Short
Film Story Design
Due to popular demand, we are offering our Short Film Story Design course online in January 2025.
Monday 27th January 6.30pm - 8.00pm
AND
Tuesday 28th January 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Course Fee £65 for BOTH sessions. Includes comprehensive training notes.
A tantalising dive into another world. An intimate revelation of human truth. A seductive tale with a twist. The best short films leave an imprint far beyond their final frame.
Please join us for this online workshop and give your short film script the focus it fully deserves.
We’ve split the training across two evenings to break up the intensity of learning over Zoom. Both sessions are included in the workshop.
Short films are an incredible storytelling form, often more powerfully resonant because of their brevity. They are infinitely more achievable for film-makers early in their careers.
Having worked extensively developing shorts in recent years, we found that many writers approach the design of their short films by adapting feature film principles rather than working from an understanding of how the short dramatic narrative works as its own form. (To be honest, for a long time it was how we worked too!)
Our teaching programme will illuminate both the unique challenges and exciting possibilities of the short narrative screenplay. We will inject confidence into your understanding of dramatic conflict and story structure and empower you to hone and develop your screenwriting skills for this exciting medium.
Workshop Content
Monday 27th January 6.30pm - 8pm
THE DRAMATIC CONCEPT
We will explore what makes a strong story idea for a short and tackle the challenge of creating a simple but satisfying dramatic conflict.
With a short film idea there needs to be enough at stake within the film to tell a satisfying and worthwhile story, but not so much happening that the core conflict becomes diluted with excessive narrative detail. We will outline the development analysis process that will help you identify the most compelling stakes within your story idea and refine the focus of your narrative.
We will consider how you use a precise handling of dramatic conflict to efficiently reveal character, and how to invite your audience to understand what’s going on internally with your characters through the external actions that they take.
And we will explore how a limited time frame and/or locations can be used to create focus and add urgency.
Tuesday 28th January 6.30pm - 8pm
STRUCTURE & CHARACTER ARCS
With less time to set up your story world we’ll look at how to dive right in from your opening image and we’ll rethink the three-act structure for the short, bearing in mind the demands of different genres. We’ll think about how to seed and plot the turning points that will propel your story to its climax and examine the most effective use of ‘twists’ at the end of the film.
Whether your character is faced with saving the planet or mending a friendship we will consider the range of character arcs a short film can effectively explore, unpicking how to convincingly chart that change through such a fleeting encounter.
We’ll also give special attention to stories which champion protagonists who don’t change and we’ll consider the intended (and sometimes unintended) meanings that your character choices will deliver.
"I've just attended The Script Factory's Short Film Story Design and I can't stop thinking (and boring my friends and family) about the advice I've learnt. So few courses narrow down on the specific art of short film scripting and none, that I know of, to this amount of sheer detail.
You'll leave with a massive boost to your writing confidence and a hunger to get that film made.
If you are planning on writing a short film go on this course, it'll change everything about how you approach your script"
Richard Eades, Filmmaker
FAQs
Who Is The Course For?
This course is for anyone who wants to invest in their understanding of how to write a short film and we welcome writers, directors, script editors and producers. These workshops have been attended by filmmakers with award-winning films under their belt as well as those just starting out.
This is theory-based training so you don’t need to bring a short film idea or script with you.
Course Preparation
There will be some preparatory viewing to do before the programme starts to ensure that everyone has shared examples of successful short films. We will examine these films in quite close detail so we ask everyone to watch them again even if they’ve previously seen them.
For those who previously attended our free online session on short film structure we will be using different examples, so do consider attending again.
Course Tutors
This course will be taught by Justine Hart and Charlotte Bogard Macleod.
Where And When Will The Course Take Place?
This course will take place over Zoom on two consecutive evenings:
Monday 27th January 2025 6.30pm - 8pm (GMT)
Tuesday 28th January 2035 6.30pm - 8pm (GMT)
Charlotte and Justine will stay on the call each evening until 8.30pm to answer any additional questions.
After the training is complete, all participants will be sent a PDF set of training notes.
Will The Workshop Be Recorded?
Yes. A recording of the workshop will be available for those who book but are unable to attend, and for those on incompatible time zones. This recording will be available via a private link for 7 days only.
The sessions will be interactive so we do encourage you to attend in person if possible.
What Does The Course Cost?
Attendance on BOTH workshop sessions costs £65. It is not possible to book for just one.
“The Script Factory's short film story design class left me brimming with ideas and with clarity on what makes a successful short film. It was great to be in a room with such an inspiring bunch of people. Thank you Justine and Charlotte!”
Alex English, Author & Screenwriter
"Undoubtedly one of the best screenwriting courses I've been on. Would highly recommend to anyone, regardless of experience."
Jonathan Fransman, Filmmaker
Book your place
To book for our online course, please use the button below.
We plan to run this workshop in-person again later in 2025. To register your interest for an in-person workshop please complete the form and we will contact you as soon as new dates are confirmed.