Course summary

Roughly 50,000 screenplays are registered every year with the WGA, and at least as many TV concepts are out there right now. In this highly competitive world of writing for film and television, the screenwriter can’t merely learn the principles, art and craft of screenwriting to ensure success. A ‘good story well told’ is simply not enough. In this five month Certificate Course, delivered primarily online, writers are encouraged to bring their point of view to the fore, mining their unique experience and passion. An individual ‘voice’ is the currency of the writer – it’s what shapes our work, makes it distinctive, and most importantly, makes it sell. To make our mark in this demanding and overcrowded industry we need to develop stories that only we can write. Over the course of five months, in group sessions and one-to-one phone calls, the selected participants will be encouraged to use their own individual voice, learn to trust their instinct, take risks and turn their fears, hopes and obsessions into unique scripts. What you will study How can screenwriters put themselves ahead of the game and grab an audience’s attention? Are there lessons from the world’s master screenwriters? Is it a coincidence that successful screenwriters often return to the same themes and write different versions of the same core story over again? Could it be that the key to their success is that they are writing from a place of unique emotional truth and it’s this that really connects with audiences the world over? Participants in this course will adopt a variety of methods to discover what makes them tick as a writer, what stories resonate emotionally with them and go on to implement these home truths into working practice. Over the course they will learn to hone their voice, develop market-ready treatments and write a full-length screenplay for a feature film or pilot for a TV series. The goal, on successful completion of the course, is to have a number of projects at various stages of development that are ready to be presented to the industry. Classes will be held weekly in the evening online over 23 weeks, where students will develop a number of stories from concept through to treatment to script via a combination of discussions, exercises and talks. They will be expected to write in their own time and deliver work in advance of each class. In addition, participants will be supported by one-to-one phonecalls for individual feedback and guidance. A group forum will be available via an on-line platform. Course Leader: The course will be led by Colin McLaren who has many years’ experience as a screenwriter for film and TV.