Press release from The Lantern Group
Screen Australia proudly presents Character Building – a unique new development initiative that offers professional screenwriters of drama the opportunity to galvanise their character writing skills and enhance the reach of their screenplays.
The five-day workshop is a bespoke collaboration between Screen Australia and leaders in the development field, UK Script Factory, looking to films such as Juno, Lars and The Real Girl and Little Miss Sunshine as examples of stories that offer audiences engagement with complex, unorthodox and compelling characters bedded within quite simple stories.
The initiative is designed to inform and inspire at every stage. As well as covering the important aspects of screenwriting principles and craft, the week-long workshop will explore how to elevate drama ideas – those stories that focus on character rather than action – into films that can succeed. The workshop will focus on aspects of storytelling theory that cause stumbling blocks to both emerging and established writers, and provide practical sessions on screenwriting craft aimed at freeing up creativity. Character Building will encourage writers to construct authentic characters with the power to move us; through whom we can fall in love, save the world, challenge an injustice, grieve a great loss or grapple with our inner demons. The workshop will also consider the most constructive approach to engaging with the development process and ensuring the next draft is a step along the way to the script achieving its best potential. During the workshop participants will work one-on-one with facilitators to discuss a current feature concept, and will also be offered a personal follow-up consultation.
“Drama is such an important aspect of our cultural film voice and some of our brightest and best writers are drawn towards character-driven stories. But making a character-based drama doesn’t have to mean small audiences for your film,” said Martha Coleman, Screen Australia’s Head of Development. “Character Building is an opportunity for some of our drama writers to spend a week with Lucy Scher in the consideration of how to make their drama screenplay reach as wide an audience as possible, while staying true to their intentions.”
Experienced feature-length drama writers are invited to apply for this nationally offered workshop, to be held in Sydney 1–5 November at the Sydney Theatre in Walsh Bay.
Workshop facilitators include:
• Lucy Scher: UK Script Factory Founder and Director
• Angeli MacFarlane: International script developer and consultant; former executive for Pathé UK, and Head of Development for the Emmy® award-winning Borough Picture Company
• Veronica Gleeson: Screen Australia Development Manager.
Applications close on Friday 10 September 2010. Successful applicants will be announced in early October 2010.
Further details and application forms at www.screenaustralia.gov.au/characterbuilding