Posts made in May, 2015

Write a movie script

Posted by Theresa Lutge-Smith on May 20, 2015 in Blog | Comments Off on Write a movie script

The Writing Studio in Cape Town [South Africa] has launched an exciting new initiative to unearth the talents of local screenwriters. There are many opportunities for screenwriters in South Africa with the boom of the local film and television industries, as well as many co-productions being filmed at the first rate film studio in Cape Town. Workshop: Learn to Write a Movie Script! During 2016 The Writing Studio will be developing 12 new South African screenplays that will foster the growth of the local  film and television industries, as well as introduce these stories to the world. The process kicks off with an 8-week The Write Journey Workshop for aspirant screenwriters at The Writing Studio in Cape Town on Tuesday evenings from 18:00 until 21:00 from June 2 2015. “Writing is about writing,” says Daniel Dercksen, who created this independent training initiative 15 years ago and has since been running workshops throughout South Africa. Graduates of these workshops include film makers John Barker (Spud 3: Learning to Fly, Bunny Chow and How To Steal a Million), Henk Pretorius (Leading Lady, Bakgat, Fanie Fourie Se Lobola), producer screenwriter and film maker Sallas de Jager (Roepman, Verraaiers, Musiek vir die agtergrond and Stuur Groete aan Mannetjies Roux). It’s not about keeping stories incomplete, but ultimately developing stories into new South African films, plays and novels,” says Dercksen. During The Write Journey the writers will explore their ideas, plot their stories, develop their characters , and start writing the first 10 pages of their screenplays. The Write Journey is about writers connecting with the process of writing productively in their comfort zones and producing South African stories global audiences want to experience. The duality of the workshop nurtures creativity: it allows the writer to write instinctively and take an introspective journey into storytelling; it also stimulates writers to write stories connected to their unique cultures, communities, history and experience that reflect the universal human condition. According to Dercksen, “We must make the most of the rich storytelling talent from diverse cultures we have in South Africa, and share these unique stories with the world.” The Write Journey weekend workshop takes place at The Writing Studio in Green Point, Cape Town on June 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, and July 7, 14 and 21 from 18:00 until 21:00. Correspondence Course The workshop is also available as a correspondence course for writers who prefer distance learning and want to work at their own pace. For more information and registration, visit the website www.writingstudio.co.za or send an email to info@writingstudio.co.za Daniel Dercksen is a published film and theatre journalist; qualified ETD Practitioner (Education, Training and Development) – accredited by SAQA (The South African Qualifications Authority) and working in accordance with the principles of the Department of Education. The play The Beauty of Incomplete Things, written, produced, designed and directed by Daniel Dercksen, enjoyed its world premiere in Cape Town on January 24, 2014 and a successful 3-week-run at the Johannesburg Theatre in July...