GREENLIGHT SCREENWRITING LAB: 1st Weekend Galway May 10-11
I was lucky enough to go to Galway earlier in May for the first weekend of this year’s GREENLIGHT SCREENWRITING LAB, a scheme for new Irish screenwriters and script editors, now in its 3rd year.
The quality of the submitted scripts we receive for Greenlight is outstanding. We get roughly 250 scripts compared to the 2000 we receive for 4screenwriting. But it sems to be just as difficult to choose the 6 writers for this course as it does the 12 writers for 4screenwriting. We are spoilt for choice.
It’s been a privilege and education for me to enjoy Irish writing and experience so many different, distinctive, highly engaging voices.
On this first weekend we had a range of brilliant guest speakers. It reminded me that, working with writers and on story, you never stop learning.
Each of guests talked us through their career journeys so far. There’s something so fascinating and entertaining hearing people like these guests talk about themselves and their progression – the richness and idiosyncrasy of each of their story arcs, the way they tell their stories in this slightly nerve-racking, performative setting…
Here’s an account of the weekend –
The first thing to say is that Galway is a lovely part of the world. If you haven’t been there, I highly recommend it.
Out first guest speaker was screenwriter Ursula Rani Sarma. Ursula is an excellent and very experienced screenwriter who works both in Ireland and the UK (One of the conversations that was had several times across the weekend was how hard it is to make a living as a screenwriter solely in Ireland – that many of the successful Irish writers work not just in Ireland but in the UK and often the US as well.) Ursula most recently worked on Netflix series Bodkin and is now developing a new series with Sister Pictures.
Another thing that came up a few times over the weekend was the Screen Ireland executive producer / showrunner course that Ursula and the equally excellent and generous Peter Mckenna run – to guide lead writers on shows new to the experience. Writers Hugh Travers (Video Nasty) and Doireann Ni Chorrigain (Cra) had both been on this course and talked about how valuable it was to them in their roles as both writers and executive producers on these particular shows.
While the market for screenwriters in Ireland is undoubtedly smaller than in the UK, one thing that seems to work arguably better are initiatives and training opportunities for new screenwriters and directors – schemes like Storyland, Screen Ireland Spotlight scheme, Fis TV Summit pitching competition, X-Pollinator Elevator. It seems to me that there are more opportunities for new writers and directors to actually make their own films – mainly though Screen Ireland and the National Talent Academies – than – relatively speaking – there are in the UK.
Ursula was followed by the afore-mentioned Hugh Travers who talked us through his journey to becoming lead writer and executive producer on the series he created, Video Nasty (available to watch on BBC i-player). As with most of these journeys, it was long and not straightforward – but an instructive, generous account of how important it is to both create fascinating, resonant story ideas but also develop strong, long-term relationships with producers who will support and champion you and your work.
Nadine Flynn, who is head of development for the company, Danumedia, who are behind Greenlight and who runs the course with me, spoke next, mainly about her experiences of working as script editor on Eastenders. Nadine emphasises what a brilliant learning experience this was – and how working on continuing drama series as either writer or script editor is such an enjoyable, fulfilling experience – in seeing ideas become outlines becomes scripts and then completed TV shows in such short order – and how creatively educational it is to go through this process and see your work come alive off the page.
The next day we opened with producer and consultant Des Doyle. This was the 3rd time I’d heard Des talk and it was as brilliant and mind-boggling as ever. Des seems to have an almost unique overview of the international film and TV industry with particular application to the industry in Ireland. Over the course of a 90 minute talk with brilliant powerpoint slides, Des challenged us all to learn the wider lessons of industry trends – the main conclusion I took from his talk being that we all need to be aiming to tell bigger, more ambitious and impactful stories in order to cut through. His talk is always equally challenging and inspiring. If you ever get the opportunity to hear Des talk or to pick his brains, I recommend you jump at the chance. And his documentary feature, Showrunners: The Art Of Running a TV Show is definitely worth watching.
Des was followed by screenwriter Doireann Ni Chorrigain, writer of Irish language series Cra (also available on BBC i-player). Like Hugh, Doireann also talked of the huge value of the Screen Ireland executive producer course she’d done, and of the pleasures and challenges of being a first-time lead writer. She also talked fascinatingly about the particular opportunities in developing Irish-language drama.
Then we had a talk about script-editing and about the script editor / writer relationship from script editor Katie Davies. Katie worked as Hugh Travers’ script editor on Video Nasty and is a highly experienced script editor. She talked about her background in England, moving to Ireland and the joy she has found in her work within the Irish TV and film industry over the last 17 years.
Finally, it was great to end with a session from screenwriter Matthew McDevitt. Matthew is an alumnus from the first year of the Greenlight scheme and it was great to hear about his successes over the last year – in the writers room on award-winning BBC NI series Blue Lights, writing episodes of Casualty and Hope Street, getting onto the Brit List and with other exciting projects in development. Matt is a real talent as well as being a lovely guy – and it was great to hear about a Greenlight Screenwriting Lab alumnus who has done so well. But one of the lessons to take away from this talk was also that he is a grafter – writing is his job but also his hobby and his passion. Underneath his placid, easy-going nature, he is clearly really determined and hard-working – but also courteous and a pleasure to be around. Sorry to embarrass you Matt.
Both days are finished with discussions between writers and their script editors and trainee script editors about the ideas they want to write over the next six months on the calling card script we develop with them – the important, meaningful part of the course. The ideas discussed were universally exciting – and so we look forward to seeing what the writers will bring to the concluding weekend of the course in Dublin in October.
SCRIPT READING & DEVELOPMENT Q&A
The next evening zoom session will be on Wednesday July 2nd 6-8.30pm and I am now taking bookings.
https://script-consultant.co.uk/script-reading-development-qa/
The next newsletter will be on Friday June 13th.
Best wishes
Phil
PHILIP SHELLEY
Twitter / BlueSky: @PhilipShelley1
Friday May 30th 2025
