Spend a day with Pip Hall (One Lane Bridge, Jonah, Why Does Love?) as she guides participants through her process when developing story ideas for TV series.
Throughout the day Pip will look at character and character function, theme and story engine as well as constructing an outstanding pilot script and pitch document. This workshop will be craft based and combines practical elements, presented content, group work, discussion and case studies.
Promising to be both interactive and engaging, this is a terrific opportunity to spend a day focusing on your craft as a writer. You’ll be working on your ideas as well as taking notes, so bring your notepad or preferred writing device.
When: 9am – 5pm, Saturday 4th November 2023
Where:H D Skinner Annex, 361 Great King Street North, North Dunedin, Dunedin 9016. The room for the workshop is upstairs.
Wheelchair access is available. If you require special assistance, please let us know.
Cost: General Admission $30 (incl. GST & Booking Fee) via Humanitix.
Who is it for? Anyone 17+ currently working on a story idea for the screen. This workshop would be particularly beneficial for those writing for TV Series and will be a mix of teaching and writing exercises.
What to bring? Please bring a new or existing idea to work on. Also a notebook & pen or note-taking device, a water bottle and your lunch. Script to Screen will provide snacks, tea and coffee. There are café’s in the area if you prefer to buy your lunch.
Travel Grants Available for residents of Otago and Southland: Film Otago Southland will provide up to 5 travel grants of up to $100 each for participants who reside outside of the Dunedin City Council boundaries and have their permanent residence in the Otago or Southland region. The grants are allocated on a first-in basis. Please get in touch with Film Otago Southland Coordinator Stefan Roesch via email to secure your travel grant: stefan.roesch@dcc.govt.nz
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ABOUT PIP HALL
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| Pip Hall is an award-winning scriptwriter and playwright. She works extensively in television as a creator, writer, developer, story liner, script consultant and executive producer. She has written over forty million dollars’ worth of content including three series of One Lane Bridge, Why Does Love, Runaway Millionairesand The Brokenwood Mysteries.
“I love telling stories because I want to share the human condition, so that we know we are not alone in this big, crazy world; so we can celebrate our similarities and our differences.” – Pip Hall
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Spend a day with James Napier Robertson (The Dark Horse, Whina) as he guides participants through his approach to screenwriting and developing story ideas for film.
Throughout the day James will look at what makes a great story, discuss the stages of development, the fundamentals of character creation and connecting character to story. He’ll also explore structure and how this can continue to take shape throughout development and how all these elements combine and contribute to ‘the larger truth’ of your story. James will also devote some time to talk about career progression and approaches to developing your own work.
Promising to be both interactive and engaging, this is a terrific opportunity to spend a day focusing on your craft as a writer. Bring a notebook or device and be ready to take notes.
Who is it for: Anyone 17+ with a story idea they want to develop into a film script.
When: Saturday 21st October, 9am – 5pm
Where: Grey Lynn Library Hall, 474 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1021
Wheelchair access is available. If you require special assistance, please let us know.
Cost: General Admission $28.00 (incl. GST) via Humanitix.
What to bring: Notebook & pen or note-taking device, water bottle and lunch. Snacks, tea and coffee will be provided. 1hr lunch break – cafes within walking distance.
Parking: Limited parking is available, allow adequate time to find a park; using public transport is recommended.
Post Workshop: After the workshop, you are invited to relocate (location TBC) to socialise. Snacks are provided by Script to Screen, and buy your own drinks.
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ABOUT JAMES NAPIER ROBERTSON
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| James Napier Robertson is a New Zealand filmmaker. His 2014 film The Dark Horse was nominated for over 50 awards around the world and won over 30, Variety stating it “exceptional…the most deserving cinematic export to emerge from New Zealand in years” and the RNZ Film Review declaring it “one of the greatest New Zealand films ever made.” The Dark Horse won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Score at the 2014 New Zealand Film Awards. It was released theatrically in the United States in 2016, where it was presented by James Cameron, and in late 2016 was formally screened at the White House for then-President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. In 2018, Napier Robertson wrote and directed two episodes of Australian mini-series Romper Stomper, which won Most Outstanding Miniseries at the 2018 Logie Awards. In 2019 he worked on BBC mini-series The Luminaries, and in 2020 worked on Dame Whina Cooper biopic, Whina. His latest film, Joika, a ballet drama set in Russia starring Talia Ryder and Diane Kruger, premiered as the Closing Film for the prestigious Festival du cinéma Américain de Deauville in France and is set to be released in theatres globally in early 2024. |
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Whether you’re new to filmmaking or have worked in the industry for a while and aspire to tell your stories on the screen, this workshop will guide you in your next steps.
