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Course Details:
Modules: 10 lessons
Cost: $895.00
Length: Course can be completed at own pace: between six and twelve months
Registration: Online at http://www.nzwriterscollege.co.nz/
Students must complete…
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10 writing exercises (10 for assessment and feedback)
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1 Short script for either theatre, radio or film
Admission Requirements:
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Basic writing skills are essential
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Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required
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No previous tertiary qualification required
Tutor:
 Karen Jeynes studied English and Drama at the University Of Cape Town, South Africa. Her plays include “Laying Blame”, “sky too big”, “Backwards in High Heels” (co-authored with the cast), “Don’t Mention Sex”, “Kiss Kiss” and the multi award-winning “Everybody Else (is Fucking Perfect)”. She has also directed “The Best Man”, “Pillow Talk” and “Txt Me”. Her adaptation of Thomas Rapakgadi’s “The Purse is Mine” aired on Bush Radio last year, and she is busy writing a radio drama series for SAfm with Nkuli Sibeko, tentatively entitled “Office Hours”. Her teenage novel “Jacques Attack” (co-authored with Nkuli Sibeko) was published in 2004, and her new book, “Flipside”, co-authored with Eeshaam September, is due for release this year.
Course Curriculum:
1. What's in a script?
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A brief understanding of the role of the scriptwriter in film, theatre and radio
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Exercise: Write a review of a film or play focusing on how the SCRIPT succeeds or fails
2. Plot and Structure
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The dos and don’ts OR the rules and how to break them
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Exercise: Write an anecdote from real life, then rewrite it with different structures and see how that changes the story
3. Character
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How to create characters, flesh them out and let them have their way
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Exercise: Create four characters in detail that grow out of the story you used in Structure.
4. Dialogue
5. Action
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Scripts are performance material, they are alive
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Exercise: Using your other two characters, write a scene with little or no dialogue, focusing on action.
6. Beginnings and Endings
7. The Technical Stuff
8. Knowing your Market
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Discussion of the scriptwriting industry
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Exercise: Write a treatment for your script, including characters, scene breakdown and sample scenes
9. Cutting and Editing
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Being brutal and “Taking it out” while maintaining the truth
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Exercise: Take a sample scene and cutting it to the minimum. Look at your scene order and see if you could change things around, and what effect that would have.
10. Your Script
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Putting it all together
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Exercise: Write a final script review, taking note of what works and what doesn’t.
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Exercise: Complete your short script!
How does the course work?
Detailed class notes covering the content of each module are e-mailed to students, or students can download modules directly from the Student Centre online.
At the end of each module, students will be required to complete one or two writing exercises. In total, the course includes ten short writing assignments, all of which count towards the final result of the student.
Once the writing assignment has been completed, and e-mailed to the lecturer, an assessment and feedback will be sent to the student, and the module will be considered complete.
Students can also participate in ongoing online discussions by posting comments about the materials covered in the course, as well as give feedback to students who have posted their pieces in the Discussion Forum.
Conditions of Certification:
Students will receive an NZ Writers College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided they meet the following conditions:
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Students must have completed all assignments
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The course must have been completed within twelve months of registration.
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Students are expected to attain a minimum average of 50% for the course
Minimum Estimated Time Commitment:
Reading time: 10 hours
Writing time: 30 - 40 hours
Research time: 2 - 5 hours
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