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Short course

Create Your Own Short Film Script for 16 to 18 Year Olds Short Course

<p>Create Your Own Short Film Script for 16 to 18 Year Olds Short Course | On campus</p><p>Image: A laptop surrounded by books and scripts on a wooden desk | Pexels</p>
Discover the fundamentals of story structure, character, dialogue, and screenplay format. Learn how to turn an original idea into a production-ready short film screenplay.

Next start months
April 2027
July 2027
Tutor(s)
Sabrina Doyle
Price
From £780.00

Course description

Course overview

Have you ever wondered how films begin on the page? On this practical short course, students learn how to turn an original idea into a production-ready short film screenplay. Through a combination of screenings, discussions, and practical writing exercises, students explore the essential components of cinematic storytelling, including character, conflict, structure, dialogue, and visual storytelling.

During the course, students develop their ideas through loglines, character work, beat sheets and outlines before writing scenes in professional screenplay format using industry-standard software. Group feedback sessions and table reads help students refine their work and hear their scripts come to life while experiencing some of the creative processes used by working screenwriters. The course also encourages students to explore their creativity and express emotions and ideas through storytelling.

By the end of the course, students will have written a complete short screenplay, leaving with a finished piece of work that can serve as a creative writing sample or the starting point for a short film project. Students also gain the tools and confidence to continue their filmmaking ideas and expressing their own creative vision through storytelling.

Who this course is for

  • 16 to 18 year olds with an interest in filmmaking, storytelling or creative writing, whether they are complete beginners or have some prior experience making films
  • Those who are curious about how films are written, want to develop their own original ideas into a finished short screenplay, or would like to explore future study or creative careers in film and television
  • Creative students who love films and want a space to explore their ideas and imagination

Key information

Topics covered

  • Developing original short film ideas, loglines and story concepts
  • Understanding character, conflict and short film structure
  • Writing scenes and dialogue using professional screenplay formatting
  • Turning ideas into a structured outline and complete short screenplay
  • Workshopping scripts through feedback sessions and table reads
Learning outcomes

  • Understand the key components of short film storytelling, including character, structure, conflict and visual storytelling
  • Be able to develop an original short film idea into a clear logline and story outline
  • Understand how to write scenes using standard screenplay formatting and screenwriting software
  • Be able to structure a short film using beat sheets and outlines
  • Gain experience writing dialogue and building effective dramatic scenes
  • Develop skills in giving and receiving constructive feedback through group discussions and table reads
  • Complete a short film screenplay that can serve as a portfolio piece, writing sample or starting point for a short film project
  • Gain insight into possible next steps including developing scripts further, collaborating with other filmmakers, and exploring pathways into film and television careers
  • Receive a digital badge and certificate of attendance
  • Develop an open-minded approach to art and design
  • Experience art school teaching
For practical information about our kids and teens courses, take a look at our kids and teens information hub. This includes details of our policies on safeguarding, food allergies, learning requirements and online study.

Materials

  • Laptop, pen and paper
  • 2-3 sentence synopsis for a short film you are interested in writing

Tutor

Sabrina Doyle

Sabrina is a writer and director working between London and Los Angeles. Her feature directing debut, Lorelei, starring Pablo Schreiber and Jena Malone, was an Official Selection of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. It won the Jury Prize at the 2020 Deauville American Film Festival and the Jordan Ressler First Feature Award at the 2021 Miami Film Festival. The film was released in select US theaters and sold to Hulu in the US and Sky Cinema in the UK.

The late Sir Alan Parker called Sabrina’s work "outstanding [...] refreshingly intelligent, serious and lyrical. Much needed in tomorrow's cinema." Sabrina’s most recent film, the fantasy featurette Go for Grandma, stars Justine Lupe and Amy Madigan. It premiered at AFI FEST 2023. Her directing work has been supported by Women in Film LA, Google, Panavision, the Mary Pickford Foundation and BAFTA North America. Her shorts have been seen on the pan-European TV network ARTE, the cable channel ShortsTV and the streaming service Fandor, as well as at dozens of international film festivals, including Edinburgh and Fantasia. She was chosen to participate in the inaugural Sony Pictures Entertainment Diverse Directors Program. As a screenwriter, she’s been a Top 50 Nicholl Semifinalist and has written for Participant Media. Sabrina is also a member of the Directors Guild of America and a voting member of BAFTA, the British Academy of Film & Television Arts.

Previously, Sabrina worked as a BBC journalist for six years, producing content for the UK’s flagship news programs, including the Today program and Newsnight. A first generation high school graduate, she got top Bachelor's and MPhil degrees from Cambridge University, where her work was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. She subsequently won a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the American Film Institute, where she completed her MFA in Film Directing.

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