The weekend was one big long screenwriting workshop, presented by Ben Young. And it was great.
I suprised myself by taking comprehensive notes and recording as much as I could (with a somewhat unreliable iPhone recorder) and then spent most of Monday compiling them.
I am grateful to FTI for making positions available on the course to the Diploma students currently enrolled. In the end there were 3 Diploma students and 7 participants.
Screenwriting is a remarkably concise, predictable art. Beginning, middle and an end, conflict, twists, comedy and tragedy, the lows and the highs are all formulaic. So the structure is more like maths than art. The effectiveness of the writing? That is the art.
All in all I found it very informative, and an excellent investment of my time.
I'm looking forward to having a crack.
I totally commented on this post yesterday, so where has my comment gone? Stupid blogger.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're getting some good screenwriting experience Ushy, can't wait to read some.
Hey Ushan
ReplyDeleteLove your comments - but the predictable art comment really discounts the JOY of screenwriting (that's what I tell my students at www.wordsmythe.ca ) The joy of screenwriting is how unpredictable it is just when you 'think' you know where it's going - kind of like life, I guess!
Cheers - Jana / www.wordsmythe.ca
Thanks Jana and Sari for your comments. I will definitely contemplate the joys - in fact I shall seek them out. Thank you for bringing them to my attention!
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