Screenwriting Take One!!
Course Description:
This workshop welcomes writers who are intrigued by the idea of propelling their prose from the page to the screen. You’ll learn essential differences between writing for print and for the screen, and explore the singular craft of visual storytelling. Starting with your own idea for a short film, you’ll explore five pillars of screenwriting: the visual world, theme, story structure, character and conflict. And you’ll work through industry-standard procedures of pitching, outlining and then writing your script, informed at every step by coaching and suggestions from your instructor and your new colleagues. You should emerge from our week together with a solid draft of a short screenplay, and inspiration to guide you in furthering your screenwriting adventures.
Suggested Reading:
There’s so much! You’ll get a list in Fernie, but meanwhile, you may wish to peruse Claudia H. Johnson’s Crafting Short Screenplays that Connect (3rd ed., Focal, 2009, though older editions are okay), Amnon Buchbinder’s The Way of the Screenwriter (Anansi, 2005), and at least chapter 1 of Robert McKee’s Story (Methuen, 1999).
Course Preparation:
Come to Fernie with an idea for a short film that you’d like to write. You’ll benefit from becoming comfortable with the formatting of screenplays in advance, although we’ll cover the most important points at the workshop. Check the Web for samples of formatting. Your trusty word processing program will work just fine, but consider downloading free trial software from Movie Magic Screenwriter, Final Draft and Celtx. And bring a laptop if possible.
Will the Real Alberta Please Stand Up? is a one-hour documentary that follows the travels of filmmaker Geo Takach as he discovers both the expected and the unexpected sides of Alberta. From off-the-cuff comments of passersby on the street, to interviews with everyone from paleontologists, politicians and poets to farmers, environmentalists, journalists, and many more, Geo paints a fast paced and funny portrait of Alberta.
Course Cost*:
Registration before April 30th: $775
Registration after April 30th: $875
* includes admission to all Conference events, readings and panel discussions
