AFTRS Graduate Diploma of Screenwriting

2011

Location: Sydney
Level: Postgraduate – Advanced
Delivery Mode: Part time
Duration: 64 weeks/4 semesters
Year 1: 4 x 3 day weekends and 2 x 9 day blocks (Saturday and Sunday), 1 day.
Year 2: 1 day and 1 x 2 day weekend and mentor meetings as agreed.
Course Fee: $17,500
Per seemster EFTSL: 0.25

Learn more about the AFTRS Graduate Diploma of Screenwriting Course

A practical and intense course for writers with professional skills in other forms of writing and for screenwriters with some experience, at the beginning of their screen drama careers. Through workshops, face-to-face classes and writing exercises, students will be guided through the process of writing for the screen including classical narrative structures, writing for performance, genre and the business of being a writer. During this course students complete at least two projects – one commissioned piece, and one self-nominated project supported by an experienced industry mentor.

The first year is focused on learning and practising writing skills. The second year is focused on your project and working with an industry professional as mentor with supporting meetings with the AFTRS screenwriting staff to assist and monitor your progress and assisting you in advancing your project into the market place.

OUTCOMES
By the end of the course, students will have had the opportunity to:

• Develop and apply the craft skills acquired in the creation of a pilot episode of television drama.
• Develop and hone a substantial long form project with the guidance of an expert industry mentor.
• Discover and apply the conventions of specific genres to the first act of an original feature film script.
• Gain practical tools and insight into industry processes.
• Explore the nature of creative collaboration in screen story-telling and how to benefit from it.

PRE-REQUISITES
Demonstrated abilities in at least one of the following areas:

• Developed skills as a writer in any form.
• Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting or equivalent basic knowledge of writing for character and screen.

COURSE OVERVIEW
This course is designed for writers who understand the basics of story structure, dialogue, character and subtext and now wish to develop a more complex understanding of the challenges of screenwriting.

It is a practical and intense course for writers with professional skills in other forms of writing and for screenwriters with some experience, at the beginning of their screen drama careers. Through intensive workshops, face-to-face classes and writing exercises, students will be guided through the process of writing for the screen including: classical narrative structures, writing to a brief, genre and the business of being a writer. As well as writing exercises of varying lengths and formats, students will develop one self-nominated project supported by an experienced industry mentor.

During the course students will be required to share their work-in-progress and give structured feedback on each other’s work.

The first year is focused on learning and practising writing skills. The second year is focused on pairing the student with an industry mentor to advance a project of the student’s choosing, with supporting meetings with AFTRS screenwriting staff, into the market place.

MODULES

Core Modules

Project
Development of a project of the student’s choosing under the extended one-on-one guidance of an industry mentor; combining the student’s passion and creative instincts to craft skills and practical industry advice.

Writing to a Brief
A structured series of set writing tasks within an overall brief, designed to practise and test a working familiarity with the concepts, principles and skills explored during classical storytelling.

Classical Storytelling
An advanced exploration of classical dramatic principles, and how they apply to story structure and writing for character.

Exploring Character
Exploring Character is a practical workshop for students collaborating with professional directors to explore the deepest layers of the characters they have created.

The Business of Screenwriting
This module will provide an overview of the pathways available to becoming a working writer in Australia; focusing on establishing creative partnerships; finding the right agent; approaching funding and development agencies for development financing; rights management, intellectual property, chain of title and contract negotiation.

TV Genre Writing
Genre workshops focus on the craft and creative challenges of writing for a specific television genre. Each workshop will focus on a different genre and its conventions and comprise a mix of screenings, discussion, creative exercises and student presentations of their own work and analysis of existing works.

Elective Modules
Feature Film Genre Writing
The genre workshops focus on the craft and creative challenges of writing for a specific genre. Each workshop will focus on a different genre and its conventions and comprise a mix of screenings, discussion, creative exercises and student presentations of their own work and analysis of existing works.

Students will be required to attend 3 out of the 4 genre electives and choose one in which to write the first act of a feature film screenplay.

Learn more about the AFTRS Graduate Diploma of Screenwriting Course