Give Your Film Project a Total Makeover
Apply all the tools explored in the Advanced Script Development Workshop or Course to your own project, with feedback from a group of experienced peers led by Emmanuel Oberg
With the support of Screen Ireland through the Screen Stakeholders Funding Scheme, we’re inviting experienced Irish filmmakers developing a feature film project to apply to the next edition of Emmanuel Oberg‘s hands-on rewrite workshop that will start off in Letterkenny, co. Donegal in Ireland (7-11 January 2025) and will continue online until May 2025.
This programme is supported by Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland through the Screen Stakeholders Funding Scheme
This call for applications will close on the 1st of November 2024 at 18:00 (Dublin/London Time). Please don’t leave it to the last minute as you’ll need to attach a few documents to your online application (short bio, C.V., project, etc.)
Feel free to share this news with your friends and colleagues if you believe they might be interested.
If you need more information, you’ll find a table of contents with direct access to each section below.
Live Information Session
Emmanuel will host a free webclass on script development, open to all, on the 10th of October 2024 at 14:00 (Dublin/London time). He’ll introduce this rewrite workshop afterwards and the session will end with a live Q&A.
Workshop Profile
Overview
The Rewrite Stuff follows on from Oberg’s acclaimed Advanced Script Development Workshop, which has been delivered successfully across the world over the last two decades and was recently adapted into an interactive online-course.
Based on Oberg’s innovative Story-Type Method®, this rewrite workshop builds on the flexible and powerful tools explored during the advanced workshop/course (or in the book Screenwriting Unchained) and puts them into practice through an intensive process that tackles both the story design of a feature film and how to best pitch it and sell it.
This hybrid workshop (part online, part in-person) is aimed at experienced Irish filmmakers developing a feature film screenplay (live action or animation) who are eager to kickstart, advance or revive their project and get it market-ready in time for the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025.
The Rewrite Stuff is project-based, so up to twelve projects will be selected at least a month before the beginning of the workshop. The initial week takes one of the final topics in the book/course/workshop — “12 Ways to a Stronger Screenplay” — as a framework to focus on twelve key areas of story design through project work. It ends with a series of individual meetings to define the aims of the rewrite. A follow-up meeting within the next 16 weeks will be offered to assess the revised project and provide final feedback.
The aim of the workshop is to give each project a complete makeover. By the end of the first four days, participants will have a clearer understanding of their feature film design, they’ll have received constructive feedback from their peers through group work led by Emmanuel and they’ll have refined their pitch (both written and verbal). After a first individual meeting with Emmanuel, they’ll have a clear action plan for a rewrite. Following that rewrite, after a final meeting with Emmanuel, they should have a project ready to go to market, whatever that market is according to the project’s development stage: attaching an agent or a producer, raising development or production finance, etc.
Video Interview & Success Story
Denise Deegan is an Irish novelist & PAGE Award-winning screenwriter who did two TV Series workshops with us during 2021-2022 and whose career has since seen a meteoric rise! She took part in the previous edition of ‘The Rewrite Stuff’ (for TV Series) and she discusses her experience with Emmanuel in the interview below. After the video, you’ll find links to the parts directly related to ‘The Rewrite Stuff’:
- 08'31'' - Why did you apply to 'The Rewrite Stuff - 12 Ways to a Stronger Series'?
- 11'22'' - How did 'The Rewrite Stuff' help you move your project and your career forward?
- 13'18'' - Was the training (TV Series workshop and 'The Rewrite Stuff') worth it and would you recommend it?
Key Points
- Participants can apply as a team (writer / director / producer / story editor or co-writers) developing the same project or as a “solo” writer, director, story editor or producer without a project.
- Development teams can only apply with the writer(s) of the project.
- Development teams will be given priority, especially when a producer is involved.
- Participants of previous Advanced Development workshops with Emmanuel — or those who have taken the Advanced Script Development online course — will be given priority as they are already familiar with his approach, but the Advanced Script Development online course will be made available to all the selected participants so that those who haven’t already done that initial training can get up to speed, while those who did it a while ago can revisit the content and prepare before the live event in January 2025.
- There is a strong focus on the northwest region of Ireland (co. Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo) for this edition, so filmmakers from that region are actively encouraged to apply, but the programme is open to Irish participants nationally (including Northern Ireland).