Fresh from the release of Far North, David White will be visiting Queenstown for this one-off workshop in September. Learn how to take your film idea through development, from a 1-pager to a dynamic and compelling script. David will draw on his experience, sharing and discussing how one of his projects went from the initial idea, was then developed into a short film, and subsequently reworked into a feature. He will also discuss the importance of collaboration and how to attract the right creative and producing partners to your project.
Come along to progress your feature or short film project. The passion that drives you to create will be invigorated, and you will leave with new knowledge and ideas to further develop your stories.
Testimony David White Workshop 2021
“His advice and insights were so practical and specific and spoke to the way the industry operates beyond just what works on the page and how to transfer it to the screen. I feel better equipped to approach my work.”
“Unique insight into the filmmaking process.”
Who is it for:
Anyone interested in developing their short or feature film project
When & Where:
Saturday 16th September 2023
9:00am – 5:00pm – Workshop
Puawai at Te Atamira
Building 11, Dart House, Remarkables Park Town Centre 12 Hawthorne Drive, Frankton, Queenstown 9300
Wheelchair Access is available. If you require special assistance, please let us know.
Cost: General Admission $25 (incl. GST) via Humantix
What to Bring: Please bring a pen, paper. Snacks, tea and coffee will be provided. Please bring your own lunch.
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ABOUT DAVID WHITE
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| David White – Director, Producer, Writer.
David White has produced and directed a substantial body of documentary and drama work that has enjoyed considerable national and international success, among them Meat, Shihad: Beautiful Machine, I Kill, Little Criminals, The Cleanest Pig and This Town. His work has screened at over 50 film festivals including Sundance, AFI, SXSW, SilverDocs, Tribeca, MIFF, TRUE/FALSE, Clermont Ferrand and has been commissioned and screened on networks such as BBC, Paramount +, Sky, Sundance Now, TVNZ and PRIME TV. He was the first New Zealander to be shortlisted for a Cinema Eye Honor (documentary) for his film I Kill. His documentary Little Criminals (2015) aired on PRIME TV to strong ratings and critical acclaim along with of Decades In Colour (2017 – PRIME TV) for Greenstone. Meat(2017) Executive Produced by Phil Fairclough (Grizzly Man / Cave of Forgotten Dreams) opened to 4 star reviews and sell out audiences throughout NZ and was released on multiple NZME platforms. MEAT is sold by MPI Media Group and has sold globally. He has just a 6part True Crime mini series – Far North, which he created, wrote, directed and is an Executive Producer. Staring Robyn Malcolm and Temerua Morrison, it has already sold to New Zealand, Australia and North America. Rest of World Sales will be handled by All3Media. |
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Script to Screen presents a free four-day film workshop in the July school holidays for 14 – 20 year olds.
This is an outstanding opportunity for young people to develop skills and learn about the fundamentals of crafting a story idea, writing a script, acting for camera and directing. The aim of the workshop is to foster writing talent and encourage aspiring young filmmakers in Northland. No experience or prior knowledge of filmmaking is necessary.
The programme will be taught by: Michael Bennett (Screenwriting), Laurel Devenie and Jamie Irvine (Storytelling and Acting).
When and where:
Tuesday 4th July – Friday 7th July
9am – 2:30pm each day
OneOneSix, 116A Bank Street Whangārei 0110
Programme Structure:
Day 1 – Story Telling and Acting
Day 2 – Screenwriting principles and developing a story idea
Day 3 – Writing a scene
Day 4 – Taping the scenes, debrief and discussion.
Cost: The workshop is free, but please register via EventBrite as spaces are limited.
Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Tea are provided. However, if you have special dietary requirements (allergies, gluten free, dairy free, keto, paleo, etc) please bring food with you.
ABOUT PROGRAMME MENTORS
MICHAEL BENNET
Michael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) is a screenwriter, director and author.
