F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b

Bit bored and tired today, so just copy pasting the release.

Unlike a few years ago, filmmakers today readily and repeatedly admit that without a good script, a good film is impossible. In fact, talent hunts and script contests are announced every other month. Every producer and studio is on the lookout for good scripts and competent writers.

While writing well is hard work, a sound knowledge of basic storytelling principles combined with an understanding of the form & rhythms of the screenplay help free up the writer’s imagination. This gives him the confidence to follow his intuition, helping him uncover interesting aspects of the characters, which in turn make the screenplay more nuanced, fresh and engrossing.

The Workshop will tackle all aspects that go into the construction of a script, starting with the basic central idea that drives the story.

Five intensive days of six hours each will cover the entire journey of the script from theme, premise, character, and plot, to structure, scene construction, and dialogue, and the use of music and song in Indian script. Plus, there will be a substantial session on mythology, with particular reference to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata which have had such a lasting influence on Indian cinema. The final session will deal with writers’ rights, model contract, copyright matters, and other professional issues.

Questions like

• What makes for a compelling idea?
• How does one know if a story could make a good script?
• Can a great story turn into a weak screenplay?
• How does one figure out the appropriate structure for a script?
• What makes for an interesting character?
• How can one write scenes that are crisp, compact and yet dramatically meaty?
• Is there a technique to writing good dialogue?
• What is the difference between Hollywood style of screenwriting and what we have here in India?
• How relevant is the navras theory to modern Indian screenwriting?
• What is the relevance of songs in modern Indian script?

and other relevant concerns of the Indian screenwriter will be discussed in depth.

About the Workshop Instructor : Anjum Rajabali has been a professional screenwriter for 20 years with films like Drohkaal, Ghulam, The Legend of Bhagat Singh and Raajneeti to his credit. He is the Head of Screenwriting at Whistling Woods, as well as Honorary Head of Screenplay Writing at FTII, a course that he began in 2004. Apart from being a script consultant on several films, he also conducts workshops and seminars on screenwriting in India and abroad.

According to him, “Screenwriting is an exceedingly interesting and rewarding craft. Learning it should be an enjoyable process. It is with that aim that I conduct screenwriting workshops.”

Three Guest Faculty will be invited from among Vishal Bhardwaj, Jaideep Sahni, Sriram Raghavan, Shridhar Raghavan, Saket Chaudhury.

Venue :  Whistling Woods International, Film City, Goregaon (E), Mumbai.

Dates :  April 25-29 (both days inclusive)

Timings : 10 AM – 1 PM and 2-5 PM

(Film viewing : 5.30-8 PM, April 25, 26, 27)

Fee : Rs. 6000/- (inclusive of lunch and tea/coffee on all days)

– The workshop is open to all.

– To Register for the workshop, please call 30916003 or e-mail: kanchi.parikh@whistlingwoods.net