Key Dates
- Live Information session: October 10, 2024, 14:00 (Dublin/London Time)
- Deadline for applications: November 1st, 2024 at 18:00 (Dublin/London Time)
- Selection announcement (TBC): November 25, 2024
- Onboarding and start of the six-month programme (TBC): November 27, 2024 at 14:00 (Dublin/London Time)
- Preparation (online course) for participants who aren’t already familiar with Emmanuel’s approach: December 2024
- 2-hour online Q&A about the content of the online course: January 3, 2025
- One-week in-person event in Letterkenny: January 7-11, 2025
- Window for 90-minute initial meetings: January 11 (in-person) or January 13-14 (online)
- Window for the rewrite: January-April 2025
- Window for 90-minute follow-up meetings: February-May 2025
- End of the programme: June 2025
Cost
This six-month programme is entirely free for the participants thanks to support from Screen Ireland and the Donegal Film Office. However, participants are asked to cover their travel and accommodation costs (minimum 4 days / 3 nights) in relation to the in-person event, which will take place over 4-5 days in Letterkenny, co. Donegal in January 2025. If affordability is an issue, please let us know when applying. Should travel not be possible on the dates selected, the workshop will take place online at the same dates.
Workshop Creator
Emmanuel Oberg is a screenwriter, author and creative consultant. As a writer, he has worked for:
Participant Profile
The Rewrite Stuff is aimed at experienced Irish creative professionals working in script development in the feature film sector:
- Development Teams (writer / director / producer / story editor developing the same project). A team cannot apply without a project and the associated writer(s). Min. 2, max. 4 applicants per team.
- Co-writers developing the same project together as a team, who haven’t attached a producer yet.
- “Solo” writers developing a project on their own, as long as they are happy to be paired with another solo writer for the first part of the live event (4 days of group work). When working as a team, both writers will have read each other’s project and will work on both projects during group sessions. Solo writers might also be paired with a solo director / producer / story editor (see below).
- “Solo” directors / producers / story editors can apply without a project. If selected, they will be paired with a solo writer to help them on their project during the project work sessions and might be invited to attend the initial and follow-up individual meetings with the writer.
The ideal participant is experienced, has preferably done our Advanced Script Development Workshop or online course, and is looking to develop a project with an international potential for a worldwide audience.
The Advanced Script Development online course will be made available for 180 days to all the participants as soon as they are selected, at no cost to them. That way, those who haven’t already done that initial training can get up to speed, while those who did it a while ago can revisit the content to prepare, should they want to.
Participants are expected to be available for the duration of the main workshop (4 full days + 1.5 hours on day 5 or online the following week) and to participate in all events. They should be happy to read up to six projects from other participants (each project being 15 pages max.) and be happy for other participants to read their project. Confidentiality & Non-disclosure agreements will be issued.
Selected participants who aren’t familiar with Emmanuel’s approach commit to completing the Advanced Script Development online course before the one-week live event.
Eligible projects
Applicants with a project (solo writers, co-writers or development teams) should have a feature film project with a synopsis, step outline, scene breakdown or treatment describing the whole story. This working document should be at most 15 pages long.
Once selected, participants with a project can also submit a draft of their screenplay (max. 120 pages) for feedback during individual meetings. However, having a screenplay ready isn’t mandatory.
Any genre (live action or animation) is eligible, except non-fiction / documentaries and TV series.
Workshop Overview & Draft Schedule
FAQs
How to Apply
Please log in or register first, as only registered members can apply (registration is free).
Once you’re logged in, please come back to this page (you’ll find it listed in the latest news section of the Members’ Area or in the news section of the website) and there will be a button to apply right here.
This programme is supported by Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland through the Screen Stakeholders Funding Scheme
Or, if you have any questions about this programme, don’t hesitate to contact us.
What People Say
Here are a few testimonials from participants of the previous edition of The Rewrite Stuff (for TV Series):
Highly Recommend
Emmanuel Oberg’s The Rewrite Stuff helped my co-writer and I to crack open our project, Killfluencers, and detect where it needed work. Examining it under twelve topics led to great clarity. The programme offered an incredibly opportunity to spend a significant block of time together, really diving into our TV series, taking onboard feedback from other teams and Emmanuel himself – who would make a great showrunner. We have come away with a great clarity and focus and look forward to a review of our results by Emmanuel in twelve week’s time. Thanks Emmanuel!
Enjoyable and Inspiring. Definitely worthwhile
No matter how experienced or how much you (think you) know, this immersive, intensive, and interactive 12-step course is a brilliant way to dig deep into your original TV drama series. The daily structure is well-organised and focused on individuals within the wider group improving development, editing & re-writing skills alongside re-evaluating the strengths/weaknesses of their overall project. The extra plus is teaming up with like-minded writers and the core takeaways are lifelong lessons for the future. If you are an ambitious screenwriter with a well-developed concept apply, enjoy & learn from Emmanuel, the other individuals in your group & most of all from the constant re-appraisal and challenges you need to set yourself each day and afterward going forward. Hard work but enjoyable and inspiring. Definitely worthwhile.
