Screenwriting (unit 24): Overview

Aim and purpose

This unit aims to foster a practical approach to the process of creative television and video writing by developing learners’ skills in background research, pitching, writing proposals and scriptwriting technique. In addition, the unit considers the commissioning and development process and will give learners the narrative writing skills needed to create television and video scripts.

Unit introduction

At the heart of a successful television or video product lies a well-researched, effectively written and appropriately formatted script. The wide range of script requirements across television and video genres demand writers who are flexible and competent in written and verbal communication.


This unit aims to introduce learners to both the skills involved in scriptwriting and the role of writers in the modern television and video production industry. Encouraging a vocational awareness through its coverage of the commissioning process, this unit also aims to give learners an overview of the scriptwriting process by adopting a script-to-screen approach, thereby encouraging learners to think holistically. Work in this unit also allows learners to practise key presentation and pitching techniques and reflect on the broad range of communication skills needed for success in this highly competitive field. However, the unit is intended to be primarily practical and, preferably, production led.


With the notable exception of serial drama the industry is moving away from the traditional commissioning process of ‘writing to assignment’ and now relies more heavily than ever before on writer-led systems such as proposal- n addition to considering the commission-based approach. The need to present a proposal in an appropriate format, along with the skills to verbally pitch a proposal and format a script in line with industry conventions, are also included to reflect this industry shift.


A script is the blueprint for television or video production and good writers must be able to develop realistic and appropriate products for what is a very demanding industry.