WRITE THAT SCRIPT! (PART II)
|
THIS COURSE IS BY INVITATION ONLY.
If you are interested please email: [email protected] Why is it that writers or their stories often run out of steam by the time they get to Act 2? The main reason is that Act 2 is very long and hard to write. A proven strategy to avoid the second act “slump” is to approach Act 2 as a series of four sequences leading to strong plot twists or “cliffhangers”. It’s easier said than done but more likely to yield results than diving in unprepared into the writing of what's typically 50-60 pages. And once Act 2 is structured correctly, then Act 3 will flow organically. So, although this online 5-week workshop (max 6) takes writers through the process of completing an ENTIRE feature-length script, the emphasis of this course is very much on techniques to keep the reader engaged during the long Act 2. Who Should Take This Course:
The course is workshop oriented. The assignments will be due no later than noon the following day. You will be expected to read at least three of the students’ work per week in order to give them notes in the class. In turn, you will benefit from the feedback and support of the tutor and peers to write your pages and revise them along the way. Course material on craft issues supplement the workshop. Before the class the students’ four-pagers and first ten pages of the scripts will be circulated so that attendees have enough context to provide constructive feedback. SYLLABUS SESSION 1 – Starting Act 2 - Throw complications and obstacles at your protagonist! - In this class, we will explore the first building block in Act 2, from where you left off at the end of Act 1 to the first “cliffhanger”. SESSION 2 – Keep the momentum going. Time to complicate things further! - During this session, we pursue our exploration of the first half of Act 2, ensuring the story builds momentum. We zero in on the midpoint shift, which transforms the narrative or completely upends it so that things remain fresh and exciting for the reader… and the writer. SESSION 3 – Now things are getting really tough… and will get even tougher! - This is where a lot of writers give up, right after the mid-point section. But a strong mid-point should instil a renewed energy into the piece and keep you excited, so that’s what session 3 will focus on. SESSION 4 – Act the end of Act 2 hope no longer springs eternal, or does it? - The last building block of Act II leads to the lowest point, the so-called "All is Lost moment" where something or someone dies either literally or symbolically before the final leap of faith which leads to Act 3. In this class, we will ensure the turning point are earned. SESSION 5 – Act 3 - And that’s a wrap! — You’ve done it! You’ve survived the writing of Act 2 and perhaps your own dark night of the soul as a writer and now you are on a roll. The momentum of Act 2 should push you forward as you navigate Act 3. In the final session, we will make sure the resolution of your script lives up to the promise of your premise and your protagonist has completed their arc. We will look into climatic payoff and tying up loose ends. But, above all, we will make sure your ending is as satisfying as it can be By the end of this course, you will have:
|
PRICES
STANDARD: £275
CONCESSION: £247
*We offer the concessionary rate to all Concessions as well as to members of these affiliated organisations. If you are a member of one of these organisations, please book at the concessionary rate and show your membership card to the course tutor at registration.
DATES & TIME
BY INVITATION ONLY If you are interested please email [email protected] 5 x Thursday evening sessions (With some prep work required, in-between dates) ONLINE PLATFORM The sessions will be run on Zoom. All attendees will be sent the Zoom login information upon registration. EVENT CAPACITY: 6 Book your place early to avoid disappointment. 
ABOUT STEPHANIE
Stéphanie Joalland a London-based writer-director with her own production company Frenzy Films. She also has extensive experience developing TV series for French TV and co-created the animated version of VALERIAN for Luc Besson's EuropaCorp. Her feature film THE QUIET HOUR starring Dakota Blue Richards premiered on Sky Cinema in the UK and was released on Netflix. Her feature projects have received the support of Sofia Meeting, Film London PFM, European Genre Forum, and Frontières International co-production Market. An alumna of Berlinale Talents, she is represented by Zero Gravity Management in the U.S. as a writer-director. She teaches screenwriting at U.A.L.’s London College of Communication, NFTS, on the Raindance MA in Filmmaking with De Montfort University and the MSt in Writing for Performance at the University of Cambridge. |
