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Script development sits at the heart of the film and television industry, shaping projects as they move from idea to screen. It combines creative insight with editorial judgement and a clear understanding of audience and market needs.
The Certificate in Script Development for Film and TV is designed to build the core skills needed to support scripted projects through the development process. You’ll explore how stories evolve, how strong editorial input can elevate material, and how development professionals help position projects for production.
Delivered through live online sessions, with two in-person sessions in Edinburgh, the course fits around existing commitments while offering a practical, industry-focused learning experience. Teaching includes seminars, workshops, and applied assignments, enabling you to test your skills on real scripted material. You’ll also complete a slate development strand that reflects current industry practice, alongside guest sessions from experienced professionals who bring insight from across film and high-end television.
This course is ideal for early-career film and TV professionals, or those with some experience in the screen industries, looking to move into scripted development. It is particularly relevant to the Scottish sector, supporting progression into roles across HETV and independent production.
You will explore the creative, editorial, and strategic skills required to work in script development across film and television including:
Storytelling and Development Fundamentals
Gain a strong foundation in narrative structure, character, theme, genre, and tone, and understand how stories evolve through the development process.
Script Analysis
Learn to evaluate material with clarity, identifying strengths, challenges, and opportunities for redrafting, and shape clear, constructive development feedback through coverage and notes.
Editorial Practice
Build confidence in writing professional coverage and development notes, and contributing to constructive creative discussions.
Industry and Market Awareness
Explore audience positioning, genre trends, and what makes projects viable in today’s marketplace.
Practical Development
Work hands-on with scripted material through workshops and feedback sessions, building a portfolio that demonstrates your development skills.
Slate Development Research, shape, and pitch a small slate of projects, developing your editorial judgement and strategic thinking.
The course assumes a foundational understanding of dramatic storytelling (film, television, or theatre) and basic script formatting conventions.
Students should have some prior experience in writing, reading, analysing, or working with scripted material. This may include screenwriting, theatre, filmmaking, development assistance, script reading, or related study.
The course is aimed at early-career practitioners seeking to develop the skills required to work in script development roles within film, television, or independent production contexts.
If you are interested in this course with no prior experience, you may be interested in our Script Reading and Reporting short course.
Course Fee: £3950
Scholarships, supported by Screen Scotland, to contribute to the costs of attending this course may be available to those who are eligible. Please read the guidelines which are published below first to check if you are eligible.
You do not need to submit your full scholarship application until you have been awarded a place on the course. Eligible applications that are submitted by the course deadline will be prioritised for funding and in the event that course places are still available after the course deadline, we may not be able to provide funding for these so please do apply for your course place as soon as possible if you need funding.
Scholarships are generally not awarded for the full price of the course so you should anticipate paying a proportion yourself and/or securing funding from another source.
Your scholarship application and supporting documents should be sent to scotland@nfts.co.uk when advised of your place. Your documents are reviewed by a panel and we aim to be in touch as soon as possible with an outcome for you.
Please see below for the information you need for the process:
NFTS Scotland Certificate Scholarship Application Form
Please note the Channel 4/4 Skills Scholarship is not available for this course.
If you are not eligible for support via NFTS Scotland, please read our Alternative Funding Avenues
To apply, please complete the application form above as requested by the application deadline.
