SCREENWRITING: FOR BIG, SMALL & MICRO SCREENS

SESSION 1: THEME, PREMISE, STORY

Formulating the premise. Identifying the theme. Assessing the premise for its dramatic power. The omnipresence of the theme and the premise in the screenplay.

Developing premise into story. Setting the story in milieu, time and space. Creating the main plot, the important sub-plots and the backstory. The value of research. Structuring the story. Its resolution.

The importance of conflict as the driving force of the story and the screenplay. Types of conflict – inner, external, moral, ideological, etc. Rising conflict.

Session outcome: After the session the student will be able to identify the premise, theme and Internal/External struggle of the protagonist in a story.

SESSION 2: CHARACTER

Creating credible, multi-dimensional, unique characters with universal resonances. Character biographies – their physiology, sociology, psychology. Getting to the core of the characters. Desire, strength, weaknesses, motivation, growth. Sympathy and empathy. Character arcs. Understanding archetypes. Avoiding stereotypes.

Plot vs. character. Identifying the protagonist’s need. Character transformation.

Constructing the antagonist, secondary characters. Films with multiple protagonists.

Session outcome: After the session the student will be able to create memorable and wholesome characters for their screenplays.

SESSION 3: STRUCTURE

Importance of structure. Structuring the story to prepare for its screenplay. Types of structure: classical 3-act structure (Set-up – Confrontation – Resolution), its different interpretations; screenplays without a clear-cut structure.

Linear and non-linear storytelling.

Plot progression – the need to keep your story moving in the screenplay.

Using different devices – set-up/payoff, co-incidence, macguffins, red herrings, setting up surprises, etc.

Using flashbacks, flash forwards and dream sequences.

Using principles of structure to condense vast material into viable screenplays.

Session outcome: After the session the student will be able identify and analyse stories into the three-act structure and use different screenwriting techniques to enhance their screenwriting techniques.

SESSION 4: HERO’S JOURNEY

Understanding Joseph Campbell’s approach and observations. The universality of mythic patterns across time and cultures. Examining the structure of myths, with detailed and special emphasis on the stages of the “Hero’s Journey”, with an eye on the internal challenges and transformation of the protagonist. Relating this pattern to the classical 3-Act structure.

Session outcome: After the session the student will be able to understand the Hero’s journey and use it write screenplay based on the same template.

SESSION 5: DEVELOPING STORY INTO A SCREEN TREATMENT, STEP OUTLINE

The pre-screenplay document. Encompassing all the essential elements of the proposed screenplay. Including – main plot, important sub-plots, all important characters, the character arc of the protagonist, a structured plot-progression with clearly demarcated act breaks. A well-defined beginning and a clear resolution. The importance of emotional sub-text in the treatment. The treatment as the definitive blueprint for the screenplay.

Breaking up the treatment/sequences into individual scenes. Discovering the rhythms of the screenplay, exploring the unity in sequences, formulating ‘beats’, and writing the step-outline in a professional format.

Session outcome: After the session the student will be able to develop a story into a screenplay step by step.

SESSION 6:  SCENE DESIGN, OPENING SCENES, CLOSING SCENES

The scene. Designing a scene. Its structure. Beats. The 3-act structure within a scene. Conflict, turning points within a scene. Functions of the scene. Plot movement through every scene. Lead in – lead out scenes. Entering late, getting out early. Scene transitions. Reversals. Length.

Session outcome: After the session the student will be able to write better and cohesive scenes in their screenplay using various scene designing techniques.

SESSION 7: DIALOGUE

Role and functions of dialogue. Dialogue vs. conversation. The ‘less-is-more’ principle. Dialogue as action/reaction. Sub-text. Finding a distinct voice for each character. The Indian dialogue tradition. Its uniqueness and evolution.

Session outcome: After the session the student will be able to write good and effective dialogues for their screenplays.

SESSION 8: SCRIPT READING

Read scripts to get a better understanding of how to write a screenplay and use different lingos, templates to write various scenes like telephonic conversation, flashbacks, flashforwards, intercuts etc.

Session outcome: After the session the student will be able to write a industry standard screenplay.

SESSION 9: WRITING SHORT FILMS

Analysing various short films and understanding the various techniques used to write a great short film from a mere ideation level.

Session outcome: After the session the student will have a 10 min short film ready for production.

SESSION 10: WRITING A BIOPIC

Choosing the subject. Understanding the defining characteristics of the subject – the essence of the biopic. Extracting a dramatically structured storyline from the biography. Research and research methodology. Discovering the subject’s inner world. Interpreting that for externalization. Inventiveness in creating fictitious characters, without deviating from the spirit of the biography. Authenticity above all.

Session outcome: After the session the student will know the difference between an autobiography and biopic. They will also be able to pick and adapt key events from a person’s life to weave them into a biopic.

SESSION 11:  ADAPTATIONS

Find the Narrative Arcs, Resist the Urge of Voice Over, Don’t Be Afraid to Cut, Avoid Long Thinking, Show, Don’t Tell,

Examples: Macbeth, Throne Of Blood, Macbool, Joji

Hamlet, Lion King, Haider

Session outcome: After the session the student will be able to identify the various ways to identify the central conflict of a novel and ways to adapt the same to a screenplay.

SESSION 13-14-15: WRITING FOR TELEVISION/WEBSERIES

Fundamentals of writing for television. Television writing as distinct from writing for feature films.

Writing the half-hour soap, the one-hour thriller, the one-hour drama, the half-hour sitcom. Writing for game shows, chat shows, travelogues and television events. Writing keeping commercial breaks in mind. Episode endings. The TV script format.

How to preparing a proposal for a TV series. Writing the Concept Note, the Treatment Note, the Character Sketch, the episode synopsis. Pitching a proposal. The PowerPoint pitch.

Discussion on how to write a webseries bible based on the NETFLIX BIBLE template.

Session outcome: After the session the student will have a webseries Bible ready for pitching.