Rewriting the Rules: New Approaches to Crafting Your Screenplay
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About this Weekend Intensive
Screenwriters are often told that there are a set of standards they must follow: the three-act structure, naturalistic dialogue that moves the story forward, perpetually active characters, etc. Those “rules” can often feel restricting and seem more like a labyrinth than a clear pathway. However, there are multiple ways to write a compelling screenplay that stray from these widely practiced standards – ways that can lead to a more liberating and fulfilling creative process.
In this weekend intensive, writer, consultant, and educator Jessie Keyt (co-author, Alternative Scriptwriting: Contemporary Storytelling for the Screen) will help you analyze classic storytelling techniques and learn when and how to break free from them. Using selected films, in-session writing exercises, and peer-to-peer workshops, you’ll develop new ways to approach the craft of dramatic storytelling. Whether you have a screenplay you are currently working on or simply the seed of an idea, this intensive will help release your creativity and devise new ways to tell your stories.
What you bring to the course:
- A general understanding of screenplay structure
- An interest in writing feature-length screenplays
What you’ll get from the course:
- A deeper understanding of screenplay structure, genre, and character development
- Methods to approach linear and nonlinear storytelling
- Tools to identify and effectively subvert audience expectations
- Strategies for finding the right POV for your story
This course will:
- provide tools and techniques to apply to any project.
- connect you with other creators via a discussion board where you can discuss core concepts and share your work.
Intensive Schedule
Friday, July 26:
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, July 27:
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PT
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT
Sunday, July 28:
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PT
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT
Course enrollment is approximately 50 participants per session.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Accommodations and services are designed to meet the needs of each participant. Please email us at accessibility@sundance.org to arrange for services.
Weekend IntensiveScholarships
Sundance Collab offers a limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships for individuals who need assistance.
Please note that due to limited scholarship funds available, we prioritize one course scholarship per participant in a 12-month period.
Team
Jessie Keyt
Instructor
Jessie Keyt is a writer and consultant for writers, filmmakers, and production companies in the US, UK, Europe, and India. Clients have included Working Title, Nickelodeon, 9 Story Media, Alicia Keys, Cine Qua Non Film Lab, and Amplifier Fellowship (Film Independent/Netflix).
Her book ALTERNATIVE SCRIPTING: CONTEMPORARY STORYTELLING FOR THE SCREEN was published in 2023. Her screenwriting has been recognized by Euroscipt/MEDIA II, the Sundance Screenwriters’ Lab, the Chesterfield/Writers’ Film Project (Paramount), the Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, and the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition, and her award-winning feature film, SKIN, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008 and received worldwide theatrical release the following year. Her plays have been produced at the Cherry Lane Theater in New York City and Manhattan Theater Source. Her nonfiction and fiction has been published widely and awarded a Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference residency, a Vermont Studio Center Fellowship, and a Columbia Writing Program Fellowship.
Jessie holds an MFA in Writing from Columbia’s School of the Arts and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is the Area Head of Screenwriting and an Assistant Arts Professor at NYU and has taught screenwriting at Columbia University, Sundance Collab, and La Femis, the French national film school in Paris. Her research interests include alternative scriptwriting, climate-change storytelling, and artist-built environments.
FAQ
In Sundance Collab’s Intensives, participants attend live, virtual class sessions in a condensed time period. These sessions are led by an instructor and supported by the Sundance Collab courses team.
All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to register for Sundance Collab Intensives. Some Intensives require an application. Please review the description and any eligibility requirements to ensure the Intensive is a good fit. If you have any questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
For application-based Intensives, note that space is limited. Applications are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the Intensive is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first. If the application window is open, you will see an “Apply” button on the course page.
We send our application acceptance notifications on a rolling basis, starting after the application deadline. You will be notified of your acceptance status no later than three days before the first session. At any point, you can check the status of a course that you have applied to by logging into Sundance Collab and visiting the course page. You’ll see a purple bar there indicating your status.
When reviewing applications for an Intensive, the Sundance Collab team evaluates the needs and expectations of each applicant. We are also looking to convene a diverse group of participants who will work well together and support each other throughout the Intensive. Finally, we will confirm that the applicant can meet the time commitment necessary and has a strong interest and readiness to complete the Intensive and meaningfully contribute to the group process.
We do not offer any combined applications or discounts for Sundance Collab Intensives.
We often offer a limited number of need-based, full or partial scholarships. Check the course description to see if that course currently has scholarships available. Scholarships are prioritized for one per person per year (from the date of issue). Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline. To apply for a scholarship, complete the registration form by clicking the REGISTER button and selecting the option to apply for a scholarship, if available.
Applicants will be notified about their scholarship decision prior to the first day of the course. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course. In this case, depending on the course, payment plans may be available and can be selected at checkout.
No, because of the length of the course, we do not offer payment plans for Intensives. However, we do offer a limited number of need-based scholarships which can be applied for within the course registration process.
Yes, you are welcome to take a live, online Intensive even if you can’t make the live sessions. Recordings of each session are available online within two business days.
All sessions are recorded and usually made available within two business days. The videos will also contain the chat and transcript from the session, viewable in the video playbar.
Participants will have access to the recordings for one year following the last session.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificate will include the name associated with your Sundance Collab account.
You can join a course via a computer or mobile device. All of our Intensives are conducted via Zoom.
Download and set up the Zoom software and make sure you have the latest update. Here are some great resources from Zoom’s Knowledge Base to take a deeper dive into using Zoom:
- Watch Zoom's Video Tutorials or review training materials on the Getting Started page.
- Join a Live Training from Zoom.
If you have any further questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.
No currently scheduled sessions
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