Whether we’re plotting a beat sheet with a fledgling writer or interviewing an Oscar winner, our love of screenwriting hasn’t diminished in the 25 years since we first launched.
The Script Factory is here to empower you to write the stories you need to tell. Our range of courses, consultations and events is designed to keep your passion alive: to offer inspiration and to honour your ambition.
Founded in 1996 by Charlotte Macleod and the late Lucy Scher, The Script Factory’s initial mission was to demystify the UK film industry and give new writers the knowledge and know-how they needed to create their best work.
Through our Performed Readings we gave audiences a front row seat to the development process with a sneak-peek at early drafts of award-winning films, including Stephen Knight’s Oscar nominated Dirty Pretty Things starring Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Through partnerships with Pathé, the UK Film Council, regional Screen Agencies and Skillset, we offered long term training and development programmes for talented new film-makers.
We have brought the most exciting screenwriters to the stage to talk about their craft. Over the decades we have hosted masterclasses with legends including Charlie Kaufman, Spike Lee, Wes Anderson, Kathryn Bigelow, Andrea Arnold, Alfonso Cuarón, Gurinder Chadha, Aaron Sorkin, Simon Beaufoy and Mike White. And we produced the first dedicated Screenwriting Festival, SCENE, housed within the London Film Festival, which we then took on the road to Edinburgh, Gothenburg and Rio.
We pioneered professional training for script readers in the UK, to create a culture within which all screenwriters could access constructive, informed feedback on their work. And in partnership with The National Film and Television School we created the first Post-Graduate Diploma in Script Development.
But best of all we’ve been privileged to teach, inspire, and champion thousands of writers across the globe. Wherever you are in your career, we’d love you to become part of our screenwriting community.
Charlotte
Bogard
Macleod
As well as founding the Script Factory with Lucy Scher, Charlotte has been an active elected Board Member of both the film and steering Committees of BAFTA and has chaired its Education and Event Committee. She has chaired and served on BAFTA’s Best Original and Adapted Screenplay, Best Foreign Film, Best Costume Design and Best Short film. She has also served on the boards of The British Council, Medi-Cinema and Scottish Screen. She is not nearly as opinionated as this list sounds.
Justine
Hart
After graduating with a first class degree in English Literature from Goldsmiths, Justine joined The Script Factory in 2002 for a summer internship and never left. Taking on responsibility for developing The Script Factory’s training programme, Justine created sell-out events including Screenwriting UK in association with BAFTA, devised the curriculum for the Script Factory/NFTS Diploma in Script Development and racked up the air miles teaching our Script Developers Initiative for Screen Australia.
“The Script Factory brought invaluable insight and constructive feedback which focussed our thinking on the heart and essence of our screenplay.”
