Ireland Screenwriting Course

Danú Media, in association with Greasán na Meán Skillnet and National Talent Academies / Screen Ireland are delighted to partner with Philip Shelley on a new Script Writing Development Programme for Irish screenwriters and script editors.

Galway based production company Danú Media are launching a new Script Writing Development Programme – Greenlight Screenwriting Lab. Course Director will be Philip Shelley, who 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. Philip runs his own script consultancy www.script-consultant.co.uk working with screenwriters and production companies. He writes a fortnightly newsletter on screenwriting via the website.

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.

With the support of the Screen Ireland National Talent Academy and Greasán na Meán Skillnet, 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.

The initiative will be launched as part of the Fís TV summit on February 2nd 2023, with the application window opening on MONDAY FEBRUARY 13TH.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

ENTRIES FOR THE 2023 COURSE ARE NOW CLOSED

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

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 the evening of Wednesday November 22nd 2023 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 13th February 2023 at 9.00 am.

Closing Date

Friday 3rd March 2023 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

THANK YOU FOR SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION & SCRIPT FOR THE 2023 GREENLIGHT SCREENWRITING LAB.

ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED

Entry Form












* optional

Course FAQ's

  • Entry is free of charge.
  • Applicants must be 18 or over on May 1st 2023.
  • 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 2023.
  • We will inform the successful 6 writers by May 1st 2023.
  • We will email every writer by mid-May 2023 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 2023) and the first weekend in May will be held in Galway. The 2nd weekend (October 2023) and industry drinks evening (November 2023) 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.