Screenwriting 3: From Page to Screen

Pre-requisites for enrolment

This course is suited to students who have studied introductory and intermediate level skills in screenwriting.

Content of Course

Classes will be a mixture of lectures, class discussions and practical workshops.

1. How to write the whole screenplay.

2. Re-writing tips and tricks.

3. Re-writing workshop #1.

4. Advanced Visual Storytelling.

5. Advanced Subtext Writing.

6. Writing Exposition.

7. Re-writing workshop #2.

8. Giving your film meaning.

9. The Business of Screenwriting.

10. Final workshop.

Teaching method(s)

Lectures, screenings and analysis of clips/script excerpts. Students will be given practical exercises to work on individually and in groups to master the skills demonstrated.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Develop an idea into a marketable script;

• Pitch a screen story in both written and oral form;

• Apply advanced professional techniques to their own writing.

Sources

Core Readings

Recommended:

There are no essential texts for this course but the following are recommended as further optional reading:

• Academic, B. (2023) Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2024: The best advice on how to write and get published. 117th edition. Bloomsbury Yearbooks.
• Friedmann, J. (2000) How to Make Money Scriptwriting. Subsequent edition. Bristol: Intellect.
• Friedmann, J. (2012) The Insider’s Guide to Writing for Television. Trotman.
• Goldman, W. (1989) Adventures in the Screen Trade: A Personal View of Hollywood and Screenwriting. Reissue edition. New York, N.Y: Grand Central Publishing.

Web Sources

https://www.imsdb.com/ Internet Movie Script Database: professional movie scripts to download.

http://www.scriptslug.com Script Slug: more scripts to download and read.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/writers/scripts/ BBC Script Library: TV and radio scripts to download and read. 

https://www.screendaily.com Screen Daily | Film News, Film Reviews, Film Festivals and Awards

Class Handouts

Handouts will be provided.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.