British Society of Comedy Writers

E-Zine
	Member's newsletter
	Edition 014 - Workshop Details - 11th March 2001 THE BRITISH SOCIETY OF COMEDY WRITERS presents a series of specialised workshops for writers to develop their writing skills. Whether you are already writing to a professional standard or a beginner, at the workshops you will: * Learn the techniques of writing successful scripts. * Meet like-minded people. * Receive extensive course material. * Be able to network with industry professionals. * Have the opportunity to win a trip to the Golden Rose of Montreux TV Festival SOAP OPERA with Shaun MacLoughlin and John Temple - 24-25 March Venue: University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY SCREENWRITING with Georgina Lock - 19-20 May Venue: University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY SITUATION COMEDY with Jurgen Wolff - 7-8 July Venue: Regent's College, Regent's Park, London NW1 4NS TV FORMATS with John Gough and members of the TV Formats Team - 29-30 September Venue: University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY Fees for the two-day courses are: BSCW Members/Subscribers: Ł125 or Ł110 for early registration Non-members: Ł175 or Ł160 for early registration BSCW 2ND INTERNATIONAL COMEDY CONFERENCE - 2-4 November Details will be announced shortly. If you book for any 3 workshops you will receive a Ł20 discount off the fee for the International Comedy Conference. Further information about workshops, conference or membership can be found on our web site at: www.bscw.co.uk SOAP OPERA with Shaun MacLoughlin and John Temple - 24-25 March Venue: University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY There is a continuous demand for new and established writers to work on long-running series such as, EastEnders, Coronation Street, Brookside, Hollyoaks, Crossroads, The Archers, Station Road, Westway. Writing for soap opera is a difficult craft to master, but once mastered it can help the writer to flourish in other media. TUTOR - SHAUN MACLOUGHLIN Shaun MacLoughlin started his career in television working at BBC TV as Single Plays Script Editor for "Thirty Minute Theatre" BBC2, and "The Wednesday Play" BBC1. He moved to BBC RADIO and from 1971-96 as Script Editor was responsible for commissioning up to 200 single plays a year for the Saturday Night Theatre and Afternoon Play slots. In 1979 he moved to Bristol where at CHRISTCHURCH RADIO DRAMA STUDIO, Bristol, he has produced about 400 plays, features, readings and poetry programmes. He is currently advising "Radio the Voice of Vietnam" and "BBC World Service Development Trust" on the setting up of "Radio Soap Opera for Vietnamese farmers." His book: "Writing for Radio" has received excellent reviews and is a set book on University courses. A second edition will be published in April 2001. TUTOR - JOHN TEMPLE John Temple is a producer of drama, comedy, story editor, writer and consultant with more than thirty years television experience, specialising in Soap Opera and Situation Comedy. His principle credits include: Writer/creator of Lex Again - 3 series. Writer: Scottish Comedy Playhouse -To Gracie, A Son. Granada Television: Storyline writer for Coronation Street (70-74), producer (85-87). Senior producer of comedy shows include: The Cuckoo Waltz, Foxy Lady, The Glamour Girl, Devenish, Take My Wife and Alfresco. At Television South he was Executive Producer for 2 series of Davro and Series Story Editor for Perfect Scoundrels. At Scottish Television he was Producer of Machair, Gaelic Soap, Producer of Taggart - Prayer For The Dead and Producer and Executive Producer of Take The High Road. COURSE CONTENT This workshop will give an introduction to: The basics of writing radio drama. Writing, casting and reading a script Creating and developing storylines Radio soap opera. Television soap opera How to become a member of the writing team How to write soap opera around the world ** There will also be one session on writing character and situation comedy for radio * News just in: we can also offer "The Archers" Writers' Pack, including - Sample Storyline - Agricultural Notes - New Writers Guidelines - Editor's Guidelines - Sample cover page - Sample script page * FEES BSCW Members/Subscribers: Ł110 Non-members: Ł160 SCREENWRITING with Georgina Lock - 19-20 May Venue: University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY Have you got a great idea for a screenplay? Do you want to write for film but lack the knowledge to create a script? This two-day workshop will give you the tools to create a professional script in an easy step-by-step process. TUTOR - GEORGINA LOCK After graduating from Manchester University with a Joint honours degree in English and Drama, Georgina Lock spent ten years acting, writing and directing for the theatre, then went to the Northern School of Film and Television to pursue an MA in screenwriting. Her scripts for the cinema include: "Pressing Engagement" which