Scriptwriting For Film And Television In South Africa Training

Objectives:
• Understand the role and responsibilities of a scriptwriter in South African film and television.
• Identify the structure and key players in the local industry.
• Explore the regulatory environment, including SABC, e.tv, and the NFVF.
• Distinguish between formats: film, TV series, soapies, and docudramas.

Topics:
• Overview of the South African film and television landscape.
• Key industry bodies: NFVF, SABC, M-Net, and independent producers.
• The scriptwriter’s role: from concept to screen.
• Understanding broadcasting codes and content requirements.
• Introduction to script genres and formats.
• Case study: successful South African productions.

Objectives:
• Define core story elements: plot, character, setting, and theme.
• Apply classical three-act structure to film and television.
• Understand alternative structures (e.g., non-linear, episodic).
• Analyse story beats and turning points.

Topics:
• The three-act structure: setup, confrontation, resolution.
• Character arcs and motivation.
• Theme and subtext in storytelling.
• Plot vs. story: narrative techniques.
• Story mapping and beat sheets.
• Workshop: breaking down a local film into acts.

Objectives:
• Create multidimensional characters with clear goals and flaws.
• Write authentic dialogue that reveals character and advances plot.
• Use subtext and voice to differentiate characters.
• Understand character relationships and dynamics.

Topics:
• Character profiles: backstory, archetypes, and stereotypes.
• Dialogue writing: rhythm, slang, and South African vernacular.
• Subtext and exposition.
• Character voice: age, region, and socioeconomic background.
• Scene analysis: dialogue-driven moments.
• Exercise: writing a dialogue scene with conflict.

Objectives:
• Master professional script formatting for film and television.
• Use industry-standard software (Final Draft, Celtx, WriterDuet).
• Understand the role of scene headings, action lines, and parentheticals.
• Adapt formatting for different formats: sitcoms, dramas, and reality TV.

Topics:
• Standard screenplay format (Courier 12pt, margins, sluglines).
• Television script formats: multicam vs. single-cam.
• Software tools and templates.
• Common formatting errors and how to avoid them.
• Practical: format a sample scene correctly.
• Peer review of formatted scripts.

Objectives:
• Identify conventions of key genres: drama, comedy, thriller, soap opera.
• Tailor content to target audiences (e.g., youth, urban, rural).
• Understand the impact of language and cultural references.
• Write genre-appropriate scenes with tone and pacing.

Topics:
• Genre tropes and expectations in South African context.
• Comedy timing and situational humour.
• Drama: emotional beats and tension.
• Thriller: suspense and pacing.
• Soap opera: cliffhangers and multiple storylines.
• Audience demographics and content regulations.

Objectives:
• Create a comprehensive series bible: logline, characters, world, and arcs.
• Outline a pilot episode that hooks viewers.
• Understand the long-term narrative arc for a series.
• Pitch the series concept effectively.

Topics:
• Components of a TV series bible.
• Logline and premise.
• Character arcs across seasons.
• Pilot structure: cold open, inciting incident, cliffhanger.
• Writing a pilot outline.
• Exercise: develop a bible for a South African TV series.

Objectives:
• Structure episodic television: A-story, B-story, C-story.
• Collaborate in a writers' room environment.
• Write to network notes and production constraints.
• Understand commercial breaks and act breaks.

Topics:
• Episodic structure: teaser, acts, tag.
• Balancing multiple storylines.
• Writers' room dynamics and brainstorming.
• Writing to a running time and budget.
• Network notes and revisions.
• Workshop: break a story in a simulated writers' room.

Objectives:
• Outline a feature-length screenplay with clear act breaks.
• Use visual storytelling to convey theme and emotion.
• Write compelling scene descriptions and transitions.
• Understand pacing for the big screen.

Topics:
• Feature film structure: sequence approach.
• Visual storytelling: show, don't tell.
• Scene description: atmosphere, action, and subtext.
• Transitions and montages.
• Case study: South African feature films.
• Exercise: write a key scene from a feature outline.

Objectives:
• Adapt existing material (books, true stories) into scripts.
• Understand copyright, option agreements, and intellectual property.
• Navigate legal considerations in South Africa.
• Write a treatment for an adaptation.

Topics:
• Adaptation techniques: fidelity vs. creative license.
• Rights clearance and option agreements.
• South African copyright law and the Copyright Act.
• Writing treatments and proposals.
• Ethical considerations in true-story adaptations.
• Exercise: adapt a short story into a scene.

Objectives:
• Develop a compelling verbal and written pitch.
• Create a professional portfolio: loglines, treatments, and sample scripts.
• Understand how to approach producers and broadcasters.
• Build a network and manage rejection.

Topics:
• The elevator pitch: structure and delivery.
• Written pitch documents: one-pagers and proposals.
• Targeting the right market: broadcasters, streaming, and film festivals.
• Networking strategies in the SA industry.
• Dealing with feedback and rejection.
• Role-play: pitch a script to a mock producer.

Objectives:
• Implement constructive feedback from peers and mentors.
• Rewrite scenes to strengthen conflict, dialogue, and pacing.
• Collaborate effectively with directors and producers.
• Manage revisions within deadlines.

Topics:
• The rewriting process: macro vs. micro revisions.
• Giving and receiving feedback.
• Working with directors: vision and script notes.
• Collaborative script development.
• Time management for rewrites.
• Workshop: rewrite a scene based on feedback.

Objectives:
• Complete a polished script sample (10-15 pages) for film or TV.
• Present the script and receive final critique.
• Create a personal action plan for career development.
• Reflect on learning and next steps.

Topics:
• Final project: writing a complete scene or short script.
• Peer and instructor feedback session.
• Career pathways: freelance, staff writer, or creator.
• Resources: guilds, funding, and development programmes.
• Course evaluation and certification.
• Networking mixer with industry guests.