Screenwriting workshop

Wed, 26 May 2010

Aspirant screenwriters can sharpen their storytelling skills and develop their craft at The Writing Studio’s Weekend Workshop on 5 and 6 June in Johannesburg, at Screen Africa, Sasani Studios, Highlands North, from 10am to 5pm.

Aspirant scribes will learn the fundamentals of building and telling a compelling story, and how to effectively dramatise ideas, characters and plot. The workshop explores the journey from the inspiration of an idea, through the writing process to the planning and start of a first draft of a screenplay that will become the blueprint for a film, television series or stageplay.

The workshop looks at what it takes to be a screenwriter in South Africa, understanding the world of the writer, and introduces seven easy steps to explore strengths and weaknesses.

Within ONE WEEKEND budding screenwriters will understand the principles of telling a story in pictures, dialogue and description.

The inspirational and motivational workshop is ideal for ANYONE with an idea for a story. If there is something or someone you want to write about this is your opportunity to turn thoughts into words.

The course turns theory into practise and ideas inside out. It explores the full dramatic or comedic potential of stories and empowers storytellers to write a compelling story that will reflect the uniqueness of their culture, history and experience.

The workshop is also an introduction into the world of filmmaking and teaches writers how to read and interpret the fascinating language of film, and how to evaluate and analyse film, television and theatre constructively. It is ideal for novelists who would like to adapt their work into a visual medium, as well as for those who would like to write a stageplay. .

The trainer is local writer, playwright, movie journalist and Education, Training and Development Practitioner Daniel Dercksen, who has been teaching workshops in scriptwriting and creative writing throughout South Africa the past 16 years, as well as a Masterclass for Screenwriters for 40 writers from Africa at the Sithengi Film and TV Market’s Talent Campus.

“Thanks again for being the catalyst and guide in my life story,” says Ruth Tearle, strategy and change management consultant, a trainer and a motivational speaker, who is the author of “Blackboards, Bubbles & Cappuccinos, ““Ride the Wild Tiger” and “Mastering Personal Change”. “It was an amazing journey. I’ve emerged seeing the world differently. Full of voices, ideas, characters, and stories. From feeling uninspired and lazy, I now find that I can’t turn off my brain. I have many new tools to use to explore, practice and hone my writing. From practical suggestions on how to develop and organise ideas, to structuring a story so that it reads like music, I have come away excited, inspired and raring to write.”

With District 9, Invictus, Skin, White Lion, Jozi, The Race-ist and I Now Pronounce You Black And White turning the spotlight on South African stories, seven proudly South African films awaiting release this year (including the eagerly awaited adaptation of Spud), and the boom of the South African film Industry and International co-productions, it has never been a better time to be a screenwriter in South Africa.

The cost of the workshop is R950. If you are a registered student, scholar, or a pensioner, the cost of the workshop is R850.

For more information and registration, visit the website www.writingstudio.co.za, or email info@writingstudio.co.za

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