2.Main Content
Training
Write Directions:Script Development for Directors
A series of 3-hour seminars on all aspects of script development, designed to give Directors and Assistant Directors insight into the practical processes of script development, from recognizing the potential in a first draft screenplay, through negotiating redrafts with the writer, to pitching the project to financiers and producers.
Supported by industry training body Skillset in an initiative to encourage cross-sector skills development, the Write Directions programme is based on the training that The Script Factory offers to professional script developers. The aim is to help equip new Directors and Assistant Directors looking to make a career move with the necessary skills to get the best out of a writer and project before going into production.
THE PROGRAMME
Each module is a self-contained three-hour session focussed on a particular aspect of the script development process and grounded in the understanding that the purpose of script development is to help writers tell their stories as best as they possibly can.
There are 12 different modules available to select from (detailed below) enabling you to tailor-make your own training package.
All modules wil be staged throughout the Spring at The Script Factory's training centre in Central London as well as at various locations throughout the UK in the South, South West and Yorkshire.
We are currently taking bookings for sessions in Oxford and Leeds. Each module is limited to just 8 participants, so please book early to avoid disappointment.
Below is the list of modules and dates confirmed. Each module costs just £25.00+VAT (Total £29.38).
To secure your place please call Jay on 020 7323 1414.
THE MODULES: WORKING WITH WRITERS
Whose Story is it Anyway? Tutor: Marilyn Milgrom
How to prepare development notes and negotiate development meetings to make them most productive for everyone involved in the script.
**Wednesday 22 June, 2pm-5pm - Leeds
Finding the Talent Tutor: Kate Leys
How do you recognise true writing talent? And how can you go about establishing a collaborative relationship with a writer has an interesting ‘voice’ but does not yet have a story to tell?
Wednesday 25 May, 10am-1pm - London
** Wednesday 22 June, 10.30am-1.30pm - Leeds
THE MODULES: WORKING WITH SCRIPTS
Screenplay Analysis Tutor: Kate Leys
Using a mixture of social science, genre theory, politics, psychology, and the ideas that inform dramatic and narrative structure, this session will explore ways of thinking about how stories should work in order to determine whether or not a script is working.
Wednesday 8 June, 10am-1pm - London
Thursday 16 June, 10.30am-1.30pm - Oxford
What’s Going On in the Scene? Tutor: Marilyn Milgrom
Often a scene doesn’t quite seem to work, but it’s difficult to define exactly why. This session explores how to use a step outline to analyse the function of each scene within the structure of the screenplay and then examines how to fix a flabby scene by breaking it down into beats.
Friday 27 May, 10am-1pm - London
Friday 17 June, 2pm-5pm - Oxford
Theme and Meaning Tutor: Marilyn Milgrom
This module considers how you can give added value to a mainstream commercial idea or big screen life to a potentially small idea, through a conscious exploration of the themes in the story.
Friday 27 May, 2pm-5pm - London
Friday 17 June, 10.30am-1.30pm - Oxford
Script Reading Tutor: Ludo Smolski
This session offers a practical guide to the role of a reader in the development industry. Participants will learn the analysis skills required to identify whether a script meets the criteria of a production company or development fund and explore how to structure that assessment into concise and useful feedback.
Monday 23 May, 10am-1pm - London
THE MODULES: WORKING WITH STORY
Narrative Continuum Tutor: Lucy Scher
This module explores story types and audience expectations and how a good understanding of both will enable those working together on projects to develop better scripts.
** Tuesday 21 June, 10.30am-1.30pm - Leeds
Pitching the Project Tutor: Eileen Quinn
This module defines the script as a product for an industry and explores the various strategies we need to sell it. It covers in detail the ‘three act structure’ of a sales letter; selecting the person or company to sell to; the do’s and don’t’s of pitching; and preparation for meetings.
Wednesday 1 June, 6pm-9pm - London
Developing Short Films Tutor: Angeli MacFarlane
What makes a good short film idea? This session explores how to assess the potential of short film projects and offers expert advice on developing scripts for this unique medium.
Wednesday 25 May, 2pm-5pm - London
** Thursday 23 June, 10.30am-1.30pm - Leeds
Assessing Treatments Tutor: Lucy Scher
A practical guide to understanding the treatment form, identifying whether there is a story worth telling, and beginning the process of developing that idea into a first draft feature screenplay.
Monday 23 May, 2pm-5pm - London
Thursday 16 June, 2pm-5pm - Oxford
Venues
All of the London modules will take place at
The Script Factory, 66-67 Wells Street, London W1T 3PY
All of the Oxford modules will take place at
Oxford Film and Video Makers (OFVM), 54 Catherine Street, Oxford OX4 3AH and are held in partnership with Screen South.
All of the Leeds modules will take place at the offices of Screen Yorkshire, Studio 22, 46 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7EY and are held in partnership with Screen Yorkshire.
** Please note the Write Directions sessions in Leeds are only open to those who live in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
Booking Information
To book your place, or for further information and advice on which modules may be most suitable for you, please contact Jay at The Script Factory on 020 7323 1414 or jay@scriptfactory.co.uk.
Write Directions has been made possible with assistance from the Skillset Film Skills Fund which is supported by the National Lottery through the UK Film Council and the film industry through the Skills Investment Fund.