Screenplay- Narration and Pitching Workshop in Mumbai

SCREENPLAY- NARRATION & PITCHING WORKSHOP

Learn the art and craft of screenplay- narration and pitching from eminent film
professionals like Robin Bhatt (Writer, Baazigar, Koi Mil Gaya, Krissh), Sanjay Chhel
(Writer: Rangeela, Yes Boss), Atul Tiwari (NSD Grad + Writer, Mission Kashmir), Jyothi
Kapur Das (FTII Grad + Creative Director, Development & Production, Viacom 18 Motion
Pictures) and Amitosh Nagpal (NSD Graduate + Actor, Dabang).

Please contact 9769449556 or rajashree.in@gmail.com for more information

The Indian film and television industry is looking for fresh voices. With the diminishing
appeal of the formula masala film, there is a demand for out-of-the-box thinking, for writers who
understand the art and craft of story-telling. It’s a great time to enter the field.

But in the Bombay film industry, it's not enough to approach a producer or a film
star with a well-written script. Because people often don't read scripts. They ask for a verbal
narration. And a bad narration can mean that you, and your script, are shown the door. A
narration is a performance. But a very specific kind of a performance, in which you have to
narrate your script in a dramatic way, so as to make the listener 'see' the film in their minds and
feel emotionally moved by it.

Pitching a script is an art form, and although it can be stressful, it's something every
writer has to perfect before approaching producers, studio executives or stars. So what is
pitching exactly? A pitch is a dramatic verbal summation of a script with emphasis on the main
characters, the conflict, and the genre. It's a big help to have a great pitch prepared before you
contact industry personnel. You never know when you'll be called upon to sell your story or
how you'll be asked to sell it. In this workshop, you will learn to pitch, that is, what to say about
your proposed film and how to say it, in order to get the producer or star to say yes!

The practical-oriented workshop will have limited seats, so that attention can be given
to every student. There will be full-day classes on Sundays, so you can pursue your dreams
without forsaking the responsibilities of your work or studies.

DURATION
The course will be conducted as full-day classes on Sundays over 1 month.

VENUE
The classes will be held in an air-conditioned hall in Oshiwara, Andheri (West).

CERTIFICATE
The students would be awarded a certificate at the successful completion of the workshop.

FEES
The fees for the workshop would be Rs 12,700. They would be payable in full at the time of
registration.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Participants would be required to know the basics of screenwriting. Please note that the participants
would not be taught how to write scripts in this workshop, they will only learn how to pitch their
proposed films and narrate their scripts to producers, directors and actors.

FACULTY
Amitosh Nagpal will lead the workshop and conduct the practicals. Robin Bhatt, Atul Tiwari and Jyothi
Kapur Das will give lectures.

ROBIN BHATT: He is one of the most successful script-writers in Bollywood, having written Baazigar,
Dil  Hai  Ke  Maanta  Nahin, Koi  Mil  Gaya,  Krrish, and 50 other films. He is the Joint Secretary of the
Film Writers Association.

SANJAY CHHEL: Is a writer, director and lyricist. Has written Rangeela,  Yes  Boss,  Kismet
Konnection, Partner, Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji and 20 more films. He has directed Khoobsurat and
Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam.

ATUL TIWARI: Dashaavataar with Kamal Haasan was his latest release. He has scripted more than
twenty films like Yeh  Woh  Manzil  Toh  Nahin,  Mission  Kashmir and Netaji:  The  Forgotten  Hero. An
NSD graduate, he has adapted and directed plays of Shakespeare, Shaw, Goethe and Schiller apart
from Indian plays. Also conducts workshops on screenwriting and theatre. He works very closely with
Kamal Hassan.

JYOTHI KAPUR DAS: She is a graduate from FTII. An award-winning filmmaker and writer, she is
currently the Creative Head, Development & Production, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures

AMITOSH NAGPAL: A graduate from NSD, he is a talented actor, script-writer and lyricist. He has
acted in Dabang, Aarakshan and Powder. Amitosh has written and sung a song in Oye Lucky, Lucky
Oye. He is currently writing scripts for some feature films.