Emmanuel’s insight has totally re-energized my passion and enthusiasm for my project
I recently completed Emmanuel’s “Rewrite Stuff” workshop and I cannot praise it highly enough. Emmanuel’s insight has given me so much to think about and has totally re-energized my passion and enthusiasm for my project and now I can’t wait to get re-writing and pitching. In addition to his own insights Emmanuel also fostered a really warm and open environment in which all the writers and producers in the room felt completely at ease discussing each others projects openly and honestly. The workshop worked wonders for my own confidence in what my project can become. I would absolutely recommend any writer jump at the chance to take part in this workshop!
An intense and rewarding course
I took Emmanuel’s Rewrite Workshop as I had hit a wall with the TV series I was writing. I can honestly say this is one of the best writing courses I have taken. It clarified so much for me around story type, story structure and series design. It gave me real, actionable next steps to reassess my series and take it to the next level. I am excited to get back to developing my series and confident my next pass will be much improved having had my mind slightly altered (in a good way!) by Emmanuel.
A must for any writer looking to take their TV series to the next level
I cannot stress how good this course was. It gave us focus even before the start date of the actual course as we had to write a bible, pitch and read other projects. The course itself was very well organised with an emphasis on group work, collaboration, feedback. It was well structured and each step that was covered gave us great focus in terms of looking at our projects anew. The group dynamic was very open and constructive. Emmanuel managed it all seamlessly and made it a very safe, creative space. I left the course with a clearer vision of what I wanted to achieve and the tools to make it happen.
The follow up meeting has given us a definite timeline to get our project pilot written and the fact that Emmanuel will meet us again in July to see how we are progressing is another great incentive to keep going.
An incredible few days breaking the back of a TV series
I embarked on Emmanuel’s course in an effort to re-write a TV series that was early in development and I am so glad that I did. The core of my story, the why if you will for the main character, was not working and after a few days of working through the 12-step Rewrite model, I cracked it. Everyone in the writersroom setting had a chance to do an elevator pitch on day 1, and then again on day 4, with half the room having read the longer pitch/treatment. I found this a really interesting, revealing process and the pitch practice was fantastic.
Being in the room in-person, with other brilliant writers, after covid, was amazing. I learned a huge amount from the other writers and their projects and from the smaller break-out teams that we were paired into.
I would wholeheartedly recommend both Emmanuel’s online courses and the Rewrite week. It has transformed my TV series, and it is a Rewrite model that I will use going forward, again and again, for other TV series and features.
Thank you Emmanuel, and Eibhlín, at Creative Europe Desk Galway. It was a real gift to be chosen for this development course.
If you are going to do one TV writing course, do this one.
I had the pleasure of doing both Emmanuel’s online course and then experience the rewrite course in person. His online course is by far the most succinct, clear and easy to follow guide to help you in planning/developing or writing a TV series that I have ever completed. It’s also broken down in neat sections so you are not overwhelmed, and you have the slides as a take away so that you can refer to them in the future. In person he has a clear understanding and passion for TV series and he delivers his patented 12 steps in an entertaining, patient and concise fashion. I would highly recommend for people working in development and TV writers to take his course, a lot of the information is stuff you probably know on a subconscious level, but his course clarifies all of that into simple useful tools. I would say if you are stuck writing a TV series and something is not working, his 12 steps will be hugely beneficial, and you will take away methods you can use forever. If you are going to do one TV writing course, do his, it covers everything and will leave you with everything you need to move forward, or to go plan a new TV series. Happy writing.
It helped me see my project in a clearer light than I ever had before
The TV Rewrite Workshop gave me the kick I needed to work through and think about my project in new ways while also getting me completely in touch with what the core of it was this whole time. The discussions led by Emmanuel along with his depth of knowledge on TV and Film helped me see elements of my project in a clearer light than I ever had before. The most rewarding part of the experience was working with a group of other writers and discussing their projects along with my own in the safe and open environment Emmanuel cultivated.
Hugely beneficial to the further development of my project
I found this workshop to be hugely beneficial to the further development of my project. It was a great opportunity to hone my pitch and all feedback received was very positive and constructive. We interrogated each series, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and I now have a much stronger grasp of my story and the issues I need to address as I proceed to the next draft. Would highly recommend.
Amazing opportunity to focus
The time and guidance from Emmanuel over the four days was really helpful. It allowed us to focus and the feedback from the group was great too. Sometime it’s hard to see the wood from the trees on your own project, when you’re so close to it. So to get the opportunity to dive deep and relook at everything was invaluable.
Special Thanks
Many thanks to Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland for supporting this six-month programme through the Screen Stakeholders Funding Scheme, and to the Donegal Film Office and the Regional Cultural Centre for their support in relation to the one-week in-person event in Letterkenny.
This programme is supported by Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland through the Screen Stakeholders Funding Scheme
The one-week in-person workshop in Letterkenny is also supported by the Donegal Film Office and the Regional Cultural Centre.
