Before discussing authorship, there are a few terms that need clarification.

Defining authorship first would make the most sense. Authorship, by definition, is the position of being the original writer of any written work. In the film industry, this definition applies as well, but there is controversy in which the author of the script receives little to no credit and the director receives creative credit. This theory is called the Auteur Theory. Many outside of the film discourse community do not understand the importance of this issue, but it has been a battle between director and scripter for quite some time. While directors receive praise and critique, writers get to see their name come across the screen during the credits. The arguments about who owns rights to authorship in a movie have continued for decades upon decades. Andrews, D. (2012). No Start, No End: Auteurism and the auteur theory. Film International (16516826), 10(6), 37-55. David Andrews is an independent scholar who has published widely on cinema, pornography, and literature (Contributors Details). Although he references himself twice in his journal article, he is reliable because he is a primary source in film studies with a BA from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from Stony Brook University. This article speaks specifically about my topic and does not speak about any other topic. Begley, V. (2007). "One Right Guy to Another": Howard Hawks and Auteur Theory Revisited. Camera Obscura, 22(64), 43-75. doi:10.1215/02705346-2006-020 Varun Begley is a film studies professor at College of William and Mary with a B.A. from Washington University and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Cornell University. Begley discusses the Auteur Theory and its relation to Howard Hawks. Although the Auteur Theory is not the main topic in this article, it can be used as a great example to assist my argument. Cowan, P. (2012). Underexposed: The neglected art of the cinematographer. Journal Of Media Practice, 13(1), 75-96. doi:10.1386/jmpr.13.1.75_1 Academic Subject Leader for Film, Philip Cowan is a filmmaker instructing at University of Wales Newport. As a filmmaker, he has firsthand experience with the topic of his essay. This essay breaks down the main idea into several different subheadings and contributes a great amount to my topic. Cowan references a well-known movie (Citizen Kane) as an example and speaks about director collaboration and the Auteur Theory.

Fisk, C. L. (2010). The Jurisdiction of the Writers Guild to Determine Authorship of Movies and Television Programs. English Language Notes, 48(2), 15-25. Catherine L. Fisk, professor at the University of California, expert in labor relations, and Chancellors professor of law, writes an essay regarding the authorship of movies and television. Here she discusses the legal matters of determining who the author will be. Her knowledge of law is displayed through her essay as she educates her audience in the jurisdiction of the legal community, labor community, and writers. This essay spews facts from beginning to end about the process of film writing and the law. Salazkina, M., & Mihailova, M. (2012). The Industry Production Screenplay. Cinema Journal, 51(4), 133138. Salazkina and Mihailova edit and translate the words of Sergei Tretyakov. Salazkina, a member of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, comes across to be extremely bias with the topic. This article provides more theoretical sights to the topic than facts. SELLORS, C. (2007). Collective Authorship in Film. Journal Of Aesthetics & Art Criticism, 65(3), 263-271. doi:10.1111/j.1540-594X.2007.00257.x C. Paul Sellors is a Photography and Film Major at Napier University in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Sellors believes that society should think of a film as an individuals creative state of mind. He argues against the concept of The death of the Author. A good portion of his article focuses on what defines an author and whether intention of communication or expression defines an author. Silverman, J. M. (2011). Pseudepigraphy, Anonymity, and Auteur Theory. Religion & The Arts, 15(4), 520555. doi:10.1163/156852911X580810 In a well-organized article, Silverman discusses the seriousness of authorship using film and cinema as his main example. He defines Pseudepigraphy, Anonymity, and the Auteur Theory separately to distinguish his argument. This article relates to my topic not only because it is about film and cinema authorship, but the definitions can also help my argument stronger. This article may be referenced quite a few times due to its detail and relation to the topic.