The craft of screenwriter in Colombia still has a long way to go to reach the level of professionalism visible in Europe or North America, but the current course of the profession encourages optimism, with many signs of greater development and recognition of this activity.

Proimágenes Colombia surveyed the screenwriters of the 97 Colombian films released from 2010 to 2014, in which 108 different writers participated. It should be noted that there were several writers who were involved in up to six projects. Each of these screenwriters was asked to answer the survey for each film in which they had taken part as writers.

In total, we received 91 responses; although only 18 stated that they made a living from their trade and only two wrote screenplays on commission, we were able to confirm that 83.75% of screenwriters received payment for their work. The majority received more than 11 million pesos (US$ 4,600) in remuneration for their work, although most also have to do other work involving audiovisual products to make a living.

Interestingly, 64.94% of films made from 2010 to 2014 were written by only one writer and, although in most cases the screenwriter also served as the film's director and producer, 23% of respondents were solely dedicated to writing the screenplay for the production. Very few literary adaptations have been carried out in Colombia, and it's clear that the ideas behind the stories are original (for 62.64% of surveyed screenwriters).

Out of all the screenwriters for Colombian film, only 18 were women. For every woman working in the field, there are nearly five men. A quarter of the screenwriters aren't Colombian. The other nationalities include six Spanish writers, five Argentinians, four Uruguayans, four Mexicans, two writers from the United States, one Ecuadorian, one Brazilian, one Panamanian, one Italian, one Peruvian, and one Costa Rican.

One noteworthy result of the survey is that 13 beneficiaries of the Film Development Fund's incentive awards in the fiction screenplay category saw their stories produced for the big screen during the period studied.

Below, we present the survey data in graphics:

• Some 64.94% of the films made during the period 2010-2014 were written by only one writer. Furthermore, 31 films, or 31.95% of the total, were co-written by two people. Just three films were co-written by more than two writers.

• Screenwriters stuck to only writing the screenplay in just 23% of cases. In 77% of cases, screenwriters were involved in more aspects than just the screenplay. In 46 cases (29 + 17), the writer acted as director, and in 30 cases as producer.

• Most of the writers based their screenplays on their own original idea (62.64%). In 19.78% of cases, screenwriters based their scripts on novels by other authors or a variety of other inspirations, such as true stories, news, or even videos on YouTube.
• A small number, 5.49%, were directly commissioned by a director or producer, who gave them the materials to begin creating their screenplay.

• In most cases, the writer was involved during the entire creative process. In just 4% of cases, the screenwriter was involved in specific parts of the creative process, such as the treatment or the first draft of the script.

• In 52.75% of cases, the writer was the one to make contact with the producer or director in order to develop his or her project. In 32.97% of cases, the screenwriter acted as director or producer. In only 8.79% of cases, the writer was contacted directly by the director or producer.
• In half of the cases, the writer was hired based on his or her previous work.
• 67% of all screenwriters had some form of prior personal relationship with individuals who later played a crucial role in hiring them for the project.
• In 90% of cases, screenwriters said that their hiring experience had been easy or friendly.

• In more than half of the cases, Colombian screenwriters charged more than 11 million pesos (US$4,600); a quarter of them charged more than 20 million pesos (US$8,400).
• Moreover, 16% of the screenwriters did not charge for their work, or their scripts were provided as a contribution to the production.
• Eight of the surveyed screenwriters stated that they were not treated fairly, primarily because their work and effort were not rewarded with the appropriate remuneration.
• To reach an agreement on the screenplay contract, 76% negotiated on their own, while a quarter required the services of a lawyer for this process. Only three writers were represented by an agent.

• Screenwriters have also been involved in other kinds of work, such as writing short films or television series. There are also those who have published novels or have written scripts for theatrical works. Other individuals have worked as journalists.
• Of the surveyed writers, five have never studied film or any related discipline. The rest have studied a range of fields including Social Communication, Visual Arts, Advertising, Graphic Design, Journalism, Drama and Sociology.
• Nine of the screenwriters have completed specialization courses or masters at prestigious Colombian and foreign universities and schools, such as the “Masters in Screenwriting” at Madrid’s Universidad Autónoma or the “Professional Program in Screenwriting” at UCLA.
• 18 writers stated that they partially or totally make a living from their craft as screenwriters. Most have other occupations in the audiovisual field: directors, producers, script analysts, publishers, teachers, filmmakers, actors...
• 47 people said they do not make a living as screenwriters and that their main source of income was another profession in the audiovisual field.