Even with billions of dollars, it's still difficult to get a good film script.

THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE SCREENWRITER PROFESSION

Many film and television directors share the opinion that while the number of screenwriters in Vietnam is large, the number of truly talented ones is quite limited. As director Charlie Nguyen observed, Vietnamese screenwriters are weak in storytelling, and with a bad script, a director cannot simply transform it into a good film.

Tiền tỉ vẫn khó có kịch bản phim hay- Ảnh 1. — Director Luong Dinh Dung

Tiền tỉ vẫn khó có kịch bản phim hay- Ảnh 2. — Behind the scenes of the movie *Sleeping City*

Currently, screenwriters operate in various ways, from individuals independently soliciting scripts to working in teams within a specialized scriptwriting company. Sometimes, directors and producers commission screenwriters or purchase adapted literary works. In television productions, some production companies maintain a very stable team of screenwriters, divided into various genres: crime, psychological drama, family drama, etc.

According to screenwriter Nguyen Dan, content director of Bluebells Studios (the studio behind films like "Red Flower Camp," "The Last Wife," "The Price of Happiness," and "Making Money with Ghosts") , the script is the foundation of a film project's quality, and from the initial idea generation to pre-production, a script typically takes 6-8 months to complete, depending on production conditions. "Filmmakers should provide the most comfortable working environment and compensation so that screenwriters can focus and not worry about issues other than script development and content creation," screenwriter Nguyen Dan stated.

In the field of television, screenwriter Pham Dinh Hai (of the series "Black Drug" and "The Lone Path ") believes that the biggest challenge for Vietnamese screenwriters today is that the production system, both private and state-owned, is not yet truly conducive to screenwriting. In addition, financial pressure is also a major reason why many screenwriters leave the profession. "A renowned screenwriter earns a decent income, but to achieve that level of 'reputation,' the work must first be sufficient to support oneself. Currently, I see many young people earning more stable incomes due to the higher demand for scripts from online programs. However, the quality requirements of those programs are not high, and young screenwriters in such an environment, while able to make a living, cannot develop their skills," Pham Dinh Hai said.

Tiền tỉ vẫn khó có kịch bản phim hay- Ảnh 3. — Screenwriter Nguyen Dan

HOW MUCH DOES A SCRIPT COST?

It is known that a film script currently fetches between 500 million and 2 billion VND, depending on its quality. According to director and producer Luong Dinh Dung: "This depends on each project and the agreement. For small projects costing only a few billion VND, spending a billion VND on a script is difficult for the producer, and obviously impossible."

Regarding the remuneration for each film project, content director Nguyen Dan stated that for each project, from the initial idea to filming, Bluebells Studios is willing to pay an average of up to 1 billion VND for a script. According to this screenwriter: "As the production budget for a high-quality film project increases, with some projects reaching 40-45 billion VND, a script that guarantees quality being paid 2 billion VND, equivalent to 4-5% of the total project budget, is well deserved."

Regarding television, our research indicates that screenwriters' fees vary widely. Some screenwriters only receive 3-4 million VND per episode. The most common rate is 6-7 million VND per episode. Higher rates may occur due to specific mechanisms or requirements. Some production companies even pay their screenwriters 30 million VND per episode, but their demands are very high.

Tiền tỉ vẫn khó có kịch bản phim hay- Ảnh 4. — Screenwriter Pham Dinh Hai

Tiền tỉ vẫn khó có kịch bản phim hay- Ảnh 5. — The film "The Unique Path"

"Actually, any amount is worthwhile when you've agreed to write the script. But when the pay is too low, the quality of the script can hardly be high," said an anonymous screenwriter.

Screenwriter Pham Dinh Hai believes that a screenwriter's fee can be determined by many different factors, the most important of which is the quality of the script. But what criteria are used to evaluate that quality, and who decides on them, is a question that even those who pay for scripts may not be able to answer satisfactorily.

"Generally, the remuneration for state-owned entities is highly consistent, while that of private entities varies greatly. When choosing to write for private entities, your remuneration may be very low or very high, depending on the goals that the private entity aims for. In exceptional cases, large private entities, willing to invest in brand building and possessing deep industry knowledge, will pay many times more than state-owned entities," screenwriter Pham Dinh Hai added.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tien-ti-van-kho-co-kich-ban-phim-hay-185241209234709914.htm