WRITE YOUR SHORT FILM SCRIPT!
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Why are short film scripts a great way to learn one's craft as a screenwriter?
Because short film scripts are all about economical writing and making each second count, therefore they are challenging to get right. The lessons learnt while writing a short format piece are invaluable when starting out as a screenwriter and/or a writer-director. Short film scripts can also be helpful for directors and/or writers-directors to showcase a feature film ("proof-of-concept" short films), which is what Damien Chazelle did to obtain funding for WHIPLASH. This online 5-week workshop (limited to eight participants) takes writers through the process of developing a full short film script (under 15 minutes). The pre-requisite for this course is to bring an idea for a short film. Who Should Take This Course?
The course is workshop-oriented. 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. SYLLABUS WEEK 1 – Building the foundations. During this session, you explore ten preliminary questions which you will use as stepping stones toward the development of your short film. The idea you brought to the class will be workshopped. During this session, we'll look into: - What makes a great idea for a short film. - Proof-of-concept shorts vs. stand-alone shorts. - The importance of logline. WEEK 2 – Plotting away After week 1, you develop a logline and one-page treatment of your short film which you discuss in class. During this session, we will more closely into: - Compressing the timeline. - 3-act structure for short films. - Sticking the landing. WEEK 3 – Developing your characters You turn your one-page treatment into a two-page treatment and receive feedback from peers and tutor with an emphasis on Character. We will explore: - Archetypes, stereotypes and fully rounded characters. - The arc of the protagonist. - How characters and story message go hand-in-hand. WEEK 4 – Visual Storytelling In this class, you will workshop the 4-page step-outlines (beat-sheets) developed after Week 3. We will dig deeper into: * The “Show, don’t tell” mantra. * Evocative writing. * Smooth transitions. WEEK 5 – Writing Dialogue You bring a first draft of your short film script to the class and workshop it. We will look into: * How to avoid on-the-nose dialogue. * The importance of verbal and non-verbal subtext. * The script development process. By the end of this course, you will have:
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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
5 x 3 hour Thursday evening workshops 17, 24 February 3, 10, 17 March 7pm-10pm (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: 8 Book your place early to avoid disappointment. 
ABOUT STEPHANIE
Stéphanie is a writer-director. She runs Frenzy Films, a London-based production company which specialises in contained elevated genre films. Originally from France, she began her career in story development at TF1 International and Canal Plus. She then worked as a story editor and screenwriter for French TV, creating a Sci-Fi animated series for Luc Besson’s Europa Corp: VALERIAN & LAURELINE. After studying film at UCLA she wrote and directed her first feature film, THE QUIET HOUR, a sci-fi thriller starring Dakota Blue Richards. THE QUIET HOUR premiered on Sky Cinema in the UK and was released on NETFLIX in September 2021. As a writer-director, Stéphanie is now developing ICE, a grounded sci-fi thriller which is now set up with Visit Films in the U.S. Her next project as a producer is THE LAST MOON which won the 2021 Irish Film London Fellowship to the Stowe Lab and was selected for the 2021 European Genre Forum, Frontières, NAFF and Film London PFM. Stéphanie lectures at U.A.L., Central Film School and on the Raindance MA in Filmmaking with De Montfort University. She is an alumna of Berlinale Talent and IFP Emerging Narrative in NYC. She is represented by Zero Gravity Management in the U.S. |