was shown on YTV and is still available on the Internet, "The Unicyclist", a co-production with Spain, shown at festivals internationally and bought by Channel Four, and "Short, White, Pleated" which she also directed. She has worked in the UK and in Halifax, Canada, as a script consultant and teaches screenwriting courses at Birkbeck College, Bournemouth Media School, Southampton Institute and the City Literature Institute. COURSE CONTENT The workshop is built on interactive lectures, demonstrations, group and individual exercises and discussion. There will be sessions on: Thinking in pictures. Showing character and conflicts. Structure. Developing a plot - active questions and resolutions. Premises, Outlines, Step Outlines and Treatments. Format and description. Introduction to screen dialogue. FEES BSCW Members/Subscribers: Ł125 or Ł110 if booked before 21st April Non-members: Ł175 or Ł160 if booked before 21st April SITUATION COMEDY with Jurgen Wolff - 7-8 July Venue: Regent's College, Regent's Park, London NW1 4NS Want to write a situation comedy but lack the knowledge to create a script? This workshop will give you the tools to create a professional script in an easy step by step process. TUTOR - JURGEN WOLFF Jurgen Wolff has written for sitcoms including "Benson" and "Family Ties," and created the animated comedy series, "Norman Normal," which is running in Germany and France. He co-created the German sitcom "Lukas," which ran for 65 episodes. RTL is currently producing the pilot of his new series, "Krista." Jurgen also wrote the feature comedy, "The Real Howard Spitz," which starred Kelsey "Frasier" Grammer. He is the author of "Successful Sitcom Writing," and co-author of "Successful Scriptwriting." He has taught writing workshops at the University of Southern California and for broadcasters and private individuals in the UK, America, Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, South Africa and many other countries. COURSE CONTENT A 2 day intensive course that will take you through the steps necessary to create a script, from creating characters, developing story ideas and writing saleable scripts. Scriptwriting is not purely an inventive process, it also has to be structured. How do you begin? Where do you find characters? How do you introduce plots and sub plots? Through lectures, screenings and practical writing exercises this course will teach you how. Subjects covered will include: Characters Storylines Plots Sub plots Dialogue Structure FEES BSCW Members/Subscribers: Ł125 or Ł110 if booked before 9th June Non-members: Ł175 or Ł160 if booked before 9th June TV FORMATS with John Gough and members of the TV Formats Team - 29-30 September Venue: University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, The Weakest Link, Wheel of Fortune, 15 to 1 and In The Dark, are all simple ideas that have become world-wide successes. But where do you begin? Can you create the next blockbusting Game Show? This workshop will take you through all the key stages of devising and developing your paper format idea. TUTOR John Gough is a Director of Distraction Formats based in Montreal Canada where he is responsible for paper and new media formats. He is also a consultant to the Golden Rose Television Festival in Montreux Switzerland where he is responsible for conference content and development. John is also a director of Fundamental Entertainment Television and co-devisor of the international game show In The Dark. COURSE CONTENT The TV Formats team offers the A-Z of writing a 'paper format' for a Television Gameshow. This workshop will show you how to write a paper format, as key industry professionals go through the key stages and elements that are required to design your own game show as a paper format with the potential to be sold around the world. What is a paper format? How much information is required? Starting with the initial idea, the TV Formats team will guide you in writing for the international marketplace. They will explain the key stages, from formatting the idea through to challenging and producing the final document. They will even help you to work out how to pitch your idea, and how to protect your hard work from imitators. FEES BSCW Members/Subscribers: Ł125 or Ł110 if booked before 25th August Non-members: Ł175 or Ł160 if booked before 25th August BSCW 2ND INTERNATIONAL COMEDY CONFERENCE - 2-4 November Details will be announced shortly If you book for any 3 workshops you will receive a Ł20 discount off the fee for the International Comedy Conference. Further information about workshops, conference or membership can be found on our web site at: www.bscw.co.uk Or contact Ken Rock on the above numbers or personal e-mail at: Kenneth@rock80.freeserve.co.uk For an enrollment form for all of the above, please e-mail me, gill@bscw.co.uk, and I'll send you the form as a Word file attachment. If you would rather receive a .rtf file, please state this when you e-mail.