RAJASHREE: Assisted Mansoor Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansal after studying direction at the Film
and Television Institute of India, Poona. A film she wrote and directed, The Rebel, was screened
at many film festivals, and won the National Award. Her critically acclaimed first book, Trust Me, is
a lighthearted romantic comedy set in the Bombay film industry. According to figures given by The
Times of India and The Sunday Telegraph, Trust Me is the biggest-selling Indian chick lit novel. She
is represented by Isabel Atherton, the director of Creative Authors, a literary agency based in the
UK. She has taught at FTII and some of the best film schools in Bombay. She has been organising
courses independently since 2009.

Please contact +919769449556 or rajashree.in@gmail.com for more information

Creative writing and Script writing in February in Bangalore

SCRIPT WRITING WORKSHOPStorygram is starting a three weekend workshop on script writing starting this Sunday, 12 th February, from 11 am to 6 pm.
VENUE : Pioneer Manpower Solutions, 14/1, 3rd floor, Wood Street, Parallel to Castle street, Ashok Nagar, Richmond Road, Bangalore.
Landmark: diagonally opposite to Sacred Hearts' Church, next to Reliance Trends, near Show Off outlet
All the students will write a five minute script in the Celtex (American screenplay) format during the course. We will learn how to 'show' and not 'tell' the story in the audiovisual language of scriptwriting. We will study how good scripts are written by analysing scenes from good films, by reading the scenes and then viewing them. The theoretical aspects that would be covered are:  Characterization, Plot, Theme, Dialogue writing, Structure, and Flow.

All the writing classes will have ample writing assignments for the students. These assignments will be either read out in class or feedback will be given over email. Since the workshop is spread out over three Sundays, the students will also get homework assignments. The end result of this endevour would be a complete short film script, in the proper audio-visual format.
Fees : Rs. 6,200
Teachers Profile :
Manjushree Abhinav is an author and a film maker. She has studied at FTII, Pune and worked in the film industry in Mumbai for ten years as an AD, scriptwriter, and has made her own short films. After that, she went on to teach at reputed institutes like NID in Ahemedabad, FTII in Pune and SRISTI in Bangalore. She has conducted several creative writing workshops at Times of India. Her films are uploaded on this site. Her book, A Grasshopper's Pilgrimage, is available on flipkart. Manjushree lives in Bangalore, she blogs at www.baktoo.blogspot.com  and her email id is manjushree.abhinav@gmail.com .
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP
Storygram is also planning a creative writing workshop on 18th February, Sunday, from 11 am to 6 pm.
Fees: Rs 1,600
SOULPEN  1

• A three step ritual to loosen the writers block.*
• Exploring the map of the mind, from oceans to the stars, to write a short story.
• The two approaches to fiction: A ) the American Conflict- Resolution Structure and B ) the Navarasas.
• Secret tools of a writer.**

Participants will be given plenty of writing exercises during the workshop to bring home their understanding of the concepts.

*DEALING WITH THE WRITERS BLOCK

Why do we write? Because we need to tell the story. As children, all of us are born creative. When we learn to talk, there is no difference between imagination and reality. Education encourages us to develop our logic and the creative process takes a back seat. The glimpses of the muse are short and sweet: She comes visiting, she leaves a scene and takes back the movie. Missing the muse, the creative spirit, leads to the writer’s block.

Creative blockage can happen to the best of artists. Although we call this a writer’s unblocking ritual, this exercise is known to help all kinds of artists in getting over their creative blocks. This exercise is self-introspective and at the same time lighthearted. Words get tossed out, opening a series of self traps. Those who are truly interested in unearthing their hidden depths love this exercise.

