New TV Drama Course

FÁS Screen Training Ireland is organising a Television Drama Development course over two weekends: the 2nd - 3rd August and the 1st - 2nd September 2007, at the Westbury Hotel in Dublin.

The tutors are: David Nevins (Emmy-award winning producer and president of Imagine TV), Sarah Timberman (founder of 25C Productions), Ed Redlich (executive producer of the legal drama Shark), and John Yorke (controller of continuing drama series at BBC).

The course is designed for Irish professionals involved in producing, writing, development and script editing in the television and film industry. Participants should be involved in developing current television drama projects.

The aim of this course is to enhance participants' understanding of television drama forms and formats, focusing on such issues as structure and character in TV drama, exploring the US Showrunner and writers room models, and evaluating successful TV drama concepts and ideas.

The course will cover the following:

• Television drama structure
• Character
• Sourcing ideas and concept development
• The creation of bibles, pilots and proposals for broadcasters
• Working with writers
• The development process: US/UK/Ireland
• TV vs. feature film
• New technologies/formats
• Case Studies
• TV drama audiences at home and abroad.
• The commissioning process.

After the Television Drama Development course, participants will be invited to submit television drama proposals, either as individuals or part of a team. Eight people will be selected to participate in a follow-up, project-based Television Writing course that will run over two intensive modules from October to December 2007. Only participants on the TV Drama Development course will be considered for the Television Writing Programme.

Please apply online at the Screen Training Ireland web site. The deadline for applications is Mon 23rd July 2007.