Scriptwriting for Screen Media & Stage MA

What Makes This Course So Special?

This course offers an exceptional range of expertise in script media and excellent industry links, including the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre, Newport, where productions of plays by our students have been showcased, Film Agency Wales, TAPS, Bristol Old Vic, Literature Wales, BBC Wales, BBC Films, ITV Wales and CYFLE (Media Training Wales). The Newport Film School at the University is the lead partner of the Skillset Media Academy, Wales. Through these contacts with industry, you will have opportunities to meet producers, film and TV financiers, commissioning executives and script editors.

Find out more about the subject of Film & Screen Media at Newport.

Course Intro

This course is for you if you have a keen interest in scriptwriting for screen media and/or stage. It offers an exceptional breadth of expertise in script media, and excellent industry links with theatres, film and TV producers, commissioning executives and script editors.

The course is wide-ranging and practical, covering a unique range of scriptwriting skills for theatre, film, TV and interactive media. You will also learn from experienced writers and industry professionals about how to effectively pitch and present your work. We will help you graduate as a professional writer with the ability to adapt to the demands of the contemporary market – from mainstream and community theatre to web-based ‘participation drama’, and from sit-com to feature film.

Additional benefits include the opportunity to participate in the creative environment at the University which includes the Newport Film School as well as courses in Applied Drama and Performing Arts.

What you study

Part 1
(Order of modules may change)
Dramatic Narratives 1
Looks at the essentials of dramatic structure, character and plot and how to tell a good story in dramatic form. We consider the roots of story, the range of genres and styles of storytelling, and the politics of representation. The emphasis is on what you need to help you shape and draft a script.
Adaptation
Through seminars and practical exercises you explore the creative potential of developing your own scripts and your own voice from existing material.

Short Performance Script
You develop your own piece for two performers through workshops and one-to-one supervision, working with actors and practical resources.

Part 2
Dramatic Narratives 2
Concentrates on understanding the elements of scripts and gives practical experience of writing script reports and script editing.

Contemporary Formats, Production Environments and Markets
This module explores the range of platforms for scriptwriting. Seminars by invited experts cover, for example:
• Stage
• Big Screen
• Small Screen (TV)
• Games Consoles
• Web Drama
• Mobile Media
• Transmedia

Development Lab
Designed as a preparation for the Major Project (full-length script), this module involves you in developing a full outline through workshops, discussion and industry input.

You complete your Major Project with the help of workshops and one-to-one supervision from practitioners. This can be:
• An adaptation for stage/screen
• A feature screenplay
• A full-length stage play
• TV screenplay(s)
• An interactive fiction script
• A transmedia script
• A web drama
• A collective/co-authored project

The project is accompanied by two essays, one explaining where in the market the script is aimed and how it is shaped to fit that niche, and the other explaining the artistic context of the piece.

A programme specification for this course is available.

Where Next?

On completion of the course you will have a thorough understanding of the creative and business processes involved in writing for stage and screen and a strong portfolio of work and contacts to help develop careers in a largely freelance industry. You will be equipped to become screenwriters, producers, development executives, writers in digital media, script supervisors, dramaturges and script readers. In theatre, there are also opportunities in new writing with companies keen to produce high quality, experimental and socially relevant work.

Interview Required

Yes. All candidates will be interviewed.

Assessment

Assessment is all through coursework:
• Creative projects (scripts and presentations/performances)
• Oral presentations
• Script reports
• Contextualising essays

Staff Soundbite

“I have loved working towards my MA. The course has really excited and inspired me.”

Experiences Gained

Student Successes

Facilities

Teaching Team

Course Costs

Students will have the opportunity to work on their scripts with actors and other performers. They may be selected to work with production agencies such as Bristol Old Vic or to work alongside MA Production students at Glamorgan University.

This is a new MA course where opportunities exist for students to enter their work for publication in various magazines including Pan, the magazine of art and creative writing. There are also opportunities for student work to be selected for showcase at the Riverfront Theatre. The course involves the possibility of collaborating with film students in making short films. In the past, our film student have enjoyed success and gained recognition at high profile film festivals including Ffresh 2010.

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Nina Ahmad – MA Scriptwriting for Screen Media and Stage student

After graduating from Newport with a BA (Hons) in English and Creative Writing in 2008 I began working in the family business, Global Foods Limited, dealing with HR and Health & Safety issues. It was only after receiving the University’s alumni magazine Silurian last summer advertising a new course in MA Scriptwriting for Screen Media and Stage that I found an ideal opportunity to start writing fiction again and pursue a secret ambition of mine.

The modules covered in the MA are a natural progression from the BA course, allowing me to refine and specialise in the scriptwriting craft. Having the opportunity to study the course either full or part-time is great. I chose to study part-time which has made it so much easier for me to maintain a work/study balance. My fellow students on the Scriptwriting course provide a great mix of life experience and skills, together producing interesting and creative ideas. The tutors are most approachable and are always available to advise and guide us. The challenge of further study in this environment dare I say is exciting!

One of the benefits of studying the MA Scriptwriting course at Newport is the University’s strong links with industry. There have been numerous occasions to submit scripts to various bodies which has been fantastic. As a result of this course, I was grateful to be given the opportunity to work alongside MA Production students at Glamorgan University. This has provided me with an insight into industry expectations, flexibility of your own creative work and working as a team. The MA Scriptwriting for Screen Media and Stage course is a stepping stone to a wealth of opportunities during and after its completion.

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Carly Sugrue – MA Scriptwriting for Screen Media and Stage student

I have loved working towards my MA. The most exciting opportunity to have arisen was writing a screenplay called ‘The Wake’, which was produced and filmed at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. I have started to find my feet as a writer, develop my craft and engage with the storytelling world to build a platform for myself once I have graduated. I can’t wait to return in the autumn!

The University of Wales, Newport boasts a beautiful campus at Caerleon and a new city centre campus at the heart of the city’s new cultural quarter. Excellent facilities for screening and performance are available and the library has an extensive collection of relevant resources in digital, electronic and print forms, including films, games and TV material. We have licenses for Final Draft, the industry standard formatting programme for scripts, linked to EP Moviemagic scheduling and budgeting software.

Linda Ruhemann - Programme Leader English and Creative Writing
Shafeeq Vellani - Senior Lecturer in Film & Video
Vanessa Dodd - Senior Lecturer in English, Programme Leader Applied Drama
Phil Morris – Lecturer in English, Creative Writing and Applied Drama

Mandatory Items	Costs
Field trips and conferences	£ Subsistence (lunch and tea) for 3 intensive weekends over the whole course: £90 Possible contribution to accommodation for one weekend residential course: £50-60

Year of Entry

September 2012

Course Code

N/A

Duration

Full-time: Minimum 1 year
Part-time: Minimum 2 years

Full-time attendance Wednesdays 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm, from late September to May, plus 2-3 intensive weekends per year. Covering the six taught modules in this time before embarking on the Major Project, for which supervision is arranged on a one-to-one basis.

Part-time attendance Wednesdays 10am-1pm (Year 1) or Wednesdays 2pm-5pm (Year 2), from late September to May, plus 1-2 intensive weekends per year. Covering three taught modules per year before embarking on the Major Project, for which supervision is arranged on a one-to-one basis.

Entry Requirements

• Degree or professional equivalent in qualifications
or experience
• Portfolio of work in creative writing (this can be in
any form; it does not have to be script)
• Where English is not your first language,
applicants are required to provide evidence of
proficiency in English Language at IELTS level 6 or
equivalent