Michael’s short films and feature films have screened and won awards internationally, including Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Locarno, New York and London. He is the 2020 recipient of the Te Aupounamu Māori Screen Excellence Award, awarded by the NZ Film Commission for excellence in Māori filmmaking.
LAUREL DEVENIE
Laurel Devenie is Whangārei based theatre practitioner who works as an actor, director, teacher, and producer. She is co-founder of ONEONESIX and The Whangārei Fringe Festival and works in a creative director role at ONEONESIX. She is a graduate of Toi Whakaari and The John Bolton Theatre School. She has been involved in both professional and community projects all over the country and has worked with South Pacific Pictures, ATC, Silo Theatre, Capital E, Unitec, Prayas, Downstage Theatre, Red Leap, Northland Youth Theatre and Script to Screen. Laurel is the Director of Whangārei based theatre collective, Company of Giants and has led many devised theatre projects including Odyssey, The Owl and the Pussycat and Rangitahua. She has facilitated arts-based programmes to work with different sectors of the community and is curious about spaces where arts practice can be used to invite new ways of engaging within communities and organisations.
JAMIE IRVINE
Jamie Irvine joined Script to Screen in January 2023. He has worked in film and television since 1998 as an Actor, Director, Acting Coach and Script advisor. After leaving New Zealand to study in 2003, Jamie spent several years engaged in freelance work overseas in both Sydney and Los Angeles and during that time he worked as an Acting Coach at NIDA, Actors Centre Australia, Theatre of Arts Hollywood and various other organisations.
This workshop is made possible thanks to generous support from Foundation North and White Studios.
How does an idea become a story, and a story become a series?
This one-day workshop digs into those all-important first steps that take you from the very beginnings of an idea to having a developed project you can use to attract collaborators, platforms and funders. This journey takes longer than a day, but this one-day workshop will take you through those first steps and help you plan your next moves. Empowerment starts here!
Participants will create new projects from scratch developing original ideas in the room, interrogate successful shows and analyse why they work, and learn about the essential materials you need to sell a project.
The workshop is pitched at the developing writer – if you have ideas you would like to turn into a series drama, this day is for you. Bring a notebook and pen, an original idea – a few lines is fine – and your creative energy.
We are excited to finally bring this workshop to Wellington – thank you One Foundation.
“Fiona runs a fantastic workshop. She demystifies the world of writing for the screen in a clear, concise and approachable way, where everyone has a story to tell.”
“Absolutely Blimmen Brilliant!”
“Exemplary and valuable in every respect”
– 2022 Christchurch and Queenstown Creating Series Drama Workshop Participants
Who is it for:
Anyone interested in developing a series idea for the screen
When & Where:
Saturday, 13th May 2023
9:00am – 5:00pm
Drama 2, Te Whaea National Dance & Drama Centre, 11 Hutchison Road, Newton, Wellington
Cost: General Admission $25 (incl. GST) via EventBrite
What to Bring: Please bring a pen, paper and your own lunch (there are also cafes in the area)
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ABOUT FIONA SAMUEL
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| Fiona Samuel is an award-winning writer and director for television, theatre, radio and film and an esteemed writing teacher and mentor. In her career she has created a body of work that centres female experience, starting with her ground-breaking television drama series The Marching Girls and continuing with an acclaimed trilogy of telemovies Piece of My Heart, Bliss, and Consent – The Louise Nicholas Story.
Alongside this work, Fiona is also a teacher, mentor and script consultant, teaching the Masters in Creative Writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington and working with directing students at the South Seas Film & Television School in Auckland. Fiona is an NZ Arts Foundation Laureate, a MNZM for services to television and theatre and the Co-President of the NZ Writers Guild. |
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A conversation with the creators of Netflix’s new hit crime thriller Clickbait. While set in the US, Clickbait was developed and made in Australia. It was filmed in and around Melbourne with both US and Australian actors and post-production was completed whilst the city was dealing with many restrictions caused by the pandemic. Co-creators Tony Ayres and Christian White talk with moderator Cass Avery across a wide range of subjects including writing and collaboration, building a team, adapting the series for the US and the audience metrics they received from Netflix.
