Saturday, May 7, 2011

Why You Need A Film Consultant

By Paul M. Fitzpatrigan


It is a common occurence for a film consultant to assist the main production team on a cinema or tv project. The main writers for a project may not be familiar with all the detailed technical knowledge of their plot. Still, they would like to make sure that plot developments are accurate and dialogue sounds true-to-life. Accordingly, they will sometimes bring in a knowledgeable expert to consult on the project.

The consultant can come from a variety of areas. Legal programs such as Law & Order may need several different consultants - a legal expert, a police expert, and perhaps a forensic scientist. Other shows like House may need a medical film consultant. Therefore, people with lots of credentials and lots of work experience in their field are brought on to make the show seem true-to-life.

This process has been used for a long time. Recently, the hiring of film consultants has burgeoned due to more sophisticated audiences. In the mid 1970s, many projects with scripts involving computers had very corny and hackneyed dialogue. Back then not many people owned their own computer. However, everybody these days has a PC, so movies can't get away with poor quality dialogue any longer.

Some examples of areas where the accuracy of scripts has become better are hospital shows and legal shows. These include many of the longest lasting and most most popular television shows. For example, the Law & Order franchise is a huge hit for its network. Many medical dramas are highly regarded - a few of them are Grey's Anatomy, General Hospital, and Scrubs. In these dramas, medical issues intersect with the character elements of the teleplay. In order to make sure that plot developments are believable, a film consultant is an important part of the production team. The professional can also help with dialogue that requires technical jargon.

If the conversations in a script lack precision, a film or tv show may be subject to bad reviews. Worse yet, it may lose viewers and decline in the ratings. Therefore, it is profitable for a production team to hire a film consultant to look at the script. Because viewers are able to critically analyze dialogue, they will be more motivated to keep tuning in to programs that have high production values. A bigger audience results in better ratings and more advertising money. Only in the case when a project has a limited budget should the medical jargon in the screenplay be left to the in-house writers. Although there is a wealth of information available online for many subjects, it is better to have a film consultant review the script.




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