**SECRET TOOLS OF AN ARTIST

Creativity is not just a hobby. It is a spiritual path. More like a spiritual garden. A garden that is watered with attention and shined on with energy will flower. The creative gardner who is flowing in art carries a bag full of secret tools. I am not talking of the painters canvas and oils. Those you can buy in the shops. My bag is full of attitudes. Devil may care or not, the artist is not an artist without them.

Scriptwriting Workshops in Mumbai

After the success of the first scriptwriting workshop, my sister has announced more, in accordance with the growing demand. . .

SCRIPTWRITING COURSES/ WORKSHOPS

In the beginning comes the word. A script is the ‘blueprint’ of the film. The screenwriter sees the film in his/her mind’s eye and transfers the vision on to paper. The journey from paper to the silver screen is a long one – actors have to be cast, crew members hired, sets constructed, raw stock and expensive equipment procured, the film has to shot, then processed and edited, the sound and picture have to be worked on… It’s a long and expensive journey, but never forget: In the beginning comes the word.

The Indian film and television industry is looking for good, original screenplays. With the diminishing appeal of the formula masala film, there is a demand for fresh voices and out of the box thinking, for scriptwriters who understand the art and craft of screenwriting. The audience wants good stories, well told.

Learn to write scripts for the big and small screens from Rajashree, who is an award-winning filmmaker and a bestselling novelist. She has taught at the Film and Television Institute of India, and some of the best film schools in Bombay.

Rajashree’s been a film buff since she was a kid – she once stood in a line for five hours to get tickets for Sholay. She has been working in Bombay after studying direction at the Film and Television Institute of India, Poona. She’s assisted Mansoor Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. A film she wrote and directed, The Rebel, was screened at many film festivals, and won the National Award and the Golden Ten Award. Her critically acclaimed first book, Trust Me, is a lighthearted romantic comedy set in the Bombay film industry. According to figures given by The Times of India and The Sunday Telegraph, Trust Me is the biggest-selling Indian chick lit novel. http://rajashree.in

While Rajashree would be the main person conducting the workshops, there would also be guest lectures by professionals from the film industry.

CONTACT

For further information, please call 9769449556 or email rajashree.in@gmail.com

COURSES/ WORKSHOPS:

1. 2-DAY SCRIPTWRITING WORKSHOP:

A full-time 2-day workshop

6 sessions of 2.5 hours each, over 2 days

Fees: Rs 2,900

2. 6-WEEK SCRIPTWRITING COURSE:

A part-time course of 6 weeks beginning on 18th July.

8 sessions of 5 hours each, over 6 weekends

Fees: Rs 11,900 (Discounts available for students, etc.)

3. FEATURE FILM SCREENPLAY WORKSHOP

A workshop in which each participant writes a feature film screenplay with the guidance of the faculty. Begins in July

34 sessions of 3 hours each, over 4 months

Fees: Rs 28,000

CERTIFICATES

The students would be given certificates at the completion of the courses/ workshops.

VENUE

The workshops/ courses would be held in Goregaon.

WHICH COURSE / WORKSHOP SHOULD YOU CHOSE?

If you would like to write a feature film screenplay or rework a screenplay you’ve been working on, the Feature Film Screenplay Workshop would be right for you.

If you would like to learn screenplay-writing, you can choose between the fulltime 2-day workshop and the part-time six-week course. The advantage of the weekend course is that it’s a short duration intensive overview of the basics of screenwriting. The advantage of the part-time six-week course is that you can learn by doing – assignments will be given every week that strengthen your understanding of the concepts being taught and you will write a full-fledged script (screenplay and dialogues) for a short film.

The details for each course/ workshop follow.

2-DAY SCRIPTWRITING WORKSHOP:

WHEN

A full-time 2-day workshop

DURATION

6 sessions of 2.5 hours each, over 2 days

CERTIFICATE

The students would be given certificates at the completion of the workshop.

