the production of a pilot episode for a long-form series. The DHEC Screenwriting and Directing program extends this track over two years, leading to a state-accredited “ degree ” degree at the Bac+5 level, with more than 700 hours of instruction per year covering all forms of screenwriting: feature films, TV series, stand-alone episodes, and short-form formats. Students shoot their films alongside those in the DHEC Production program.

What career opportunities and prospects are there?

Screenwriters write for film, television drama and streaming platforms, animation, documentaries, and, increasingly, for podcasts and video games. Many work on several projects at once, at different stages of development, and alternate between writing their own projects and taking on commissioned work.

This career path leads to directing, serving as a series writer, or becoming a showrunner. Among ESRA alumni, Éric Toledano, along with Olivier Nakache, won the César Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2012 for *The Intouchables*. Carine Tardieu, who studied at ESRA, initially worked as an assistant director and screenwriter before directing her own films; she won the César Award for Best Film in 2026 for *L’Attachement*.

Sources: Légifrance, Intellectual Property Code, Articles L113-7 and L131-4; CNC, screenplay support; France Travail, ROME code E1102; Académie des César. Verified on September 24, 2026.

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