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Training
Wrestling the Redraft: Practical Script Development
Photo: Fiona Fouhy
Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 May
Shoreditch Town Hall
It's true what they say: writing is re-writing. Good script development is the single most important task for writers, developers and producers but is still the area with the least clarity about its processes. A solid understanding of screenwriting theory is essential but translating that theory into practice is not always straightforward. Each movie project raises its own unique set of challenges - of course, that's why it's fun, but it can also be frustrating and can sometimes feel like you're moving backwards. Having worked in active international development for over 10 years, with both experienced and emerging writers, Script Factory directors, Lucy Scher and Justine Hart have devised a brand new programme that comprehensively examines the potential problems and explores how to navigate through the tricky development process avoiding the common pitfalls and setting the next draft on course to exploit all the potential strengths of a movie idea.
This two-day course is primarily aimed at script developers, readers and producers. However, if you are a writer with a script that hasn't yet been optioned then this course contains valuable tools for analysing and improving your own work.
Course Outline
Day 1
This is a highly practical course, using material that is currently in development. Prior to the course participants will be given a first draft of a script to read along with an accompanying reader's report. Overnight, between the two teaching days, a second draft of the script will be read.
Session 1: Development Roles.
This introductory session examines the role of a developer within the creative process, including how to manage the expectations of producers, funders and directors. Primarily, however, we will consider how to establish the most positive dynamic between developer and writer with the aim of empowering the writer to produce the best work they possibly can.
Session 2: Analysing the material: We're writing a movie.
The initial stages of development are all about finding the best movie in the material. We'll lay out an approach for determining whether the key elements of the story are in place and whether the current draft is exploiting the strongest aspects of the idea. Most attention will be given to how the story aims to engage the audience: what does the story mean? does this ring true to a current cinema audience? how are we invited to care about the characters and the outcome?
Session 3: The first meeting
This session looks at how to approach the first development meeting; gaining the writer's trust; understanding the story the writer wants to tell and why; prioritising feedback to keep the next stage of development focussed.
Session 4: Development notes and the writers' next steps.
Too much feedback (however intelligent and constructive) can be counter-productive, this session considers how to write development notes that don't overwhelm the writer but that provide a useful resource for addressing the next stage of development. We consider how to adapt your style to suit the way each writer works and explore how to offer ongoing support between drafts. In this session we'll consider useful documents to work on between full re-drafts such as treatments, outlines, first act rewrites.
Overnight participants will be invited to read a second draft of a script and prepare feedback to the writer.
Day 2
Session 1: One step forward, two steps back?
What do you do if the next draft has got worse? How do you respond when the writer has taken a completely different direction to the one discussed in your development meetings? In this practical session we'll consider how to respond to a second (and third and fourth!) draft by the same writer: how to keep everyone in the process positive even when progress is apparently slow; how to ensure that the next draft doesn't repeat the same problems; how to help the writer achieve clarity about the project when the woods are in the way of the trees.
The remaining sessions on Day 2 aim to tackle the nitty-gritty of script development issues:
Where's your tension coming from? Take a lesson from Buried Session 2: Characters to serve the story.
Has the writer created the best characters to serve the story? Do we care about those we're supposed to in the way the writer intended? Are there enough characters or too many to serve the story? Writers spend months with their characters often resulting in characters who are too complex or contradictory for an audience who will only spend a hundred minutes getting to know them, a key job for the developer is often to help the writer simplify the journey of the main character without feeling that they have compromised on truthfulness. Conversely, how do you help a writer flesh out an underdeveloped character?
The Kids Are All Right - an exercise in solving the 2nd actSession 3: The second act blues.
Developers generally prove their worth most when it comes to dealing with the structure of the story. In this session we'll give particular attention to the second act and ensuring that it remains focussed on the dramatic question. Are there clear turning points that reinforce why we are watching this story? Do the stakes build convincingly? Is there the right balance between character development and plot? What else needs to be layered into the idea in order to ensure that there is sufficient material to keep the second act interesting?
Session 4: Honing the craft.
Development cannot and does not aspire to replace writing talent, however screenwriting has very specific craft techniques that can be learnt and that aren't necessarily natural to the writing process. This final session aims to ensure that developers are equipped with a thorough understanding of the key craft techniques in order to help writers give depth, texture and professionalism to their work.
My Summer of Love - produced by 'Wrestling' guest Chris Collins Guest Speaker: Robyn Slovo Whilst the focus of the programme is on shaping the script and managing creative relationships with writers, it is important to acknowledge that script development doesn't take place in a vacuum. To close the course we will be welcoming Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy producer Robyn Slovo to share her wisdom about developing a slate, working against production deadlines, commissioning writers, developing to a budget and all the other variables of the movie making business!
Practical Script Development is taught by two of The Script Factory's directors, Lucy Scher and Justine Hart.
BOOKING INFORMATION
The course will take place on Tuesday 22 May & Wednesday 23 May at Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LT.
The fee for Practical Script Development is £225 plus VAT (Total £270).
Script Factory Members are entitled to a 10% discount, making the fee £202.50 plus VAT (Total £243).
To secure your place book now via Paypal by choosing from the following options:
Wrestling the Redraft – 22 & 23 May 2012 - Full price
Wrestling the Redraft – 22 & 23 May 2012 – Member’s Price
If you would prefer to pay by credit card please email us with a contact number and we will call to arrange payment.
Please note that once paid, Script Factory course fees are non-refundable.
Click for information about our related one day intensive Industry Script Reading training course.
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