Storyboard!
A five day residential writing course at Le Verger, in the heart of the Burgundy countryside, from August 30th to September 5th 2009.
'As soon as he reached the top, his rock rolled back down to the bottom again (they always want another draft, you might say).' Frederic Raphael in Eyes Wide Open.
The truth about the process of writing is that it is rarely possible to get it right the first time, or the second time or even at the tenth draft. Re-writing is where craft takes over from creativity. To be able to use this process to full advantage writers need to be able to dissect their work and test it against the underlying structures which exist in every story.
Storyboard is a five day residential writing course which concentrates on teaching the craft and techniques of writing (from novels to film scripts) to enable writers to achieve such an analytic approach while remaining in harmony with their creativity. Storyboard provides both group seminars and individual tutorials.
Group Seminars
Storyboard seminars aim to provide writers with the tools for building their narratives - how to create characters, design storylines, establish a coherent tone and involve the audience emotionally in the story. The seminars will also focus on how to distinguish between plot and story and offer participants techniques for self criticism and testing their work.
Individual tutorials
The course also offers participants four and a half hours of individual tutorial time where they will receive feedback and guidance on their own work from a team of storytelling professionals who have all had careers in writing, script editing and producing in theatre, television and film.
Whether currently writing a novel, a play, a feature film, a telemovie, a mini-series, a drama series or a situation comedy each participant will be under the guidance of an assigned tutor for one-to-one tutorials dedicated to work on their project.
Time will be set aside for participants to continue to work on their projects during the week so that progress can be made from day to day.
Participants
Storyboard is aimed at writers or aspiring writers who have reached the stage where they feel the need for professional input. The course will also be of interest to producers needing script editing skills and script editors beginning their careers. A nurturing and informal environment is provided at Le Verger where participants can feel at home while enjoying expert tuition in a relaxing rural setting.
Advance Material
Participants will submit material at least two weeks in advance of the course. Whether you are writing a novel, stage play, for film or television a synopsis of your story (maximum 15 pages) will be required.
The Storyboard Team
Guy Meredith
Guy Meredith is a scriptwriter, consultant and teacher with 25 years experience in television, film and theatre. He helped initiate the European PILOTS writing programme where he was Head of Studies from 1996 to 2003.
Guy began his writing career in comedy but then branched out into a number of other areas, including long-running series, soaps, TV movies and films. He has written dramas, thrillers, detective mysteries and horror. His writing credits include: Heartstones (ITV TV movie), Daunt & Dervish (BBC radio comedy drama series), Einstein (BBC drama/documentary) and Not the 9 O'Clock News (BBC comedy series).
Guy is currently acting as consultant at one of the UK's major publishing houses and training BBC script editors as well as giving regular writing workshops.
Roger Gregory
Roger Gregory originally trained in theatre stage management at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He moved from theatre to television, joining David Rose (later the initiator of Film Four) at the BBC TV Drama Department in Birmingham where he worked on such projects as David Hare's BAFTA award winning film Licking Hitler.
Roger's script editor credits include Malcolm Bradbury's adaptation of John Fowles' The Enigma and Alan Bleasdale's The Boys from the Black Stuff. His producer credits include Play for Today Reluctant Chickens (David Cregan), the mini-series Heart of the Country (Fay Weldon) and the telemovie The Man from the Pru (Robert Smith). His European credits include Saint Amour (IKON TV, Holland), Katie's World, a pre -school children's animated series (Telegael, Eire) and The Preacher (Theorema Film, Holland).
Script consulting has taken Roger to the Dutch CoBo fund, PILOTS and SOURCES, two of the MEDIA script development programmes. He also works on the EBU Prix Europa bursary initiative as a Jury member and a tutor.
Alan Ravenscroft
Alan Ravenscroft is a television producer currently working in music documentary. He started out as a film editor on Arts programmes. Early credits include profiles of jazz and blues singer George Melly, Dadaist Hans Richter and choreographer Maurice Béjart. He has since worked as a Director and Producer on everything from adventure films for National Geographic in India and Antarctica to current affairs location reports from Northern Ireland, Yemen, Mexico and Zimbabwe. He also produced the very first television series about English people buying and renovating property abroad, A House in France (which was filmed at Le Verger).
Alan's most recent credit is for James Martin's Mille Miglia which was shown on BBC2 last Christmas. He has just completed post production on a jazz concert shot in Rio de Janeiro.
Rosemary Stones
The course is organised by Rosemary Stones, Editor since 1996 of the children's books review journal Books for Keeps. Rosemary's career in children's books began in the '70s and '80s when she was a critic, reviewer and campaigner against race, class and gender bias in children's literature. She was co-founder of the alternative children's book award, The Other Award (for 'progressive books of literary merit'). In the '90s Rosemary was appointed Editorial Director for Fiction and Non-Fiction at HarperCollins and then Associate Publisher at Penguin Children’s Books.
Rosemary's publications about children's books include: Pour Out the Cocoa, Janet: Sex Role Presentation in Children's literature; A Multi-Ethnic Booklist; Ms Muffet Fights Back; Children's Books about Bullying. Her books for children include Don't Pick on Me, It's Not Your Fault, My Stepfamily and Rosie's First Day at School.
Fees
The all inclusive price is either £750 (single bedroom) or £650 (shared bedroom).