Teen Screenwriting Workshop
Sundays, 2 - 4pm, March 19 - April 23
Ages 14 - 18 / Six weeks $375
To register visit cunningfolkcenter.com
Contact William Paul Smith at cunningfolkproductions@gmail.com

Our six-week screenwriting workshop will teach students​ ​​the basic tools to write a screenplay. The class will​ ​cover story elements and techniques, character/dialogue,​ ​plot/tone, genre/format, and give students an opportunity​ ​to complete a first draft of a short screenplay.

First day students will pitch three story ideas and as a​ ​group we will help each student select the most promising​ ​story to develop for the class. Over the next few weeks,​ ​we will unpack techniques in screenwriting and look at​ ​what makes a story cinematic, and how to define what​ ​drives our films. We will look at various film clips and​ ​discuss them to help inspire our own stories. As we put​ ​our own images and ideas down on page and the voices of​ ​our characters come to life, we will learn screenplay​ ​format to create our first draft of a short screenplay.

We will hold table readings of students’ scripts to get​ ​under the skin of the characters, casting or acting in​ ​each other's stories, and giving final notes on​ ​everyone's projects. The workshops will be taught by​ ​award-winning screenwriter, director and actor, William​ ​Paul Smith, Cunning Folk Center Instructors and guest​ ​lecturers. It will take place at ASiF Art studios in​ ​Grass Valley.​ ​Students will make their own films from inspirational ideas to a​ ​completed short-film. During the screenwriting phase,​ ​students will learn the tools to create compelling plots​ ​and dynamic characters. In the production phase of the​ ​program, students will learn acting, directing and​ ​cinematography, and how to work with a crew. 

In the​ ​post-production phase, students will learn how to edit​ ​their footage to create a final cut of their film. The​ ​workshops will be taught by award-winning screenwriter,​ ​director and actor, William Paul Smith, Cunning Folk​ ​Center Instructors and guest lecturers.