Introduction to Screenwriting
10-week Online Short Course
Page Navigation
Overview
This class will be taught online using a mixture of MS Teams and Zoom – you can take part from the comfort of your own home from anywhere in the world!
This weekly online class for people ages 16+ offers an introduction to the art of screenwriting for both film and television. The course will strip the script down to its basic elements, discussing each one in turn and then explore how the elements merge and work together to form a coherent ‘blueprint’ for a moving picture.
The course will also introduce participants to theoretical approaches to screenwriting as a whole and to writing characters and film structure.
Participants will study script excerpts and film examples throughout the course and be introduced to the industry standard layout for a screenplay. You will work from this to develop an understanding of how to write for screen. Course content will also consider characters, character relationships and dialogue and explore the difference between ‘reality’ and ‘film reality.’
Through deeper script analysis participants will discover the art of subtext, exploring the ways in which depth is given to a scene.
In order to grasp and explore each of these elements students will be asked to complete writing tasks, both in class and in their own time, and will receive informal feedback from the course tutor and their peers. Additional material will be supplied through the class Teams page.
By the end of the course, students should:
- Have a firm grasp of the elements that contribute to ‘Story’ including the crucial distinction between Plot and Story
- Have an understanding of the importance of the 3 Act Structure and its 5 Tent-Poles
- Have explored how to create relatable characters and understand the necessity of Transformational Imperatives
- Have created 5-10 pages of original script
The class will be relaxed and will encourage student participation in creative and critical discussions throughout.
Please see our FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course. When booking the course you will be asked to agree that you have read and understood our Pre-HE Online Teaching Policy.
Credit Rated Pathway
We are offering a credit-rated option for this class, giving students the opportunity to gain SCQF credits upon submission. This will not be mandatory, however students can register for the credit-rated option by clicking the booking link in the Credit-Rated tab on the left.
Courses you may be interested in
- Screenwriting 2
- Comedy Writing
- Comedy Writing 2
- Introduction to Playwriting
We run a variety of different courses throughout the year, and update our programme regularly – you can find all courses by clicking here.
Mailing List
Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this course before you book it, please get in touch with us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk.
The important details
Age:
16+
Cost:
£195
Date:
20 January - 24 March 2025
Time:
Mondays, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Venue:
Online
Course Information
- Entry Requirements
- Course Preparation
- Who is this course for?
- Teaching Staff
- Credit-Rated
- Term Dates and Tuition Fees
There are no entry requirements for this course.
The course is designed so that motivated students will benefit from the training. We expect you to undertake a certain amount of self-directed study and preparation out with class times.
Students should be open, honest, generous, respectful, hard-working and willing to work as part of a team.
You will need access to a device such as a desktop computer, laptop or tablet which allows you to access the internet with a screen large enough to see the group members during online sessions. You will need internet connection which is fast enough to take part in video sessions on MS Teams/Zoom and to watch film footage.
You may also want to consider whether you have a space you can use where you can work without interruption. Please keep in mind that the other students taking part in the course will be able to see what’s behind you when you are online.
- Star Wars IV
- The Godfather
- The Verdict
- My Cousin Vinny
- Thelma and Louise
- Titanic
This course is suitable for students aged 16+, with no or little experience. Students should be keen to learn and plan to attend all classes.
David Cosgrove
Credit-rated short courses are designed in accordance with the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).
By studying a credit-rated short course, students can benchmark their learning against national standards, and credits may be used towards further education programmes at many institutions throughout the world.
The course is 20 hours of study and is worth 10 SCQF credits and 5 ECTS credits. This course is set at SCQF level 6.
There is an additional fee of £100 to take part in the credit-rated portion of the course. Please ensure you have already signed up to the course via the Book Now button on the web page. Once you have completed that, please sign up for the credit-rated option, by completing this booking form:
By studying a credit-rated course, you will need to be matriculated to RCS*, we require some additional information from credit-rated students for this reason. Please read through the section below thoroughly before you submit. If you have any questions about what is required, please email credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk and we can help you.
* Please note although Credit-Rated Short Courses students require matriculation to get their accreditation, you will not be a full time matriculated student of RCS. Credit-Rated Short Courses do not qualify for student visas due to the short term nature of the course. You will also not qualify for a student email address or student card.
Please read the following eligible evidence dependant on your nationality and immigration status:
Scottish/Welsh/English/Northern Irish (Please provide 1 of the following)
– Passport
– UK Driving Licence
– Other Photo ID
Irish (Please provide all of the following)
– Passport
Europeans with Settled or Pre-Settled Status (Please provide all of the following)
– Passport
– Online Immigration Status (via Sharecode)
Europeans (post-Brexit) (Please provide all of the following)
– Passport
– Proof of Entry to the UK
– Online Immigration Status (via Sharecode)
Non-Europeans who can use the e-gates (Nationals of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore and Japan) (Please provide all of the following)
– Passport
– Proof of Entry to the UK
– Vignette
– Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
Online Credit Rated courses:
– if studying an online credit-rated course from your own country (outside of UK) you are only required to submit your passport.
– if studying an online credit-rated course within the UK, but do not hold a UK passport, please follow the guidance from above.
The Credit Rated or Admissions team may require further information or proof from individuals, and may be in contact with you to provide further evidence.
Providing a ShareCode
If you are providing a ShareCode as part of your evidence please visit https://www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status and follow the instructions to access your code, and provide it in the Experience section of the Booking Form.
This course will run in-person on Tuesday evenings for 10-weeks from 20 January – 24 March 2025, 6:30pm – 8:30pm.
The course fee is £195 which is the equivalent to £19.50 per session, and can be paid in full or in instalments before the course end date.
Further Information
We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:
Agnes Allan Bursary
Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.
The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.
Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.
James McAvoy Drama Scholarships
BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.
James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.
The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.
You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.
We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.
You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.
Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.
Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.
Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.
Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk
Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk
