SCREENWRITING 123
For the Writer/Producer/Filmmaker/Actor
SCREENWRITING 1
10 Tuesdays
March 30 to June 1, 2010 7 to 9:30 PM
Members: $200 Non-members: $300
Membership discounts apply to: FULL ($45+GST/year) and ASSOCIATE ($25+GST/year)
@ The Factory: Hamilton Media Arts Centre - 126 James Street North, Hamilton
To reserve your spot, call or email: 905-577-9191 / info@hamiltonmediaarts.org
This course provides:
Screenwriting 1 a grounding in standards and practices of the industry
Screenwriting 2 exploration of creative manipulation for artistic effect
Screenwriting 3 how to tell the screen story most effectively
A screen project is a fluid work-in-progress as a producer and filmmaker organizes and examines the elements needed to tell the story best. By studying the page a writer, producer, filmmaker and actor experiences the co-relation between page and screen, for the producer - in order to know when a script is ready to show, for the filmmaker and actor - in order to know what a script can and can't deliver. One way to work out a scene is to try writing it down.
Writers
There is a growing industry of Books, Seminars, Lectures and Workshops online and in person available on How-To but few discuss Why-To. Most simply provide a grocery list of industry standards and practices in their own particular order, yet none prepare the storyteller for the collaborative nature of screenwriting.
A screenplay is never finished, never solid, it is a fluid work-in-progress with input coming from many directions. Anyone who has anything to do with the project, from the producer during pre-production, to the editor during post, all have influence on the final result. A writer, used to working in solitude, struggling for the precise words and phrases, can easily be overwhelmed by the number of people advising and insisting on changes according to needs that often appear in direct conflict with the writer's.
Collaboration is the very essence of the industry, yet very little is said about it because it can't be taught. However, by placing writers in a similar environment and provoking discussions, one can come close to familiarizing them with that process in a non-threatening atmosphere. If a storyteller wishes to pursue screenwriting they should understand the producer's needs, which means experiencing the demands that will be made upon both their writing and interactive skills.
Producers
Save money and frustration. Explore production options in the script rather than after the crew is on salary. A Producer who understands what a screenplay can accomplish and how, can anticipate a lot of problems before they happen.
Filmmakers
Many story and production problems can be dealt with on the page before they reach the set. A filmmaker who understands what a screenplay can accomplish and how, can anticipate a lot of problems before they happen.
Actors
The writer is an actor's friend. Everything on the page relates to the portrayal. If it is not on the page the actor needs to understand what is missing to help give the performance deep edges. An Actor needs to be able to distinguish between skillful prose and a good screenplay.
Screenwriting 1 Format First Provides all the practical information necessary to create a screenplay. The fundamental How-Tos. The grammar and syntax of telling stories on screen. Writing demands are basic. Short scene assignments and critiques will be discussed with the classmates.
Screenwriting 2 First Ten Shows those storytellers who wish to delve further, the tools they need to manipulate the rules in order to tell their own special stories on screen. 10-page writing assignments and critiques will be discussed with the classmates.
Screenwriting 3 First Draft Takes determined storytellers through the process of creation to complete their own feature length screenplay. Writers refine their understanding of style and technique by studying films demonstrating the collaborative process in action. 15-page writing assignments will be discussed with classmates, and accumulate into a feature length First Draft.
About the Instructor:
J. Aldric Gaudet is a screenwriter, director, producer and lecturer. His writing credits include the Feature Baltic Storm, starring Donald Sutherland, Greta Scacchi, and Jurgen Prochnow; the TVMovies Error 2000 as well as Deadly Pursuit and The Hijacking of Studio Four; which were also Directing credits and one Producing credit. Series writing included Struggle Beneath the Sea, The Littlest Hobo, and What Will They Think of Next. His Technical credits include Switcher, Camera, Floor Director, and Grip for TVO, Global and CTV.
Screenwriting 1
10 Tuesdays starts March 30, 2010
7 to 9:30 PM
Members: $200 Non-members: $300
Screenwriting 2
10 Tuesdays TBA
Members: $200 Non-members: $300
Screenwriting 3
10 Tuesdays TBA
Requires Screenwriting 2 or equivalent
Members: $300 Non-members: $200
To reserve your spot, call or email: 905-577-9191 / info@hamiltonmediaarts.org
