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  Latest News  
  May 26, 2004  

ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

  SCREENWRITING FOR SCIENTISTS
American Film Institute workshop intends to teach scientists Hollywood’s ways
 

SOPHIE L. ROVNER
   
   

 
  Scientists and engineers attracted by the glitter of Hollywood may find they’re at a loss as to how to make their way in this fabled realm. Now, a dozen of them can turn for guidance to the American Film Institute, which is soliciting applications for a screenwriting workshop designed especially for scientists and engineers. Applications are due by June 9, and the Catalyst Workshop will be held on July 17 and 18 at AFI’s campus near the Hollywood Hills. A one-day follow-up session will be held in September to review a writing assignment.

The curriculum will include sessions on the influence of myth on stories; plot and character in feature films; the form and structure of one-hour dramas; and the relationship between writers, directors, and producers. The institute says the program will “provide a means for scientists and engineers to become more knowledgeable about the initiation of motion picture projects. The Catalyst Workshop encourages those scientists and engineers interested in working in entertainment to learn how to write and submit scripts.” Ultimately, their participation may improve the way science is portrayed in film and may attract more young people to technical fields.

The brief application form asks which movies or TV programs portray science best, which do it badly, and how they could be improved. It also requests a two- or three-paragraph synopsis of a screenplay idea.

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research is providing financial backing for the workshop.
 
     
  Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
Copyright © 2004
 


 
 
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