Exceptional Creative Writing and Film Program for High Schoolers at University College London

Lesson Plan

The Creative Writing & Film programme is aimed at students interested in expanding their creative writing skills with a focus on writing for screen-based entertainment including, scriptwriting for film, television and online film. The course will allow you to explore TV and film criticism, as well as learn how to think and write about media at an academic level. You will also embark on developing your own screenwriting ideas and learn how to build your own script in your chosen genre, all the while forming an understanding of the importance of workshopping and the editing process. You will have the opportunity to interact with published authors and screenwriting professionals forming unique insight into how the skills you develop throughout the course can be applied to the real world.

Learn from exceptional institutions and industry leaders changing the world of Creative Writing and Film.

One of the most exciting parts of the Career Insights programme is the unique opportunity for participants to attend inspiring industry visits whereby you can interact and learn from industry professionals in your field of study. Industry visits take learning out of the classroom and into the real world, where you can observe and explore how the skills and knowledge built throughout the programme apply to a career in your subject. This unique aspect of our programme ensures students also gain the chance to network directly with industry professionals who may share with you opportunities you hadn’t otherwise envisioned. 

Find out what it takes to work in the industry through real-world projects

You will explore concepts and share ideas in small groups of like-minded and ambitious peers from around the world. In classes averaging 7 students, you will be guided by expert project leads who offer an insight into their industry. Our rigorous vetting process guarantees that all participants are taught by engaging and supportive educators who are, most of all, enthusiastic about sharing their expertise to ensure our summer school teaching is of the highest quality. It is an unrivalled academic experience.

Example Modules

Story Telling and Craft: In this module, you will explore what’s involved in crafting the perfect story for the screen. Throughout this module, you will take a look at the elements that make up a great story and compare and contrast these features across a wide range of genres and modes of storytelling. These comparisons will form the basis for your own screenwriting development later on in the course.

The History of Screenwriting: From George Melies’ 1902 silent film A Trip to the Moon to the modern-day film, you’ll take a walk through the history of screenwriting, forming an understanding of the influences that have and continue to shape stories written for the screen. This foundational knowledge will provide you with important insight into the factors contributing to screenwriting today and why they’re important when crafting the perfect on-screen story. A part of this course will focus on examining different scripts and their final on-screen publication where you’ll be challenged to think critically about the form and techniques applied to different films.

Film and Television Criticism: Film and TV criticism is an important are of study for the budding screenwriter, with a focus on analyzing the influences and agendas of different authors and how media can be received. This module involves taking a deeper look at a film or TV production, interpreting and evaluating stories, and considering their effect on the viewer. Some of the topics you may encounter include feminist and post-modern film theory criticism. You will apply you’re understanding of these criticisms to an analysis of several different films.

Exploring Genres: In this module, we’ll take a broad look at the different genres for screen and TV writing and form an understanding of some of the basic components of writing for each genre. This unit will help you to develop an understanding of the type of genre you’re most interested in writing to be applied in your personal project.

Scriptwriting: In order to write a good film or TV series, you will need to know the basics of script writing. In this unit, you learn about the basic features of a good script, taking a close look at formatting and what you need to keep in mind when producing a script for publishing. You’ll form a solid foundation of the do’s and don’t’s of scriptwriting that can later be applied to your personal project.

Script Development (Portfolio Project): With a strong understanding of screenwriting, its history and development, built throughout the course, you will apply your newfound skills to your own scriptwriting project. With guidance from your academic tutor and inspiration from your peers, you will expand on your own storytelling ideas and write your own script for a TV series or film. As you build your script, there will be opportunities to workshop your piece with your peers, gain feedback from both your tutor and classmates and even practice reading your script in order to reflect on how it is read by real people aloud. Throughout the course you will be given insight into the script editing process as well as what you can do with your script once it is finalized, such as competitions to enter and how to get an agent or editor. At the end of the programme your tutor will evaluate your script providing invaluable feedback that you can use for further development and skill building as well as to use as an example of your work for a university or job application.

Key Facts

• Average class size is 7
• Maximum class size of 10 students
• 1:1 Career Coaching
• Personal support and guidance for success
• Professional development workshops
• Building essential skills for success
• World-class experience