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Training
Writing the Heroine's Story with Helen Jacey
Double heroines: Julie & Julia
Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 March 2010
10am-5pm, at Soho Theatre, London W1
Today’s film and TV heroines have never been so numerous or more diverse. From Juno to Mamma Mia!, female audiences have a multitude of exciting, empowering and even cynical reflections of women’s lives today. It’s been something of a hot topic over the last year with extensive press interest resulting in fascinating articles in The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Times. For screenwriters working now to create features in the future, one of the most important challenges is the creation of a unique, compelling and emotionally complex protagonist - 
Writer/director Courtney Hunt's heroine in Frozen River has received widespread acclaimbut what if your protagonist is a heroine? At a time when heroines are taking the screen by storm, and as stereotypical and limited female roles are on the wane, there’s still little out there to help screenwriters and development professionals grapple with the very different issues that female characters face.
Now for the first time ever, comes a unique opportunity for writers and development professionals to learn how to write a great heroine’s story, as tutor Helen Jacey, shares her expertise in the creation of memorable screen heroines. With her long anticipated book due to be published by Michael Wiese Publications in 2010, Helen’s seminar - first piloted by us in 2009 - is now bigger and better as she introduces new principles to help writers create effective heroines’ stories. Helen is a professional screenwriter who teaches on various MAs in Screenwriting in the UK, and is completing her doctorate in Screenwriting at the University of the Arts London.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
This programme is attached to our unique Friendly Producer's Scheme, which invites course attendees to submit a 2-page story outline plus the first ten pages of your screenplay after the course has ended. One participant will then be selected for a one-to-one meeting with 'Friendly Producer' Gareth Wiley, who has been responsible for Woody Allen's recent films including the Golden-Globe winning Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Globe-nominated Match Point.
PROGRAMME OUTLINE
Aspirational heroines: Diablo Cody's JunoDAY ONE
What makes a great heroine?
Heroines are more than just female heroes, they represent the writer’s attitudes and beliefs about gender and being a woman. We will explore why we choose certain types of heroines, and what we want to say about women’s lives when we choose a heroine.
Heroines' Stories
What are the main differences between heroes’ and heroines’ stories? Looking at a range of films, we will discuss the recent evolutions in film and TV to see why stories with heroines are told differently and how.
Phases of the Heroine’s Story
Helen will introduce a completely new way of thinking about story, moving away from the journey model that dominates mainstream narrative models. By understanding and using Phases of Story, a writer can think in new and creative ways in the construction of her narrative with a heroine
Streep & Hathaway - polar opposite heroines in The Devil Wears PradaDAY TWO
Beyond Archetypes
What is useful about using archetypes for character development of a heroine? What other ways of building character might be more relevant? Helen will introduce new ideas for developing a heroine’s character.
Conflict
From internal conflict to global conflict, Helen will explore all the diverse ways that conflict functions in a heroine’s story.
Gender and the Development Process
What are the main problems that arise in development when the hero is a heroine? Helen will discuss issues that might occur, and discuss strategies to deal with them.
Screen Analysis
Using examples from film and TV, screen analysis will enable participants to see the principles in practice.
Creative Strategies
Throughout the two days, creative exercises will enable participants to put the principles into practice to benefit their own projects. Using specially designed worksheets, participants will have the opportunity to work on and share problems and goals.
Smash hit, Mamma Mia! - populated with ultimate heroines
© Helen Jacey 2009
Booking Information
The fee for Writing the Heroine’s Story is £225 plus VAT (Total £264.38).
Script Factory Members are entitled to an extra discount, making the fee £190 plus VAT (Total £223.25). Click here for more information about joining as a Member.
The course will take place on Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 March 2010
with sessions lasting from 10am-5pm, at:
Soho Theatre
21 Dean Street
London
W1
To book your place by credit or debit card, please call Sheena on 0207 851 4890.
Based on a real-life heroine - La Vie En RosePreparatory Viewing
We will be referring to a wide range of films over the two-day course, some of which you will inevitably be more familiar with than others. To ensure that we have shared references to consider in more detail it would be useful if course attendees had watched as many as possible of the following recent films:
Juno (dir. Jason Reitman, 2007)
Julie and Julia (dir. Nora Ephron, 2009)
An Education (dir. Lone Scherfig, 2009)
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (dir. Lee Daniels, 2009)
Frozen River (dir. Courtney Hunt, 2008)
I've Loved You So Long (dir. Philippe Claudel, 2008)
Wendy and Lucy (dir. Kelly Reichardt, 2008)
Female Agents (dir. Jean-Paul Salomé, 2008)
La Vie en Rose (dir. Olivier Dahan, 2007)
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (dir. Cristian Mungiu, 2007)
Mamma Mia! (dir. Phyllida Lloyd, 2008)
Sideways (dir. Alexander Payne, 2004)
The Secret Life of Bees (dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2008)
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