Ireland Screenwriting Course
ENTRIES FOR THE 2024 COURSE ARE NOW CLOSED
Danú Media, in association with Greasán na Meán Skillnet and National Talent Academy TV and Film are delighted to partner with Philip Shelley and bring Greenlight Screenwriting Lab back for 2024!
Last year, Galway based production company Danú Media launched a new Script Writing Development Programme – Greenlight Screenwriting Lab. Course Director, Philip Shelley, has run the Channel 4 Screenwriting Course for over 13 years and through that has worked with much of the best new talent in UK screenwriting.
Greenlight Screenwriting provides 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. The course was launched in 2023, when six talented writers and three shadow script editors were mentored over the course of six months. During their six-month development period, writers had industry lead talks and workshops with people such as Peter McKenna (KIN, Hidden Assets), Des Doyle (The Art of Running a TV Show), Sam Atwell (Producer, Northern Lights), Heather Larmour (BBC Commissioning Executive), Ray Lawlor (Obituary), Ursula Rani Sarma (Smother, Red Rock), and Sinead Stimpfig (Commissioning Lead, Virgin Media). The course ended with an industry networking event, where writers had the opportunity to meet producers and discuss their developed projects.
Here are what some of our 2023 participants had to say!
Greenlight has given me invaluable insight into the professional development process. As a writer who is self-taught and obsessed with learning more about the craft, I have loved every minute of the course. Working with experienced script editors who are helping me shape my idea and strengthen my story has been such a gift. As a busy Mum of two young kids, based in Cork, I rarely get the opportunity to engage in this level of education (the flexible hours and online aspect really helps!). The practical exercise of developing a tv pilot from scratch has been a huge learning experience for me and I would highly recommend the course to emerging writers. I hope to see more courses like this in future and I know for sure that what I have learned with Greenlight will serve me well in my career as a writer.
Joy Buckle, Writer, Greenlight Screenwriting Lab
I took part in Greenlight as a shadow script editor and the experience has been invaluable. Coming on board I had a fundamental understanding of script editing but Greenlight really helped bridge the gap between theory and practice. Working alongside Philip Shelley was really insightful and I learned more than I could have imagined. It has given me real confidence in my ability to do the role and has already opened up doors for career opportunities. Above all I thoroughly enjoyed working alongside amazing writers who share a similar cultural and creative background to my own.
Emma Williamson, Shadow Script Editor, Greenlight Screenwriting Lab
With the support of the Screen Ireland National Talent Academy TV and Film and Greasán na Meán Skillnet, Greenlight Screenwriting Lab will return in 2024 and offer an opportunity for six new script writers to be mentored by Philip and other industry professionals to develop a new TV drama series. In addition to this, the programme will also offer shadow opportunities for three people interested in script editing. Nadine Flynn who works with Danú Media as Development Executive will be heavily involved in the course, with experience as a script editor herself. “It goes without saying that Ireland is full of emerging and exciting talent when it comes to screenwriting, and so we are delighted to be able to partner with Philip, and devise this new course, in the hopes that it will nurture that talent while also creating opportunities and training for script editors. It’s important to us that we continue to support our industry, and we’re confident that Greenlight Screenwriting Lab will do just that.” – Nadine Flynn
In advance of our 2024 launch, we will hold an information session on February 16th. This will then be followed by a Script Editing workshop, led by Philip Shelley on February 17th. This will act as a taster, for potential applicants who are interested in the shadow script element of the course. The initiative will be launched on January 19th with the application window opening shortly thereafter. The successful six writers will be notified by the end of April and will then work on their idea for six months, through in-person weekend workshops and one to one meetings and feedback. Guest speakers and industry professionals will also play an important part in the scheme.
Greenlight Screenwriting Lab will be open to any writers 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.
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.
Full details will be available on https://script-consultant.co.uk/ireland-screenwriting-course/
– after the official launch on February 12th . Please refer to the FAQ section here before applying.
