Screenwriters Foundation Certificate

Screenwriters create scripts for films, television and any other filmed scripted media. They provide the blueprint for the creative contribution of the director, producer, cinematographer, designer, editor and composer, cast and crew. The Screenwriters’ Foundation Certificate is an evening course designed to take you from idea to finished page.

This five-week screenwriting course provides a detailed overview of the skills, knowledge and professional requirements for those wishing to write for the screen. The information covered in the Screenwriter’s Foundation Certificate includes viable idea generation, screenplay formatting, as well as character, plot and structure creation. The course will include a pitching skills workshop – an essential skill for screenwriters in getting their projects made.

The first and most important part of your screenplay is the idea. It’s important to understand how to break this down and develop it into something an audience will want to see. Often screenplays fail because the story or structure is poor – mistakes which even the most experienced of screenwriters make.

• Idea-generation techniques

• How to make your ideas compelling

• Copyright and how to protect your ideas

• Proper script format and style guide

Think of the last bad film you saw. Was it poor because of the acting and story, or was it because of the script? If the script isn’t good enough then the film will more than likely fail. The dialogue is an important factor in this and getting it right is not always obvious.

• The tricks and traps of writing dialogue

• The 3 tracks for recording dialogue

• Honing and mixing effective dialogue

You may have a great story or scene and perfect formatting, but there’s also an art to understanding how to give texture to the story. This will be the difference between whether you elicit emotion in your audience or not.

• Scene writing and story structure

• How to create a page turner

• Suspense and other dramatic tools

By understanding each of your key characters, you will be able to define the story and subplot. Then, by studying existing screenplays, you will be able to identify what works and what doesn’t work, and what you like and what you don’t like for your own script.

• How to create compelling characters that stay with you

• Magnification, traits and other character tools

• Film analysis of a character from an existing film or screenplay

The course tutor for Casting Your Story will be Kira-Anne Pelican [Deep Characterisation Workshop / Moneyball for Film Investors and Producers]

Pitching is one of the most important skills needed for a successful career in the film industry – and as a screenwriter, you will be doing it for your entire career. It is also one of the least considered by new entrants to the industry.

• Running a pitch meeting

• What the goals of a pitch meeting should be

• How to use visual aids

• Finding your hook

* This dynamic Pitch Clinic is available individually >HEREHERE