Screenwriting in Ireland

Instructor

Mark O'Connor

Location

Course Description

This course is devoted to exploring the ins and outs of feature film screenwriting, with emphasis shown to the crime genre. Through the exploration of the craft, students will acquire an in-depth knowledge and understanding of how to develop a screenplay from core idea to fully finished screenplay.  Students will first learn how to format a screenplay correctly for the industry and then be taken through the process of developing the core idea and theme which is central to the work. After that, we will explore the different elements of the craft from character development, master plot building, writing dialogue and choosing your genre. We will examine the different techniques which can be used affectively in breaking down a screenplay into parts such as the Three Act Structure, The Five Act Structure and the eight Sequence Approach. The class will combine analytical and practical approaches with students being given tasks each week based on the content of the class. Every student will develop a logline for an idea they have and from that a synopsis and a breakdown of the beats of the story. At the end of the course students will have a beat sheet for a core idea which can then be developed into a fully crafted screenplay, using all the knowledge they have acquired on the course. 

Syllabus