FALL 2008
• 6-8 screenwriters from the Department of Radio-TV-Film, , and the James A. Michener Center for Writers will be invited to participate.
• They will embark on focused rewrites of their previously completed scripts to improve both story and structure while working with budget constraints and Austin locations. The six projects are expected to be a wide range of comedies, dramas and thrillers.
• The semester culminates in a series of readings performed for the UT and Austin film communities, drawing from the resources and talent of UTFI, Radio-TV-Film, Theater & Dance, Music, and the Austin community.
• Upon hearing these readings, interested directors, producers, cinematographers, costume designers, production designers and actors will pitch themselves as talent to workshop these screenplays in the spring semester.
SPRING 2009 ( Continuation of the inter-departmental,
year-long conservatory class)
• 2-4 of the fall
projects will be selected to move on to the second
semester of the workshop.
• Chosen Directors and Producers will
work with one script for the entirety of the semester shooting
key scenes, delving deeper into story and character, developing
a marketing plan, and crafting a low budget approach.
• UTFI staff, directors, and producers
will work with the screenwriters on a subsequent rewrite.
• A pool of student Actors,
Cinematographers, and Designers will workshop all
of the projects to further develop the creative elements of
each story and to better explore the film’s characters,
tone, look, and market viability. The conservatory of keys
will bring their point of view and creativity on a rotating
basis, gaining the experience of working with each director/producer
pair and mastering multiple genres and styles in one semester.
• Students in each creative discipline
are guided by Mentors, trained professionals in their
fields, willing to use this class as an opportunity to both
educate and provide professional advice.
• As the writers tackle the
rewrite, each student crafts a fully developed production
book demonstrating the depth of their understanding
of their craft and the films to potential producers, investors,
and production companies.