This Script to Screen Talk was held on 19 October 2021 as an online webinar and made possible thanks to generous support from the New Zealand Film Commission, Foundation North and Images & Sound.
ABOUT THE PANEL
TONY AYRES
Tony Ayres is an award-winning Australian showrunner, writer and director. He is well known for creating some of Australia’s most revered film and television dramas including The Home Song Stories, Nowhere Boys, The Slap, Glitch, Stateless and most recently Clickbait, along with feature movies Cut Snake (2015), The Home Song Stories (2007) and Walking on Water (2002).
CHRISTIAN WHITE
Christian White is an Australian author, screenwriter and producer. He has written award-winning novels The Nowhere Child and The Wife and the Widow. Christian co-created the television series Clickbait, with Tony Ayres. He also co-wrote the feature film Relic, a horror/drama starring Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcote and Robyn Nevin.
CASS AVERY
Cass Avery is a producer, executive producer and writer, Cass has helmed and scripted more than 50 documentaries and television series commissioned in NZ and Australia. She is currently Head of Development and the Executive Producer at Augusto.
Tues 19 October
5:30pm – 6:30pm NZDT – TALK
This Script to Screen TALK is made possible thanks to generous support from the
New Zealand Film Commission, Foundation North and Images & Sound.
Script to Screen, in partnership with Northland Youth Theatre, presents a free four-day film workshop in the July school holidays for 15 – 23 year olds.
The workshop helps young participants to develop skills in crafting a story idea, writing a script, and acting. The aim of the workshop is to foster writing talent and encourage aspiring filmmakers. No experience or prior knowledge of filmmaking is necessary.
On Day 1, participants will hear from writer/director Hamish Bennett (The Dump, Ross & Beth, Bellbird) about finding a story they want to tell and crafting a narrative that is compelling on screen. On Day 2, participants will develop their own film concept and write a scene for their film, guided by actor Laurel Devenie (Shortland Street).
On Day 3 Laurel will lead a workshop on acting for the screen, including working with the scenes written the day before. Each participant will get the chance to act in a scene. On the last day, we will tape the scenes, watch them as a group and discuss what was learned.
Tuesday 13 July – Fri 16 July
9am – 2:30pm each day
Northland Youth Theatre, 86 Bank St, Whangarei 0110
Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Tea provided. However, if you have special dietary requirements (gluten free, dairy free, keto, paleo, etc) please bring food with you.
The workshop is free but please register via EventBrite as spaces are limited.
This workshop is presented in partnership with Northland Youth Theatre and is made possible thanks to generous support from New Zealand Film Commission and Foundation North.
Frenzied screaming aside, fans can bring an unexpected energy to your project, promoting it to their peers in ways that you never imagined. They can power up your project by funding it, sharing it, showing up for it and keeping it in the conversation.
Fans have created ‘Always blow on the pie’ t-shirts, Kiri & Lou birthday cakes, and wooden kitset figures of Jacinda and Ashley’s 1pm daily briefings. Embrace them and mobilise them, just as Wellington Paranormal did with Covid Safety messages, Hunt for the Wilderpeople did with Instagram stickers, and Tākaro Tribe did with talking dolls, and you will reap the benefits.
These local productions engage fans to grow and cultivate a loyal audience and we want you to join their ranks. Find out what you can do, not just after release but during development and at all stages of production to feed the fans.
In this TALK, globally recognised speaker on fans and online communities Sacha Judd and Gemma Gracewood editor-in-chief at Letterboxd will go through some case studies to show the power of fans. They will discuss fans, merchandise, cosplay, conventions, and the delightful power of letting your audience help chart your project’s course—all the way to a sequel, a franchise, a spin-off and beyond.
Thurs 17 June 2021
6:30pm – 7:30pm – TALK
7:30 – 8:30pm – Cash bar, socialising, networking and pizza
TAPAC, 100 Motions Rd, Western Springs, Auckland
After the TALK, stay and have pizza on Script to Screen, there will be a cash bar and socialising with fellow filmmakers.
$5.75 (incl. GST) for sales via EventBrite to secure your seat.
$5 cash at the door.
