This is an online weekend Web Series writing programme, which will be conducted over 24 Weekends, or 6 months. Each Saturday and Sunday we will have 4 -6 hour sessions, and on some days, it might be 8- hour sessions. Apart from these classes, students would be expected to read study material and write during the week to prepare themselves for Guest Lectures and Feedback on their writing. You will be given access to the Screenwriting programme which has 10 modules. It is recommended that you learn the concepts of Screenwriting before or during the Series Writing programme. During the programme, participants will go through the complete process of creating a Show Bible for a web series – starting with ideation, creating unforgettable characters, expanding the idea into a broad story, plotting it over 8 episodes and writing the screenplay of the Pilot Episode. Renowned TV & Web Writers come regularly during the term and conduct masterclasses with the students during the two terms. In this one-day session, the writers share their writing practice, their inspirations, their writing technique, and show examples from their shows and explain principles to the students. Students also get masterclasses from screenwriter-teacher Anjum Rajabali on Mythology, on the Mahabharata, and on Psychology. There will also be an in-depth session on the importance of Navrasa in Indian dramaturgy by screenwriter-teacher, independent filmmaker, and script consultant Ashwini Malik. Mentoring: Students will be mentored by industry professionals on a one-on-one basis. Assignments: A pitch-ready bible for a finite fiction series of 8 episodes with scope for a second season.
The first step in writing a web series is understanding the format. How is web series writing different from Novel, Film, or TV writing? How do you know if an idea is well-suited for a Web series? How to convert the idea into a premise? And how to flesh out that premise into a long-format story?
How to write characters that feel human and relatable enough to make viewers forget that they aren’t real? How to explore the complexities, unresolved issues and multiple dimensions of the character’s personality to ensure that his/her engagement with the plot remains vigorous and continues to expose hidden layers of the character over a long narrative? What is a character arc and how does that define the structure of the series? How to create a multitude of characters to exist and interact harmoniously with each other over the programme of a season?
How to write a show where the characters decide their own fate, for better or worse.The students will learn to keep the stakes of drama high by strengthening and pressing on the intentions and obstacles of their characters that creates the friction and tension needed to create a strong screenplay.
What is the best episode structure to effectively tell the character’s stories? How does each ensemble character in the web series relate to, or affect the main character? How to build character development naturally into the series.
Pilots are crucial for hooking an audience and setting up your characters and storyline for an entire season. This module helps the students in writing a pilot screenplay that explains the story world and its characters and ends in a way to make the audience want more.
Through the screening and analysis of multiple web–series across different genres, the students will develop an understanding of how characters are introduced? How is each episode structured? How do plot elements unfold over a season? What does one mean by cliff-hangers? And most importantly, how does a show create enough drama to grab the viewer’s attention for that long?
A great pitch is well-structured, visual, and quickly and easily conveys your show’s concept and central characters. This module helps the students to learn how to pitch their show in 5-10 minutes.
On successful completion of all the modules included in this programme, the user shall be given a certificate from Whistling Woods International. You can download the certificate in the form of a PDF.
Yes, there are assignment and programme work to be done in this programme:
A pitch-ready bible for a finite fiction series of 8 episodes with scope for a second season.
The time limit to finish this programme is 6 months.
Please refer to the curriculum tab on the programme page of the programme.
Programme fee:
₹ 115,000 (Inclusive of all taxes)
Admission criteria:
- No work experience is required to apply for any of the programme
- It is recommended that applicants have cleared Xth grade or equivalent
- All candidates need to have reading and speaking proficiency in English
Notes:
- You can pay for the programme with a debit / credit card and through Netbanking.
- On successful payment transaction, you will receive a confirmation mail with the order no. and payment acknowledgement.
- You will be provided a programme login URL within 48 hours of making a payment. Please register on the URL to gain access to the programme.
- In case of any issues during payment, please write to us on wwi.extension@whistlingwoods.net
