Film Schools/Scriptwriting Courses

Without mentioning another thread the notion of industry people teaching on TV production course and etc was brought up.

I was at a meeting in Birmingham with the BBC on Friday and it was increasingly clear that the ooportunities for new writers to break in are proabably at the lowest they have ever been and getting harder all the time. On the flipside to this there seems to be an increasing number of scriptwriting etc courses at colleges and Unis and the like. Plus the associated malarkey of scriptwriting festivals etc etc. The BBC are even doing it themselves with their writers academy and doctors writers academy. SO a massive amount of course and people training people up, supposedly, for very a limited amount of opportunities. Now for Art based course I think this is fine but am not so sure about vocational courses. It seems a little disengenous to me and raises people's expectations sometimes deliberately falsely.

I did an MA in film production/directing but wrote a script for my final project which was where my intentions lay anyway, but I did want to ponce about making some short films and probably will again next year for my own amusement.

What does the panel think about this level of high level of supposed vocational training for limited opportunities? Or is it that people are training people to go on to train people in courses. I know an awful lot of people who train people to scritpwrite on all sorts of levels of different courses but don't actually write professionally themselves and some of their students go on to do the same - including people I was at film school with fifteen years ago.

I think people going on these courses may have more money than sense, but at least they get out the house for a couple days a week.

Quote: Marc P @ October 18 2009, 11:41 AM BST

I was at a meeting in Birmingham with the BBC on Friday and it was increasingly clear that the ooportunities for new writers to break in are proabably at the lowest they have ever been and getting harder all the time.

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Any reasons why it's getting harder?

Quote: Ben @ October 18 2009, 11:49 AM BST

Any reasons why it's getting harder?

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Because the shows that took in new writers like Biker Grove or Grange Hill aren't there any more and ones like Doctors it's a lot harder to get in on.

What happens when all the established writers die? Will there be no more television?!

Oh there's ways in alright, just like there always has been. But not that would justifily support the industry of training as it is. It's the area of false expectation that they engender that I worry about. If you took every single course etc in the country on being a scriptwriter and turned it into becoming a pop star/recording artist etc you would see how weirdly skewed it is. As I say I think artistically it's a good thing and would favour courses that focus on that, but would be suspicious of the vocational ones. In the old days polytechincals would do vocational courses/degrees/diplomas that you would expect to get a job out of at the end of it.

And you are right it's good to get out of the house Dolly! I think I might sign up for another one.

I've never been on a script-writing/screenwriting course. What am I missing out on by not doing one? My method of "self-teaching" has been to read hundreds of good/bad scripts and watch (with my writer's eye) hundreds of good/bad sitcoms/dramas/films/plays etc. I have read a few books on screenwriting, but other than tips on how to structure a classic three-act screenplay, I haven't found them particularly useful.

I obviously don't think I'm a better writer for not going on such courses, but I just wonder what they will teach me that I can't learn through my own experience.

As regards diminishing writing opportunities, I personally wouldn't want to be "processed" through a writing factory for one particular show (unless it was an absolutely brilliant one), but I can see that to earn money this might be an increasingly necessary way of progressing.

However, isn't the danger that new writers will just be encouraged to learn to write for established shows and never develop the ability to write their own original ideas?

Or am I just confused?

No, that sounds right.

I did take film classes, but from the historian angle. I did take one screenwriting class as a requirement, but I was so put off by the arrogance and smugness that I never took another.

Quote: Marc P @ October 18 2009, 11:41 AM BST

What does the panel think...

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It was definitely a BBC meeting wasn't it?

Quote: Badge @ October 18 2009, 4:11 PM BST

It was definitely a BBC meeting wasn't it?

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I went on a BA and MA in writing courses, mainly for the sake of further delaying my adulthood.
I have found that the teachers on these courses are, in general, writers not good enough to make it. Some are absolute bullies insisting people write to their preffered style and staggering creativity and giving brutal feedback which can put people off writing for life. Basically they have the gaul to tell people they are wise writing gurus and loads of students desperate to be writers believe them.

Unsurprisingly the best teacher I had, who taught me more than the others put together, was actually a successful TV writer (wierdly enough similar to Marc P in writing credits) who I still sends script to.

I think the courses have helped me but in terms of sitcom writing most of what I have learned is from teaching myself.

I think the feedback and workshops are very useful. Just being able to take criticism and defend your work or change it is a good skill to learn in itself.

Yes, I agree with that, it is a skill and probably the most useful thing I got out of my masters.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 18 2009, 5:22 PM BST

I think the feedback and workshops are very useful. Just being able to take criticism and defend your work to the death is a good skill to learn in itself.

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Are you mentoring James?

if the readers, at for example at the beeb, have been on the same courses and recogonise the style,do you think this in theory would give you an advantage when they pick your script from the plie?

Or would it work in reverse and they dismiss it as another one of the same.

J26