Saturday 1st November 2008
10.30am to 4.30pm
Tutor: Fenella Greenfield

Embarking on a 120pp feature-length script can be daunting for any screenwriter so why not take some time out and write a short?  

Not only is it more likely you’ll get the script finished;  you’ll also stand a greater chance of getting it made and seen.  

After all, a good short film can be a far better experience than a bad long one, requiring all the writing disciplines and film-making savvy of the feature film, with the extra challenge of conveying an entire narrative arc in a short space of time. 

When it works, the results can be stunning.

Working alone, in pairs and in groups you will:

• Brainstorm, brainstorm – because the first ideas are rarely the best
• Think up great twists – which lie at the heart of great storytelling
• Beat out your plot – getting feedback until it works
• Create an intense ‘world’ for your script
• Create a cast of intriguing characters
• Hone their dialogue until it reads like poetry
• ‘Goals’ and ‘arcs’ – what are they again?
• Genre – and now try writing something completely different
• Now I've completed my short, how do I get it made?

Whether you are relatively new to screenwriting and would like to start with something manageable, or whether you're more experienced, we ensure you leave with the first draft of a script.

As Fenella Greenfield's workshops are intensively exercise-based, please come with pen and lots of paper. 

The group will be limited to eight participants as you will be workshopping and reading out your work all day.