The National Talent Academy Film & TV is an initiative of Screen Ireland and is managed by Ardán.
For any other queries, please contact Nadine Flynn, Development Executive at Danú Media. Tel. 091 558400
(nadine@danumedia.com)
NB: Please refer to the FAQ section below before applying.
Course Content
General
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. NB The script you write on the course will be a new project – ie different to the entry script that you submit.
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.
Dates
11th & 12th May 2024 and 19th & 20th October 2024.
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 13th May and 8th October 2024.
First Weekend
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.
Second Weekend
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 an evening in November 2024 for the course writers to meet industry producers, script editors, literary agents etc.
Eligibility
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).
Opening Date
Monday 12th February 2024 at 9.00 am.
Closing Date
Friday 1st March 2024 at 5.00 pm.
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.
How to Apply
ENTRIES FOR THE 2024 COURSE ARE NOW CLOSED
Entry Form
Course FAQ's
- Entry is free of charge.
- Applicants must be 18 or over on May 1st 2024.
- Applicants must be resident in Ireland or of Irish nationality.
- Whilst the competition is open to all Irish writers, Danú Media are committed to promoting equal opportunities and diversity in the media industry in Ireland. We therefore strongly encourage applications from those from diverse and under-represented groups.
- If you submit an Irish language script, we ask you also to submit an English translation of the script.
- For the purposes of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, diversity in terms of underrepresentation within the screen industry generally covers the following grounds:
– Gender
– Marital status
– Family status
– Parenting and Caring Responsibilities
– Age
– Disability
– Geographic Location
– Regional (outside Dublin and Wicklow)
– Language
– Sexual orientation
– Ethnicity
– Religion
– Membership of the Traveller community
– Socioeconomic disadvantage - As well as individual writers, writing partnerships of two (max) may enter. Scripts submitted must be written by the partnership. Any writer submitting a script as part of a partnership cannot also submit a script as an individual. ie You cannot submit scripts as an individual AND in a writing partnership.
- Only one script per applicant can be submitted. Anyone submitting more than one script will not be considered.
- No feedback can be given on the scripts.
- No correspondence (email or otherwise) can be entered into with applicants.
- We will be holding interviews for short-listed writers in Galway or on zoom in the week of April 24th 2024.
- We will inform the successful 6 writers by May 1st 2024.
- We will email every writer by mid-May 2024 to let you know whether your application has been successful.
- Scripts entered must be 20 – 130 pages in length. They can be screenplays, TV scripts, stage plays or audio plays. Scripts shorter than 20 pages or longer than 130 pages will not be considered.
- Your submission must be your own original work, and may not be based wholly or in part, on the work of any other person, whether known, published, produced, or not (ie no adaptations except of your own original source material). You may submit a script based on your own work which has been published or written in another form.
- Script Logline: this should be a clear description of the narrative premise and dramatic proposition of the project you are submitting in one or two sentences (max 50 words).
- Your submission is final. Under no circumstances will rewrites, corrections, replacement pages, or additional drafts of a submission be accepted.
- Submitted scripts must be formatted clearly and legibly and emailed as PDF attachments.
- We only accept email entries. All entries must be submitted through the online submission process.
- Writers should include a CV – formatted as a PDF – with their scripts. (Writing work and other work / life experience can be included on the CV).
- It is essential that applicants have an interest in and enthusiasm for television drama. Scripts will be assessed on the strength of the writing and the writer’s suitability to broadcast TV drama. Scripts entered can be either comedy or drama and we are open to all story genres.
- You will be automatically notified by email immediately after submitting your script that your entry has been received.
- The interviews for short-listed writers (April 2024) and the first weekend in May will be held in Galway. The 2nd weekend (October 2024) and industry drinks evening (November 2024) will be held in Dublin.
- If successful, the idea you work on during the course will be a new idea, i.e. different to the script that you submit with your entry.
