Screenwriting Fundamentals Virtual Workshop

18 Min. Age

15 Batch Size

Basic

Skill Level

3 Weeks

Duration

English

Language

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Overview

Where do ideas come from? What Makes a good Story? Story to Screenplay what does it take? Why Cinema?
The course focuses on elements of screenplay writing. From an idea to a story to a screenplay, the course takes you through the art and craft of the cinematic writing domain.
Character or Plot? Who drives the story? Story or Structure what drives the treatment?
In this 3-week long workshop, get all your questions addressed and understand the process of screenwriting by attempting to write a short film.

Week 1:
From the world of stories to the world of storytelling via Films. What goes into the cinematic story?
What are the basic elements? Where does drama come from?
How well do I need to know my characters?

Week 2:
We need to analyse and beat sheet good films to appreciate what makes them work.
Then we work on 4 ideas, workshop them and create a workable storyline.

Week 3:
We get into the craft of screenplay writing, telling the story via scenes.
We attempt the first draft of screenplay for the storylines created.

This Workshop will be conducted on Microsoft Teams. (Monday to Friday; 18:00 to 21:00)

COMPLETING THIS WORKSHOP WILL HELP YOU:

Learn and understand the core principles of screenplay writing.
Learn how to watch and analyze films from the screenwriter’s perspective.
Through the exercises in the workshop, get a taste of what it takes to go from idea to story to screenplay.
Receive an e-Certificate on completion of the workshop (minimum 80% attendance).

WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR:

This is a course for those of you who want to learn screenwriting and try writing a short film. We will understand the basics of screenwriting and attempt to understand the process of writing a short film. Though there are umpteen ways of going about it. We take you through one such process end to end.

SYLLABUS

Course Objectives:

To familiarize the participants with the essentials of screenplay writing
To develop a short film idea into a first draft of a screenplay.

Week 1:

Storytelling & Cinema: Why stories? Why cinema? Why Short Films?
Role of a Screenwriter
- Writer’s Toolkit: Freewriting Exercise
Elements of a Screenplay: Character, Setting, Conflict, Story, Plot, Structure, Theme, Premise.
- Writer’s Toolkit: Reverse-writing a film.
3D Character: Physiology, Psychology and Sociology of a Character

- Writer’s Toolkit: Character Building Exercise
Diving deep in Character: Want, Need, Stake, Strength, Weakness.
- Writer’s Toolkit: Character in a situation exercise
Drama: The conflict spectrum. Internal and External Conflict.
Theme and Premise: Your two guideposts
A Short Film : Key Elements

Week 2:

Writers at Work : Watch films, analyze them, create beat sheets and understand what makes them work.
Discussion and Development : Work on 4 – 5 story ideas and construct them into workable storylines.

Week 3:

Cinematic Structure & it’s Emotional Significance
Acts, Plot Points, Sequences
- Writer’s Toolkit: Short Film Beat sheet
Scene Design: Functions and structure of a scene
- Writer’s Toolkit: Scene Writing Exercise
Dialogues, Silences and Subtext
- Writer’s Toolkit: Dialogue Writing Exercise
Screenplay Writing Format
- Writer’s Toolkit: All Writing is Rewriting
Screenplay Writing
- Writer’s Toolkit: All Writing is Rewriting

*Course structure is indicative and may change depending on the progress of the group, but we will ensure that all the topics are covered.

About the Mentor

An Engineer by profession, a Writer by occupation Vaidehi Sancheti is an adept and motivating teacher. A self-critical and hardworking Writer; writing is like breathing to her. Films are her passion and Storytelling is her primary vocation.
Having studied Screenplay Writing at FTII, Vaidehi loves to encourage more and more people to write.
She has been conducting Story Building workshops and Screenplay Writing workshops for new writers at institutes like FTII, Living Bridge in Pune, and many more around the country.

What people are saying

"I just finished attending the Screenplay Writing Fundamentals program conducted by Prof. Vaidehi. The course was very craftily designed where our transition from basics of story writing to the basics of screenplay was extremely smooth. Not even a minute was wasted, from screening of very relevant movies to walking out with my very own first screenplay...it was just awesome! What an amazing few days of my life...I wished it never ended!!! Thank you Living Bridge. keep it going."

"The very best Screenwriting faculty, and a dedicated team make Living Bridge workshops an enriching experience."