Greenlight Screenwriting Lab with Philip Shelley

Greenlight Screenwriting Lab with Philip Shelley 

 

National Talent Academy for Film & TV, Danú Media and Greasán na Meán Skillnet are delighted to partner with Philip Shelley on a new Script Writing Development Programme for Irish screenwriters and script editors with Course Director will be Philip Shelley. Philip has run the Channel 4 Screenwriting Course for 13 years and through that has worked with much of the best new talent in UK screenwriting.  

Greenlight Screenwriting will provide support and up-skilling opportunities to a new generation of emerging script writers and script editors through hands on industry-led training and mentoring, and will contribute to and enhance the Irish screen Industry. 

Greenlight Screenwriting Lab will offer an opportunity for six new script writers to be mentored by Philip and other industry professionals to develop and write a new TV drama pilot script.  

In addition to this, the programme will also offer shadow opportunities for three people interested in script editing. 

Writers will be short-listed for interview and the successful six writers will be notified by the end of April 2023 and will then work on their idea and script for six months, through in-person weekend workshops and one to one meetings and feedback from their script editor and trainee/shadow script editor. 

Guest speakers and industry professionals will also play an important part in the scheme. 

Course Content: 

The purpose of the course is to identify and then work with six new Irish writers over a six month period to each create, develop and write a TV drama pilot episode (for series or serial). The course will offer these writers new to television drama an insight into how the industry works and to provide a “dry-run” of what it can be like to write under a television drama commission, specifically for one hour or 30 minute series and serial drama, and to work with them as they write an original drama script. 

Writers will be expected to write an original one-hour or half-hour drama series or serial pilot episode, and 2-3 page outline / pitch for the series / serial as a whole. 

Each writer will be assigned a script editor, who is currently working in the industry, to guide them through this process. Writers will meet at least twice with their script editor and should complete a 2nd draft script before the 2nd weekend of the course. Completed, 2nd draft scripts will be sent to the script editor and one other writer on the course, for workshop discussions at the second weekend. 

PLEASE READ COURSE FAQ’S BEFORE ENTERING 

 

Dates/Duration:   

13th & 14th May 2023 and 21st & 22nd October 2023. 

Writers must ensure before entering that they are available to attend both these weekends in person (the first weekend in Galway, the second weekend in Dublin) and are free to write at least two drafts of an original one-hour television drama between 15th May and 8th October 2023. 

NB: We will also be looking for three trainee / shadow script editors to work on the course. Please read information on the Danumedia website. 

 

Weekend One / 13th & 14th May 2023 

Writers, directors, producers and script editors in the industry will speak to the participants on a variety of subjects relating to writing for television, especially writing for series and serial drama. There will also be time set aside for writers to discuss their ideas for one hour scripts with their assigned script editor. 

Weekend Two / 21st & 22nd October 

This will be split between a reading of a section of each script by actors on the first day, and discussion and analysis of each of the six finished scripts in small groups on the second day, finishing with a workshop / conclusion to the course and discussion of next steps for the writers and shadow script editors.   

It is essential to the success of the second weekend that writers submit their scripts on time and make time to read at least one other script. 

Industry Drinks Evening 

There will be a drinks evening in Dublin (venue TBC) on the evening of Wednesday November 15th 2023 for the course writers to meet industry producers, script editors, literary agents etc. 

 

Cost / Fee:   

Writers will be paid a fee for participating in the course and for completing two drafts of a one hour/30 minute script.  

All writers will be required to grant Danú Media a first option to acquire all rights in their script and will be told within six months of delivery whether Danú Media wishes to exercise this option. 

 

Who Can Apply:  

This is an initiative for NEW Irish writers – but writers who have writing credits on long-running soaps/ continuing series can also apply. 

Only writers who do not have a broadcast credit as a television writer or theatrical release as a feature film writer may apply (although produced short films – 20 minutes or less – and episodes of soaps / continuing drama series – are exempt). 

Greenlight Screenwriting Lab will be open to any writer's resident on the Island of Ireland and also any Irish writers who may be resident overseas.  

Criteria around Diversity, Equality and Inclusion will also be taken into account when short-listing writers for interview. Please see the Diversity and Inclusion Statement for more info. 

  
The working language of the training will be English, however we particularly welcome writers who are fluent in Irish and wish to write material in Irish. 

 

How To Apply:   

Entry is only possible via the application form, Linked HERE 

Applicants will be asked to submit the following

• CV (detailing relevant experience.) 

• One writing sample (saved as a PDF). This can be a screenplay (film or TV), stage play or radio play, minimum length 20 pages (novels, treatments, short stories, unfinished screenplays and “shorts” are not acceptable), maximum length 130 pages.The scripts should be original, not episodes of existing drama series. 

Deadline: Friday 3rd March 2023 at 5.00 pm.  

 

Selection Process:  

Writers will be short-listed for interview with a panel of industry professionals and the successful six writers will be notified by the end of April 2023. 

 

Further Information:

PLEASE READ COURSE FAQ’S BELOW BEFORE ENTERING. 

Please email eibh.collins@nationaltalentacademies.ie  with questions or for any further information.   

The National Talent Academy is an initiative of Screen Ireland. The NTA for Film & TV is managed by Ardán

Learn more about Danu Media HERE and Greasán na Meán Skillnet HERE.