2.Main Content
Script Factory international
In discussion in Australia - Little Miss Sunshine
Tue, 31 Aug 2010
We’re busy getting our visas in order ready for an Autumn of international travel with visits to Sweden and Australia coming up where we’ll be offering our unique brand of development training to two very different groups of filmmakers.
First up we head to Örebro, Sweden, as guests of Filmpol Mitt & Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen, with a two-day workshop during which a small group of selected Swedish scriptwriters, producers and dramaturges will be introduced to a structured approach to assessing scripts. 
By examining produced screenplays and reading early work by new screenwriters, the programme will explore what makes a good screen story and consider how to recognise screenwriting talent. Long-term Script Factory tutor Ludo Smolski will be leading the workshop – and interested Swedish filmmakers should email oliver.m.dixon@gmail.com.
The following month we’re taking off for Sydney as guests of Screen Australia. It’s a return trip – this is our second foray to Oz in less than a year – and we’re delighted to have been invited to double our programme this time when tutors Lucy Scher and Angeli Macfarlane will be offering both a Script Development Workshop and a brand new Screenwriting Workshop in Character Building.
Character Building - A Screenwriting Workshop
1-5 November
For feature film writers committed to writing drama – those stories that focus more on character than action – one of the most important challenges is the creation of unique, compelling and emotionally complex characters and to elevate the underlying drama into films that can succeed. What is it about Juno, Little Miss Sunshine and Lars and the Real Girl that made audiences want to see those films? As part of Screen Australia’s ongoing commitment to supporting the development of screen stories with strong creative force and high-level craft, Screen Australia is collaborating with us to present a five-day workshop for professional feature drama writers. The workshop covers aspects of storytelling theory that cause stumbling blocks to both emerging and established writers. It includes practical sessions on screenwriting craft aimed at freeing up creativity, looks at issues such as unorthodox characters and ways to make them empathetic, and considers the most effective approach toward ensuring that the next draft delivers to its best potential. You can find out more about Character Building - A Screenwriting Workshop here.
Script Developers Initiative
9-11 November
The foundation of good development is the ability to read and analyse a screenplay in order to ascertain its potential strengths as well as correctly identify the source of its weaknesses. As a stand-alone practice in Australia, the script development role demands specific, tailored support from a number of experienced and relevant sources - Screen Australia recognises rigorous craft-based script development as an essential part of the feature filmmaking process. With a view to strengthening and advancing Australian screenwriting culture and its practitioners, Screen Australia has invited us to assist professionals involved in the development side of filmmaking to hone their skills in a practical environment. Full details of our Script Developers Initiative here.