Content Tabs
Delivered over 8 weeks (1 evening a week), this course will give you the tools to develop a 'based on a true story' script for a feature film or multi-part television series. We will explore crucial questions like how far can you depart from the facts in pursuit of creating a stronger dramatic narrative without betraying the 'truth' of a true story?
The course will offer a staged development process, with sessions that are a combination of lectures and guided workshops where participants provide feedback on each other’s works-in-progress. We will also view and discuss dramatisations of true stories to see how experienced writers have solved problems and handled challenges.
At the end of the course, you will have a working document that you can further develop into a finished 'based on a true story' script and a clear idea of how to move forward.
Course Lead Ellin Stein is currently an Associate Lecturer in the MA Scriptwriting program at Goldsmiths and an MA / MFA script mentor at the Central School of Speech and Drama.
She also writes a regular column for Slate on What’s Fact and What’s Fiction in current fact-based releases. Before entering academia, she worked in development for production companies including Zoetrope and Miramax.
As a non-fiction writer, she’s contributed to publications including The Times, The Telegraph, and The New York Times, and has scripted feature documentaries for Radio 4
- Developing scriptwriting skills - Less experienced script writers will gain familiarity and confidence with effective scriptwriting techniques while those who are more experienced will expand and polish their skills.
- Adapting a story based on real events into a dramatic narrative script - You will learn to balance staying faithful to the facts of the story with creating an effective dramatic narrative, how to incorporate essential factual context without getting bogged down in it, how to assess whether a true story is suitable for screen adaptation, and how to inject emotion without devolving into propaganda. You will also consider what is the appropriate format (feature film? TV?), style (e.g. linear and naturalistic? Associative and highly-stylized?) and genre.
- Creating Character - Finding your protagonist - whose eyes do we see the story through? How to make characters convincing and believable. How much do your characters have to resemble their real-life inspirations? What about inventing characters for dramatic purposes?
- Structure - You will build on your main plot points and create a detailed step-outline that will give you a scene-by-scene map to the story.
- Next Steps - How to take your project to the next level. Sending your script out into the world.
This course is for anyone who is currently writing or considering writing a film or television script based on real events. Previous scriptwriting experience is not a requirement, though it would be helpful.