FEES

The fees are Rs 2,900.

COURSE CONTENT

·Film-making: As a scriptwriter, it is necessary to understand the process of making a film - pre-production, production and post-production.

A brief overview of how films are made would be given to the students.

·Storytelling: The audience is looking for a good story told well. Fiction films are basically about telling stories through visuals and sounds. Where do stories come from? Life as a source – memory, imagination, experience – yours & others. The nature and role of intuition. Universalising the personal experience. Importance of research. Adaptation from literary works. The difference between actually being inspired and stealing ideas.

·Audiovisual Writing: Films are an audiovisual medium, so a script is basically a description of the visuals and sounds that will be seen and heard in the film. What are the elements of visual story telling? The discipline of writing a screenplay. The ‘outer manifestation of inner reality’ which Satyajit Ray talks about.

· Characterisation: How to create 3 dimensional characters.

How to establish characters on screen. The Protagonist and the Antagonist. Dramatic Need of the protagonist & its relation to the plot. The way the character grows and changes during the film.

Establishing characters on screen. “Show, don’t tell.”

· The Format: The format for writing the Synopsis, One-Line Script (Brief Step-Outline), Screenplay / Script for a film.

· The Elements of Scriptwriting: Scriptwriting is an art, but there’s also a craft to it. The students would be taught the elements of screenwriting: Action, Character, Setting, Theme, Structure.

· The Importance of Conflict: Drama comes from conflict. We would analyse the types of conflict: Static Conflict, Jumping Conflict, Rising Conflict, Foreshadowing Conflict. How mystery, surprise and suspense are used.

· Structuring: Understanding the way screenplays of films are structured and learning how to use these elements in your own work: The 3-act structure. Set-Up, Confrontation, Climax & Resolution.

Plot, Sub-plots, weaving them together.

· What does the film ‘say’: Films reflect the Zeitgeist, the spirit of the times when the film was made and the Weltenschaung, the worldview of the film-maker. We would discuss the Premise, Theme, Ideology, Ethical & Socio-Political Ideas conveyed through films.

6-WEEK SCRIPTWRITING COURSE:

WHEN

A part-time course of 6 weeks beginning on 18th July.

DURATION

8 sessions of 5 hours each, over 6 weekends

CERTIFICATE

The students would be given certificates at the completion of the workshop.

FEES

The fees are Rs 11,900. They would be paid at the time of admission.

COURSE CONTENT

The students will be taught scriptwriting by interactive sessions and theory classes.

INTERACTIVE SESSIONS: The students would write at home and then read out their work in interactive sessions in which they receive feedback as well as suggestions. They would be required to work on assignments that strengthen their understanding of the concepts being taught, a full-fledged script (screenplay and dialogues) for a 10-minute film and finally, a feature film step outline.

Assignments:

1. Writing concepts for 4 films and brief character sketches of 3 characters every week.
2. A scene - One Character, One Space - in which situations, characters & states of mind are depicted by audiovisual means
3. One-page character sketches of a fictional character & a real person the student knows personally
4. A detailed character sketch of one person who can be the protagonist of a film
5. Writing a scene in the international format, in which the character of the protagonist is established.
6. A scene-by-scene analysis of a classic Indian commercial film in the form of a step-outline / one-line script
7. Scene-by-scene analysis of a feature film the student likes
8. Visiting a place for an hour, taking notes and writing an actuality trip report in audiovisual terms
9. Interviewing a person and writing a report about that

Script for a Short Film

1. The basic idea

2. The synopsis

3. What is the premise of the film? What is the theme? What are the socio-political and ethical ideas being conveyed?

4. Character sketches of the main characters, keeping their physiology, sociology and psychology in mind. The back story – what has happened in the life of the character before the film begins? How does the character change and grow through the film.

5. The Step-Outline of the film, in which every scene is described in a paragraph.

6. Screenplay with dialogue for the short film

Workshop on the Step-Outline of a Film: Starting from scratch, the teacher and students would write a brief step outline for an original film screenplay in class.

