Learn the fundamentals of scriptwriting and work towards a short film script.

Duration
6 sessions

Course Description
A good story and script form the foundation of all successful films. Designed for the beginner screenwriter with little or no film or television experience, this workshop aims to build a solid foundation in screenwriting through a blend of lectures and writing exercises.

Taking the short film as a starting point, participants will learn about crafting their stories and 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 is enhanced by online critique and discussion 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).

Please register via the form below.

Workshop Fee
$390 

This workshop is eligible for use of SkillsFuture Credit.

(The SkillsFuture page for this course is currently undergoing maintenance. Participants interested in using SkillsFuture credits to sign up for the course can still proceed to do so using the registration form below. We will contact you once the SkillsFuture page is ready.)

Instructors
Ivan Tan
Ric Aw
Lillian Wang
(View the profiles of our instructors here.)

Next Dates

Group A: 2 Mar to 6 Apr 2023 with Lillian Wang
1. Thu 2 Mar, 7.30pm to 10pm, online
2. Thu 9 Mar, 7.30pm to 10pm, online
2. Thu 16 Mar, 7.30pm to 10pm, online
4. Thu 23 Mar, 7.30pm to 10pm, online
5. Thu 30 Mar, 7.30pm to 10pm, online
6. Thu 6 Apr, 7.30pm to 10pm, online

Kindly note that all sessions for this instalment of the workshop will be conducted online.

Course Overview

Session 1: Getting Started
• Introduction to writing a short screenplay
• Visual Storytelling
• Building blocks of a script: characters, plot, structure, dialogue
• Reviewing short film clips
• In-class exercise and discussion
Session 2: Developing Your Idea
• Understanding theme and premise
• How to translate an idea into a visual story
• Understanding beats, outlines, treatments and synopses
• Pitching exercise
• Reviewing film clips
• In-class exercise and discussion
Session 3: The Beginning
• Character development
• Set-up, exposition, setting and back story
• Story arc
• In-class exercise and discussion
Session 4: The Middle
• Focus on structure
• Conflict = drama
• How to create escalating tension
• Causality, set-up/payoff, foreshadowing
• Pacing, rhythm
• In-class exercise and discussion
Session 5: The End
• Building a story climax
• Dialogue and voicing
• Resolution, denouement, deus ex machina
Session 6: Table Read and Workshop
• In-class table read of scripts and discussion
• Writing is rewriting: How to receive critique
• Exercises to improve writing

Pre-requisites: None

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