NEW MA SCRIPTWRITING COURSE LAUNCHED

DE MONTFORT University is setting the scene for the future of television scripts with the setting up of the only vocational Master of Arts degree in the UK devoted solely to scriptwriting.
The MA course is aimed at those people who pre-empt the next storyline in soaps and wonder who writes those embarrassing lines.
The industry orientated and designed for contemporary television markets is a one-day-a-week part-time course will begin in October.
Christopher Walker, course tutor in the University’s department of Media said: “The course has been designed in collaboration with top professionals from the television scriptwriting industry who will be centrally involved in the teaching. Channel 4 and the BBC have praised the proposals.
“Our industry consultant Julian Friedmann is a top London scriptwriting agent and it was he who put forward the initial idea for a degree in course in TV scriptwriting.”
Friedmann said: “Learning to write television scripts is most effective if it is done by writing for real series, soaps and sitcoms. This MA will provide an opportunity for participants to write both original scripts and scripts for actual series.
“Every script that is completed to a high enough standard will be submitted to producers and broadcasters. As far as possible the MA will replicate the real world of TV writers including script editing, networking, competing for deals and negotiating.”
The course will also analyse key aspects of the television industry to gain an advanced understanding of what both the public and broadcasters want.
Applicant will have to submit a 30-page script and competition for places is expected to be fierce as there are only 16-20 applicants being taken in the first year.
De Montfort University, www.dmu.ac.uk