THEORY:

Film-making: As a scriptwriter, it is necessary to understand the process of making a film - pre-production, production and post-production.

A brief overview of how films are made would be given to the students.

Storytelling: The audience is looking for a good story told well. Fiction films are basically about telling stories through visuals and sounds. What are the elements of a good story? Where do stories come from? Life as a source – memory, imagination, experience – yours & others. The nature and role of intuition. Universalising the personal experience. Importance of research.

Adaptation from literary works. The difference between actually being inspired and stealing ideas.

Audiovisual Writing: Films are an audiovisual medium so a script is basically a description of the visuals and sounds that will be seen and heard in the film. What are the elements of visual story telling? The discipline of writing a screenplay. The ‘outer manifestation of inner feelings’ which Satyajit Ray talks about.

Characterisation: How to create 3 dimensional characters.

How to establish characters on screen. The Protagonist and the Antagonist. Dramatic Need of the protagonist & its relation to the plot. The way the character grows and changes during the film.

Establishing characters on screen. “Show, don’t tell.”

The Format: The format for writing the Synopsis, Step-outline.

The format for writing the Screenplay and Script for a film.

Learning from tradition: The art of dramatic writing has been written about for thousands of years. We would talk about Bharat’s Natyashastra, Nav Rasas & their relationship with Indian films. Aristotle's ideas about drama have greatly influenced Western theatre and cinema.

The Elements of Scriptwriting: Scriptwriting is an art, but there’s also a craft to it. There are principles but no rules or formulae in screenwriting. The students would be taught the elements of screenwriting: Action, Character, Setting, Theme, Structure.

Structuring: Understanding the way screenplays of films are structured and learning how to use these elements in your own work: The 3-act structure. Set-Up, Confrontation, Crisis, Climax, Resolution, etc

Plot, Sub-plot, weaving them together.

The Structure of commercial Hindi films

The Importance of Conflict: Drama comes from conflict. We would analyse the types of conflict: Static Conflict, Jumping Conflict, Rising Conflict, Foreshadowing Conflict. How mystery, surprise and suspense are used.

What does the film ‘say’: Films reflect the Zeitgeist, the spirit of the times when the film was made and the Weltenschaung, the worldview of the film-maker. We would discuss the Premise, Theme, Ideology, Ethical & Socio-Political Ideas conveyed through films.

Film Analysis: The concepts discussed in the practical and theory classes would be explained by viewing and analyzing films. Films from the following categories would be screened and analysed:

Classic Commercial Indian film

Short films

Contemporary Multiplex Indian film

A documentary film

A classic of World Cinema

Contemporary World Cinema

FEATURE FILM SCREENPLAY WORKSHOP

A workshop in which the students write a feature film screenplay with the guidance of the faculty.

Most people who come to write and direct in the Bombay film industry are
interested in feature films. But a big stumbling block for a lot
of newcomers is having a finished screenplay with which they feel confident
about approaching directors, actors and producers. This workshop would give them the discipline of writing combined with an opportunity of getting expert guidance for their feature film screenplays.

The students would be guided through the process of working on the basic concept, synopsis, premise, characterization, plot, treatment, step outline and screenplay of a feature film. The writing of each student would be discussed in class and inputs given. While this is a practical-oriented workshop, there would also be theory classes about writing scripts for feature films. The concepts discussed in the practical and theory classes would be explained by viewing and analyzing films.

By the conclusion of the workshop, each student would be required to submit a feature film screenplay that has been registered with the Film Writer’s Association. In the Hindi film industry, sometimes the screenplay and dialogue are written by different people. In this context, it would be up to the student whether he/she wants to write a screenplay with or without dialogue. The screenplay which the student has written as a part of the workshop would be his/her property. Equipped with this screenplay, the student would be ready to approach directors, actors and producers in the film industry.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. A knowledge of the basics of screenwriting and the form.

