Session One - Tuesday 8th July
Introduction and Thriller
The first session introduces the key concepts of genre, including form,
type and style, and looks at different fiction forms that are becoming
increasingly popular in 21st Century cinema and TV. We then focus on
the Thriller genre and see what elements it demands and how it combines
to make successful cross-genre film and TV thrillers of a wide variety
of kinds.
Book whole course Book session 1
Session Two - Tuesday 15th July
RomCom
RomCom gives us a chance to survey the comedy field and look at the
three key types of comedy - what they require and how writers need to
approach each of the three in a very different way. We discuss how
RomCom can provide intelligence and sophistication (and has in the
past) and how it can be mangled in the wrong hands.
Book whole course Book session 2
Session Three - Tuesday 22nd July
Horror, Noir and Romantic Tragedy
Writing a high intensity serious story can be difficult for a writer
who is not
clear precisely which genre is being used. Approached in the right way,
each genre can yield rich and exciting stories. We will discuss the
similarities and differences between Horror, Noir and Romantic tragedy
and how the writer must satisfy very different audience expectations.
Book whole course Book session 3
Session Four - Tuesday 29th July
Drama - including Coming Of Age
With Drama we move to a genre that has remained popular for decades,
both in commercial and artistic terms, while offering the widest
variety, from Personal
Drama to Medical Drama to Road Movie and Passage Rite/Coming of Age. If
you are writing for Multiplex, Indie cinema or modern TV series or
one-off, or indeed have a Romantic (or other Drama) subplot to another
kind of story, you need to know about this very character-based genre.
Book whole course Book session 4
Session Five - Tuesday 5th August
Gangster and Detective
Some of the greatest and most loved movies and TV series have come
from this two-headed genre. We will interrogate the many important
features that must be included and investigate the hidden pitfalls that
await the unwary.
Book whole course Book session 5
Session Six - Tuesday 12th August
True Story/Historical and Biopic (with request slot)
We finish the series with the exciting challenges of dealing with
real life in dramatic form. True and historical stories bring their own
advantages, but their special features serve as a useful reflection on
the central issues of Genre as a whole and so make a very appropriate
subject for summing up the series. We will also make room for a request
or two if there are any other genres that participants want to discuss.
Get your request in quickly while there is still time.
Book whole course Book session 6
