SCREENWRITING
COURSE
SCREENWRITING FUNDAMENTALS
for
Beginners
We are pleased to again offer our Screenwriting Fundamentals Course for Beginners. If you are interested please read about the course below, contact us by clicking on leave a message or enrol by clicking on the enrol button.
ABOUT OUR CLASSES
All of Castlemaine Media Schools courses are practical, hands on and step by step guides to enable you by the end of the course to go away and create by yourself. Our teachers also act as mentors, guiding and encouraging you in being creative and developing confidence in your abilities. In this course you will have excellent feedback on your work helping you to craft a great story.
This course is for anyone wanting to learn key screenwriting principles, through clear examples and with personalised weekly feedback that helps participants develop individual stories, scripts and outlines.
COURSE STRUCTURE
This beginners course will run over 8 weeks.
8 classes x 2 hours each (sometimes a little shorter)
in Live online Zoom classrooms
Cost $480
Time
Start date is Monday 19th April 2021
6.30 - 8.30pm
Class size - This will be limited to 6 people.
Assignments
Students will be given small assignments each week to practice the tools being taught. After a few weeks students begin work on their short film, tv pilot or feature film treatment.
What you'll need
Internet access. You will be provided with a Zoom link by email,
which will give you access to the classroom at the required time.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
This course is suitable for anyone wanting to develop a short film, a TV series pilot or feature film outline. It's fine to start with no set project in mind, or to already be working on something that you want to develop further with weekly guidance.
Each week Jonathon will introduce you to a key concept of screenwriting. You will view clips from movies and TV shows that demonstrate how different genres implement screenwriting principles.
Some of the examples explored are - Aladdin, Little Miss Sunshine, Seinfeld, Breaking Bad, Jaws, The Matrix, Love Actually.
Below is a partial list of what is covered each week.
Week 1. Character Creation. What makes a great on screen character? Tools for shaping characters that are going to hold an audience's attention and help drive the plot.
Week 2. Plotting (part 1). Creating goals and obstacles that are going to test, reveal and convey character.
Week 3. Plotting (part 2). Exploration of plot devices useful for changing a story's direction, building empathy for central character's and showing progression in character's journeys.
Week 4. Three Act Structure. Examining the structural framework of feature films, and how these principles are applied in TV. Also learn the script writing conventions that will be used for the remaining homework tasks.
Week 5. Changes in Perspective. Creating intrigue, empathy, and suspense by relative perspective, as well as changing perspective for dramatic effect.
Week 6. Act Structure. A return to act structure, with examples in various genres, as well as films that defy traditional three-act-structure.
Week 7. Scriptwriting workshop. Scripts are discussed by the teacher and class providing useful feedback. A further exploration of plotting across films, TV and web series.
Week 8. Final feedback session. Final feedback for students to then work on their next draft, with a look at tools to help guide the redrafting process.
YOUR TEACHER
Jonathon Gittus - Screenwriter, Film Editor
Jonathon is a screenwriter and film editor and has a Masters of Screenwriting from the Victorian College of the Arts.
He has been working in film and television for a while and has written and directed two web series: No Pink Cowboys (2016) and Lenny in Love (2018)
He has an excellent eye for the details needed in film to convey character and motive and will really help you to explore and develop ways to improve your original ideas.
Jonathon is an experienced instructor and really looks forward to working with the next group of students.
TESTIMONIALS
I found the course really great for a beginner like myself. It was a joy to learn the fundamentals of screenwriting. I know what movies, tv series and short films in a whole new way.
Harlene
I think your screen writing program offers valuable tools for any writer, whatever their preferred medium. The eight week course gave me fresh ways of thinking about my stories; also strategies to use when a story isn’t working. The excellent weekly feedback helped me transform one of my published short stories into a polished script - all great outcomes for me. Thanks so much,
Julie