Course summary
Hone your skills to become a confident and versatile comedy writer. In partnership with BBC Comedy / BBC Studios - This unique part-time course will enable you to develop all forms of scripted and unscripted comedy including sitcoms, sketch shows and panel shows for television and radio. The course is carefully designed to gear you up for a career in comedy writing and production so you become practised at juggling deadlines, talking about your ideas concisely, assessing your own work and those of others, and being part of a writers’ community. There is an emphasis on ‘learning by doing’ at the NFTS, so you will experience professional actors and comedians reading your work and giving immediate feedback; you will pitch ideas to development producers and commissioners; and you’ll get a taste of a writer’s room atmosphere. You will get the opportunity to grow an idea into a fully formed vision, whether that be a five minute teaser for a sitcom, a sketch, a professionally recorded radio snippet or a script reading. By the end of the course, you will have produced your own body of work, which will put you in good stead to approach industry professionals. There will also be inspirational and informative talks from some of the most successful creators of comedy working today.
Modules
The course is part-time (one evening a week and occasional Saturdays) over eighteen months and is delivered in central London. You will be expected to spend at least eight hours a week working on assignments for the course. You will be taught about: Comedy landscape Radio comedy Sketches Panel shows and formats Characterisation Story structure Narrative TV comedy Script editing Topical one-liners Outlines and treatments Pitching Commissioning processes Working with performers Compliance issues Working with writers Writing briefs You will leave the course with a portfolio of material, which could include a 10-minute taster tape of an idea you have developed, or a full script and some sketches and one-liners. You will graduate being able to: Generate comedy programme ideas Create a narrative comedy, sketch show or comedy entertainment show Pitch ideas to commissioning editors Work with writers and help them develop their ideas
Entry requirements
This course is open to UK applicants and EU/EEA Nationals with UK pre-settled/settled status (subject to meeting residency requirements) and applicants who are currently in the UK on a valid visa for the full duration of the course. Applicants must have a proven talent for comedy and a desire to succeed in this competitive field. While many applicants will have a degree from a British or overseas university, we will consider applicants who do not have a degree if they have an impressive portfolio, a creative track record or an alternative qualification. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Fees are confirmed/updated in June each year for the following intake date.
A non-refundable deposit of £500 is required against the cost of your fees on confirmation of your place.
The NFTS is committed to ensuring it is open to students of genuine ability, no matter what their background or financial circumstances, which is why we award more scholarships and bursaries to British students, relative to the size of our student body, than almost any other educational institution in the UK.
Sponsorship information
NFTS Bursary available for UK Students.
Provider information
National Film and Television School
Beaconsfield Studios
Station Road
Beaconsfield
HP9 1LG