Please email us at info@objectifs.com.sg to be added to the waitlist for the next instalment of this class.

A good story and script form the foundation of all successful films. Designed for the beginner screenwriter or filmmaker with little or no film or television experience, this workshop aims to build a solid foundation in screenwriting by equipping participants with industry-standard rules and guidelines of scriptwriting.

Taking the short film as a starting point, participants will learn how to craft stories from experienced Singaporean practitioners, and turn their ideas into screenplays with interesting characters and compelling plots. Participants will learn the fundamentals of the 3-act narrative structure, visual storytelling, and how to craft dialogue and characters for the screen. The learning experience will be enhanced by online critique and discussions of writing exercises in-between class sessions. At the end of the workshop, each participant will have a completed first draft for a short film (up to 10 pages).

To discover and develop powerful story ideas for your next script, please see Scriptwriting II: Creative Writing for Screen.

Ivan Tan

Ivan Tan is a writer-director from Singapore. His first short film, Tadpoles, was awarded the jury prize at the 66th Locarno International Film Festival – the first for a Singaporean director. Shortly after, he was one of eight directors accepted into the National Film & Television School in the UK under a national scholarship.

Ivan spent the first seven years of his life living with his grandparents. At eight, he found out that they were not his real grandparents. This rupture in his childhood allowed him to understand how powerful stories can be in shaping one’s reality. Ivan’s early films constantly probed at what ‘family’ meant. Today, Ivan’s work examines contemporary Singaporean society through bizarre and absurd situations. He also likes Ozu, Teresa Teng, Chinese tea, and cheeseburgers.

Lillian Wang

Lillian is a storyteller and a filmmaker. She began her career in 1997 as a television scriptwriter for sitcoms, sketch comedy shows and dramas. She graduated with an MFA in film directing and production from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Over the years, Lillian has taken on various creative roles, including writer, director, producer and executive producer, for television, independent short films and commercial projects. She has also taught in film programmes at Lasalle College of the Arts and Nanyang Technological University.

Ric Aw

Ric Aw is an award-winning director and producer who has been making films that reflect on the human condition since 2005. His works often seek to address the themes of justice, transformation, love, and hope.

Ric has directed 11 short films to date, and has won awards for Buy Me Love, Villain, and Silent Girls. He has also received accolades as a producer, with superDONG being selected for Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, and 7 Letters: Pineapple Town selected for Busan International Film Festival. Benjamin’s Last Day at Katong Swimming Complex, which he also produced, won Best Film, George Lucas Award at Short Shorts Tokyo Film Festival.

Ric’s films have screened at prestigious festivals such as the Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival and Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. He also presented his video art installation “Man of the Forest” at the Yokohama Triennale, Japan.