Learn to Write Scripts Professionally

Scripts are essential across a wide range of mediums including films, instructional design, advertising, radio, TV and more.  If you enjoy writing across different media this is a great course to start as a professional script writer.   This course will teach you how to write for different media, how to include sound effects, how do develop scripts for a range of different audiences and much more.

• 100 hours
• Self pace flexible study
• Tutor support

Course Aims

• Explain what script writing is and its many applications.
• Describe and compare techniques for plotting the story.
• Explain how to write the outline of a script and then write the script itself.
• Explain how to write good characters in your script.
• Explain the use of dialogue and sound effects in script writing
• Explain how to write for the internet, TV and film.
• Explain how to write for radio.
• Develop scripts for use in educational programs
• Develop scripts for an audience of children
• Develop an understanding of the business of script writing.

There are 11 lessons in this course:

1. Scope and Nature of Script Writing

• • Introduction – what are scripts?
  • Where are scripts used?
  • Writing Scripts – what is the story you want to tell?
  • One page, one minute rule.
  • Visual, behaviour and aural storytelling.
  • Show and don’t tell.
  • Handling time.
  • Formatting script.
  • Abbreviations.

2. Plotting the Screenplay

• • Types of stories.
  • What are the specifications?
  • Duration of the performance.
  • Developing the story-line.
  • The Story Pyramid.
  • Creating a story board.
  • Techniques for plotting a story.
  • Fiction and creative non-fiction.
  • Non-fiction – Education, Corporate, Presentation Writing.
  • Screen play formatting guide.

3. Outline and Writing the Script

• • Writing the outline.
  • Cliff hangers in a script.
  • Formatting outlines.
  • How to write the script.

4. Characterisation

• • Writing good characters.
  • Building characters.
  • Character planning.

5. Use of Dialogue and Sound Effects

• • Dialogue in script writing.
  • Writing dialogue.
  • Dialogue tags.
  • Tips on writing dialogue.
  • Examples of dialogue.

6. Writing for Internet, TV and Film

• • Time frame.
  • Fiction or non-fiction.
  • Pace.
  • Sound effects.
  • Visuals.
  • Writing for TV.
  • Writing for film/screen-writing.
  • Writing for websites.

7. Writing for Radio

• • Components.
  • Voice.
  • Music.
  • Sound Effects.
  • Other points to consider when writing for radio.

8. Writing for Training/Instructional Videos

• • One person script.
  • Two person script.
  • Multiple persons script.
  • Visuals in training presentations.

9. Writing for Children

• • Fiction and non-fiction hybrids.
  • Children’s cognitive development.
  • Implications for the writer.
  • Socialisation.
  • Gender, roles and stereotyping.

10. Writing for Advertising

• • Writing for advertising.
  • What is the purpose of advertising?
  • Writing and analysing adverts.
  • Summary skills.
  • Tips for summarising.
  • Writing for infomercials.

11. The Business of Script Writing

• • Commercial Opportunities.
  • Start your own production business.
  • Ethical and legal considerations.
  • The law.