Scriptacademy

Basic Screenwriting Course

The next edition of ScriptAcademy's Basic Screenwriting Course starts on February 28. Led by enthusiastic and expert instructors Gemma Derksen and Henk Burger, you will get an intensive introduction to this fantastic craft. Will you join us? Over six Fridays, you will be immersed in all aspects of screenwriting. You will come to understand how powerful screenplay tools such as genre, dialogue, voice-over, or flashbacks are. Useful writing techniques and invisible pitfalls will be illustrated with film and screenplay clips. How do you play with the viewer and their expectations? In what form does your story come into its own best? You will practice the knowledge you have gained through short writing assignments. By the end of the six class days, you will have gained insight into the basic principles of drama, and your analytical skills and imagination will have been honed. Additionally, you will gain insight into the professional field and the position of the screenwriter. From the latest Basic Course: In six weeks, I learned a lot of terms and how to apply them as well. Thanks to the good structure, I was given all the tools step by step to write a 10-minute scenario by the end of those six weeks – something I could hardly have imagined beforehand. Henk and Gemma are a dynamic duo; they complement each other very well. You can tell from everything that they enjoy teaching and bring a wealth of practical experience. Gemma Derksen has worked as a story editor for over 25 years, including as an editor-in-chief at AVRO, NPS, NCRV, and BNNVARA. For HET HELE VERHAAL, she works as an advisor, script coach, and teacher. She currently coordinates the drama at broadcaster MAX. Henk Burger started as a radio and documentary maker and was an advisor and introducer at the Media Fund for many years. He worked as a dramaturg for NCRV, NPS, and since 2001 at NTR. In addition, he is a screenwriter himself for films (including the award-winning After the Tone, Gewoon Vrienden) and radio dramas (including Luchten), and has been teaching at ScriptAcademy for 20 years. ScriptAcademy has been providing courses and a professional training program in Screenwriting for nearly 25 years. Led by our permanent lecturers and a diverse range of guest lecturers, we offer a solid and up-to-date curriculum. After the Basic Course, you can progress to the professional training program, which lays the foundation for a career as a screenwriter. Many have gone before you! If you are a member of VERS, ACT, DDG, NCE, NBF, or Netwerk Scenarioschrijvers, you will receive a discount on the Basic Course.

Amsterdam, NL

Workshop

Leila Gray

One-week intensive Meisner foundation course

If you would like to start the year with a deep dive into the Meisner technique, my one-week intensive foundation course will run from 20 - 24th January at the Cinema studio in Overtoom 301 in Amsterdam. The course will run every day from 10:00 to 16:00 on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and until 17:00 on Tuesday and Friday. Meisner technique is one of the most respected and well-known acting techniques, created in the 20th century by American actor and teacher Sanford Meisner. It focuses on teaching actors to be authentic, spontaneous and to work from their guts. We will cover all the three pillars of the technique - authenticity, truthful emotional preparation and improvisation - and will learn how to work off the other person and stay in the moment, every moment. If you have studied Method acting, this course will give you a new set of tools with which to approach your work. Please note that this course is intended for committed actors and will require your entire attention. The course costs €350 including BTW. You can pay in instalments on request and if you are working as a performer already, you can apply for the Werkuigppo.nl grant. Please make an appointment with me for an online call to see if the course is right for you. You can do this by copying and pasting this link: https://forms.gle/dx8UdkSuBBHs36oP8S or you can message me on +31639881935. I am happy to answer your questions. I teach in English but you are welcome to the exercises in Dutch or your native tongue. Go to https://meisner.studio or find me on Insta for more info: @meisnerstudioamsterdam.

Workshop