Book your ticket in advance to secure your seat. When you book your ticket via Eventbrite, there’ll be an opportunity for you to guide the discussion by submitting a question ahead of time.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
SACHA JUDD
Sacha runs the Hoku Group, a family office combining private investments, early-stage tech ventures and a non-profit foundation. She was a founder of Refactor (a series of events around diversity in technology), and Flounders’ Club (a network for early-stage company founders). She speaks at conferences and in-house events on diversity & inclusion in the tech sector, fandom and online communities, and how fans will transform the world.
This TALK is presented in association with the Aotearoa Screen Publicists Collective.
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This workshop has now reached capacity. You may join the waitlist if you are still interested in attending and we will contact you if a space becomes available.
Due to popular demand, we’re excited to be bringing you another Auckland workshop! Join us for a one-day workshop in Waitākere this June to learn how to jumpstart your feature film idea or revitalise an old one. This interactive and practical one-day workshop will give you the means to propel your feature film project forward.
Over the course of one day, Hamish Bennett (Bellbird) will explore character and story and how the two are intertwined. He will use clips and examples to support the learning.
Hamish will talk about how to tap into your own knowledge and experiences to build a story that is authentic and memorable. He will also talk about his process preparing as a director and give you methods for making time for writing when you’re not a full-time writer.
No matter what your experience is, come along. The passion that drives you to create will be invigorated and you’ll come away with new knowledge and ideas to further develop your stories.
Saturday 12 June 2021
9:00am – 5:00pm
The Seminar Room, Level 1, Lopdell Precinct, 418 Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland
Parking: Free parking behind the Lopdell building, entrance is off South Titirangi Road. Alternative parking is available outside the building on Titirangi Road or at the parking building opposite – off South Titirangi Road.
Who it is for: Emerging to established filmmakers. If you are at the beginning stages of writing a feature film or are interested in writing a film this workshop will be very beneficial.
Cost: General Admission $23 (incl. GST) via EventBrite
What to Bring: Pen and paper. Please bring your own lunch or there are plenty of cafes in the area if you wish to buy lunch. Snacks, tea and coffee will be provided.
This Script to Screen workshop is made possible thanks to generous support from Auckland Council Creative Communities and the New Zealand Film Commission.
Script to Screen is excited to bring you a late-night TALK with award-winning director Jessica Hobbs, in conversation with moderator Rob Sarkies. Jessica started her career in New Zealand and has risen to work on some of our favourite series made in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Jessica has directed episodes of The Split, Apple Tree Yard, Broadchurch and most recently multi-award-winning show The Crown. She directed two episodes of Season 3, including the finale starring Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. She has gone on to direct three episodes of Season 4 including the finale.
Before moving to the UK Jessica was the lead director on the award-winning series The Slap, directed episodes of Rake and Love My Way, and won an Australian Directors Guild Award for her work on Devil’s Dust. She was also awarded the Australian Film Institute Award for ABC mini-series, Answered by Fire.
In this Script to Screen TALK, Jessica will join us live from London to talk to director Rob Sarkies (The Gulf, Consent, Jean, Two Little Boys, Wanted, Out of the Blue, Scarfies). They will discuss what it is like working on a series drama in the UK right now, her approach to directing, and her ambitions for the future.
ABOUT THE PANEL
JESSICA HOBBS
Jessica Hobbs began directing short films in her 20s, during an eight-year stint as an assistant director. After helming Cliff Curtis TV drama Overnight in 1995, she got her break on Australia’s Heartbreak High. Hobbs went on to build up an impressive — and award-winning — Australian resume, including hit show Love My Way, East Timor mini-series Answered by Fire, winning the Australian Film Institute Directing Award for both, and the first two episodes of BAFTA-nominated ensemble drama The Slap, which she also set up. After relocating to England, she directed Emily Watson in the high profile mini-series Apple Tree Yard, based on the Louise Doughty bestseller about a married woman who has an affair. Other directing credits include Broadchurch, River, BBC mini-series The Split, written by Abi Morgan, and most recently seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown for Netflix.
ROB SARKIES
Rob Sarkies works across feature films, series television and commercials as a creator and director. His work includes Out of the Blue about the Aramoana shootings, Consent based on Louise Nicholas’s fight for justice, Jean about aviator Jean Batten, black-buddy-comedy Two Little Boys, Wanted, The Gulf and NZ classic Scarfies.
Tues 23 March
9:00pm – 10:00pm NZDT – TALK