2. A sincere desire to work on a feature film screenplay as a part of the workshop

3.The students would be required to become members of the Film Writers’ Association, if they aren't already.

DURATION

34 sessions of 3 hours each, over 4 months

CERTIFICATE

The students would be awarded a certificate at the successful completion of the workshop.

FEE STRUCTURE

There are two plans for paying the fees:

1. It is preferable if the student pays the full amount at the time of admission. The fees would work out to Rs. 28,000 for this plan.

2. It is also possible for the student to pay in installments. The installments would be:

At the time of admission: Rs. 5,000

Before the batch starts: Rs. 7,000

Within one month (as a post-dated cheque): Rs. 7,000

Within two months (as a post-dated cheque): Rs. 7,000

Within three months (as a post-dated cheque): Rs. 7,000

The fees would work out to Rs. 33,000 for this plan.

COURSE CONTENT

There would be a total of 34 classes of 3 hours’ duration.

INTERACTIVE SESSIONS: Around seventy per cent of the classes would be devoted to interactive sessions in which the students’ writing is discussed.

The students would be required to work on their screenplay ideas over the course of the four months. They would write at home and then read out their work in interactive sessions in which they receive feedback as well as suggestions.

A student can join with just a concept for a feature film or even a full-fledged screenplay which he/she would like to rework as a part of the workshop. Participants can work on their screenplays at different levels of completion depending on what they start off with. However, even if a participant already has script he/she wants to rework, he/she would be required to submit the synopsis, character sketches, step-outline, etc as well. This would be of great benefit to him/her since it would help make the base of their script stronger.

All the students would write:

1. The basic idea for their feature film screenplay

2. The synopsis of the screenplay

3. What is the premise of the film? What is the theme? What are the socio-political and ethical ideas being conveyed?

4. Detailed character sketches of the main characters, keeping their physiology, sociology and psychology in mind. The back story – what has happened in the life of the character before the film begins. How does the character change and grow through the film.

5. Research for the film

6. The way the screenplay is structured

7. The brief step-outline / one-line script of the film, in which every scene is described in a paragraph.

8. The feature film screenplay.

THEORY: Around 30% of the classes would be devoted to teaching:

An Overview of the Basic Elements of Scriptwriting: While the students would be expected to know the basics, we would start with an overview, so that everybody in the class understands these terms: Plot, Character, Setting, Theme, Structure. Protagonist, Antagonist. Dramatic Need. The Importance of Conflict. Types of Conflict: Static Conflict, Jumping Conflict, Rising Conflict, Foreshadowing Conflict. Transition. Mystery, Surprise, Suspense. Premise, Theme, Ideology, Ethical & Socio-Political Ideas. Zeitgeist, Weltenschaung. The Nava Rasas. Genres of Films, Genre Conventions.

The Scene: We would analyze in detail film scenes that work well (and those that don’t) in terms of the action and dialogue and understand why they are or aren’t working.

Structuring: Understanding the way screenplays of feature films are structured and learning how to use these elements in one’s own work: Plot, Sub-plot, Inciting incident, Point of attack, Set-Up, Confrontation, Crisis, Climax, Resolution, etc.

The Format: The format for writing the Synopsis, Treatment, Step-outline, Screenplay and Script for a film.

Adaptation from literary works: Many films are based on novels and short stories. Adapting a literary work into a screenplay is both easier and more difficult than writing an original screenplay. How to write a screenplay for a film that is interesting in itself and also preserves the soul of the work it is based on?

Film History: An overview of the history of cinema in India and the rest of the world.

Film Analysis: Screening and analysis of films from the following categories:

Contemporary Commercial Indian film

Contemporary Off-Beat Indian film

Hollywood Romantic Comedy

A film with an avant-garde non-linear structure

A classic of World Cinema

Contemporary World Cinema