Ethnography Proposal

I plan to write my ethnography on the discourse community of screenwriters. Screenwriting is a creative art, where writers create the world of the movie out of thin air. Every screenwriter begins the process as a mere novice in the world of screenwriting. They must research anything and everything to make their script credible. They must take advantage of every opportunity to network or communicate with those with their foot already in the door in this tough business.  Aspiring screenwriters are always trying to improve their work by communication with industry professionals and events such as specialized conferences and festivals where they are given the opportunity to network with those in the industry and potential suitors.

It is easily a discourse community, with the first reason being that everyone involved has a common set of goals: to sell their screenplay, get paid, and eventually see their work come to life on screen. The second reason is that aspiring screenwriters are always intercommunicating with each other. Whether it be two aspiring screenwriters communicating with each other and possibly collaborating on a project, or a hopeful writer receiving coverage and feedback on their script from someone in the business. The third characteristic of a discourse community that this meets is that it uses participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback. There are always informational opportunities for aspiring screenwriters to improve the possibility of their goals in the form of conferences and script coverage.

This community has multiple genres to further develop its goals because there are so many different ways an aspiring screenwriter can break into the industry. From winning competitions, to knowing someone in the industry, to just getting lucky, the different genres of opportunity are endless. Those who can write screenplays and are involved with the creative art have highly technical language and speech communities that the common person would not understand. For example the art of screenwriting is a long and arduous process with inner workings that many would find impossible to even begin.

Lastly, aspiring screenwriters are always changing memberships, which is the final qualification of a discourse community. Screenwriters with many years of experience and many movies under their belt are viewed as experts in the field. Every one of those successful screenwriters was once merely an aspiring screenwriter, trying to gain any advantage they could possibly get.

I would love to study this particular discourse community because I have a passion for writing. I've been screenwriting for about two years now and I continue to learn something new everyday.  It is my dream to be amongst the elite in Hollywood and this is a golden opportunity for me to further investigate this creative art that I love. I could potentially interview a number of people who are involved with screenwriting and film. My professor of screenwriting from earlier this year has written several movies and has even directed her own scripts. My cousin has been a professional script reader for 10 years and offers screenwriters feedback or coverage on their scripts. There are newsletters sent to me every week from the ISA, or International Screenwriters Association with the sole purpose of enhancing aspiring screenwriters chances on optioning their script or to improve their script. It has opened the doors for numerous Hollywood screenwriters today, and the information provided by the ISA is a first-hand look at the challenges facing screenwriters today.

Post 10

I belong to a discourse community involving aspiring screenwriters. Aspiring screenwriters are always trying to improve their work by communication with industry professionals and events such as specialized conferences and festivals where they are given the opportunity to network with those in the industry and potential suitors. It is easily a discourse community, with the first reason being that everyone involved has a common set of goals: to sell their screenplay, get paid, and eventually see their work come to life on screen. The second reason is that aspiring screenwriters are always intercommunicating with each other. Whether it be two aspiring screenwriters communicating with each other and possibly collaborating on a project, or a hopeful writer receiving coverage and feedback on their script from someone in the business. The third characteristic of a discourse community that this meets is that it uses participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback. There are always informational opportunities for aspiring screenwriters to improve the possibility of their goals in the form of conferences and script coverage. This community has multiple genres to further develop its goals because there are so many different ways an aspiring screenwriter can break into the industry. From winning competitions, to knowing someone in the industry, to just getting lucky, the different genres of opportunity are endless. Those who can write screenplays and are involved with the creative art have highly technical language and speech communities that the common person would not understand. For example the art of screenwriting is a long and arduous process with innerworkings that many would find impossible to even begin. Lastly, aspiring screenwriters are always changing memberships. Some give-up, others succeed, while others remain always trying to accomplish their goal. It is the exact balance needed to make a discourse community.