While I haven’t been updating this blog regularly during the third module of my MA in Writing for Script & Screen, I thought I’d check in at Week 4 to explain the project I’m working on and discuss the ways in which my understanding of genre have been challenged and expanded so far this term.Continue reading “Module 3 – Genre and Theme”
Tag Archives: screenwriting
Week 25 – Production partners
When it comes to production partners , screenwriters can sometimes leap at the first opportunity without considering whether they are working with the right people. In truth, screenwriters should consider who they work with just as much as producers should consider which screenwriters they collaborate with. Screenwriters must consider whether their production partner is onContinue reading “Week 25 – Production partners”
Week 24 – Funding Models
How do you get a feature film funded in 2020? For independent writers and filmmakers, the landscape has evolved, offering fewer opportunities to produce low budget works, but there are still options, as demonstrated by indie productions like Lure and Dead Man’s Burden; determined filmmakers can bring their visions to life, but there are obstaclesContinue reading “Week 24 – Funding Models”
Week 22 – Adaptations
What makes a good adaptation? Having only written original scripts, I have never previously considered adapting material for the screen. However, given the number of successful films and TV shows based on books, graphic novels, and games (among others), it’s worth looking at what makes for a successful adaptation. How did The Dark Knight becomeContinue reading “Week 22 – Adaptations”
Week 19 – Comedy career paths
As part of my second university module, I’m putting together a case study focusing on being a comedy writer in the UK, and the ways in which a new writer can make a career out of being funny on British television. Though I’m still in the early stages of researching the project, I’ve already noticedContinue reading “Week 19 – Comedy career paths”
Week 18 – Considering the marketplace
As writers, we rarely consider the marketplace. It seems like a job for the producers and agents shopping around projects and raising funds. However, it’s important for screenwriters to be aware of the potential marketplace for their screenplays. It may not be the most artistic pursuit to look at what sells and what flops, butContinue reading “Week 18 – Considering the marketplace”
Week 17 – Back to work
After an enjoyable break and great feedback on my first hand-in, I’m finally back studying for my MA in Writing for Script and Screen. There’s no easing back into the work; for the first week, I’ve been tasked with writing the premise for a feature film, television series, or game idea. Thankfully, I’ve been spendingContinue reading “Week 17 – Back to work”
Week 12 – What I’ve Learned
With my first MA module finished, I’m currently in limbo waiting for my feedback. In the meantime, I thought I’d write up a few of the big lessons I’ve taken away from the last three months of studying. Structure is everything Don’t fight structure. Don’t assume your script has to be formulaic, generic, and predictableContinue reading “Week 12 – What I’ve Learned”
Week 11 – Finishing my script
After weeks of musing, pondering, outlining, and script writing, I have finally completed my first module as an MA student. After at least eight rough drafts, Nick Murphy’s Last Broadcast is in a good place. The Writer’s Statement seems to accurately reflect my intentions, inspirations, and insights into where the story comes from and whatContinue reading “Week 11 – Finishing my script”
Week 9 – The Art of the Pitch
Being a screenwriter is about so much more than writing. It isn’t enough to put beautiful words on the page, or describe action fit for the biggest cinema screens. In fact, your screenplay may never get considered unless you master the art of the pitch. Ah yes, pitching; the mortal enemy of many screenwriters. WhatContinue reading “Week 9 – The Art of the Pitch”
Week 7 – Writing is Rewriting
Last week, I wrote about how the first draft is an important foundation to refine and sculpt during rewrites. As I finished the first draft of my short Nick Murphy’s Last Broadcast this week, the notion that writing is rewriting echoed constantly in my mind. Even as I typed ‘THE END’, I was thinking aboutContinue reading “Week 7 – Writing is Rewriting”
Week 6 – The first draft
You can spend weeks and months writing drafts, outlines, treatments, and any other useful materials, but eventually, the time will come to sit down and start writing. It’s always a tense moment, knowing that all your hard work comes down to how good the resulting screenplay turns out to be. However, writers often focus soContinue reading “Week 6 – The first draft”
Week 5 – Is Structure Important?
As I work on the step outline for my short horror Nick Murphy’s Last Broadcast, I’ve been thinking about structure. Structure is the fundamental core of all great stories. Whether it’s as simple as three acts (beginning, middle, and end) or as detailed as Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! beat sheet, almost every great filmContinue reading “Week 5 – Is Structure Important?”
Week 4 – The evolution of screenwriting
It’s easy to forget how simple screenwriting is in the 21st century. Not the process of generating ideas and writing dialogue, which remains as tricky as ever, but the act of actual putting together a screenplay. Having only ever used Final Draft or Celtex, it’s hard to imagine a time when technology didn’t do theContinue reading “Week 4 – The evolution of screenwriting”
Week 3 – Where do ideas come from?
Idea generation is the most fun and most pain you can have as a writer. There’s nothing quite as exciting as the first time a new idea forms ; a spark of inspiration here, an evocative phrase there. Sometimes, you grasp a fragment, while other ideas land fully formed from out of nowhere. However, theContinue reading “Week 3 – Where do ideas come from?”
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