by Noka West

Created on: June 24, 2009   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

Should a director be credited as the author of a film?

It would not be correct to say that a director should be credited as an author of a film. Yes, a director is a very important person in the entertainment industry. A director helps to pull everything together and put it out on the movie or televison screen for us to give the everyday person, entertainment. However, you cannot leave out the acutal writer / author who wrote the screenplay or wrote that novel to being with.

A writer spends sometimes countless hours at a time focused on what they are writing. It does not matter if it is a screenplay or a book. This is that person's livelyhood. They make their living at being writers. To try to take this accomplishment away from them would be wrong.

A piece of information is well known. Before you can become a producer or director in todays world, you have to have written a screenplay before. Not just any screenplay, one that has made it to the big screen. That is unless of course, you have a lot of money backing you with special friends.

To try to take the credit away from a writer who is the original author due to the fact that someone felt a movie with a director's name had a big hit is wrong. Authors are the first and foremost person who creates the actual screenplay or manuscript for a book. You cannot take that credit away from that person.

When the author retains an agent to represent them, they have the ability to retain all rights to their writings as an author, or they can relinquish these rights. That is up to the author themselves. As a writer myself, it would not be fair to assume that there are not any others involved below the director.

I will agree that a good cast and crew make all the difference in the outcome of a movie. The director is is charge of productions on the movie set, of course you have the producer as well. There is much more to a movie than just one individuals participation. Remembering, that the first one to initiate such an event starts with the writer, known as the author.

When you sit down to watch that movie or show that you love so much, take a few moments and sit down and think about the writer (author), who has spent several hours, days, weeks and maybe even years of their lives working on their project. No, you will never be able to take the credit of the true authors away from them.

If you would like to check government laws and rights to authors go to http://www.uscopyright.gov/

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