Raindance founder Elliot Grove has developed a simple, practical introduction to the art, craft and mechanics of screenwriting. The Writers' Foundation Certificate is for anyone who is interested in writing for the screen. It is not necessary to have a project for this class - but is necessary to want to learn how to write.

This course is part lecture and part group discussion.

Week 1: Tools of the Beginning
Getting started. What is an idea?
Where do they come from?
How to create compelling ideas
Copyright and how to protect your ideas
Proper script format and style guide

Week 2 - Casting your movie/story
How to create compelling characters that zoom out of the screen and stay with you
Magnification, traits and other tools
Case study: a character from a current movie will be analysed

Week 3 - Building Your Story
Scene writing and story structure
Creating a page turner
Suspense and other dramatic tools

Week 4 - Writing Compelling Dialogue
The 14 tricks and traps of writing dialogue
The 3 tracks for recording dialogue
Honing and mixing effective dialogue

Week 5 - Pitching Skills Workshop
Pitching is one of the most essential skills needed for a successful career in the film industry. It is also one of the least considered by new entrants to the industry.

Running a pitch meeting
The goals of a pitch meeting
Using visual aids
Finding your hook
Pitching tools explained and demonstrated