MA in Screenwriting in London?

Couldn't resist to adding this picture, though it has little to do with the subject of this post. The only connection is that those puppies are mixed Spaniel/Prince Charles and therefore quite British in origin.

After months of USA dreams I finally came to realize a degree in the UK would fit me much more. Why? Well it's closer to where I live now, and I can work and live there not on a student visa (which also means I can stay there after graduating and use my contacts).

The only real plus the US had (besides the weather) was the actual content of studies. But since I know how the higher education system works (great titles for courses that has no connection to the real content of the course), the most important thing for me in the MA/MFA program in screenwriting is the contacts I'll make and the opportunity to use them.

A friend of mine just graduated NYU and after a year of small internships had to return home since her visa has expired. Scriptwriting is a hard business and one year is really too short to use your contacts from school and find a work place to give you sponsorship. It's not impossible, but it's a risk.

So where can I study scriptwriting in the UK?

A few years back I almost started the BA program at Bournemouth University. It was great living by the beach and the university itself seemed serious. But it's so far from where the action is, that it seemed foolish to study there (especially as a foreigner). Besides, bournemouth University does not offer (as far as I know) an MA program in screenwriting.

Besides the decision of the location of your studies, you need to consider the two types of schools: the film school vs. the university. Studying in film school (such as London Film School or the National Film and Television School - which is not in London) will give you the opportunity to see your work produced while you're still in school. It's a big adventage, since in the real world it might take you years before that happens.

This week on other screenwriters' blogs...

"One of the most important talents a screenwriter can have is the ability to see a situation from every character's point of view - to make the decisions your character would make. These skills can be put to use on the business side by putting ourselves in the shoes of the potential buyers for our screenplays. If we can imagine what it's like to be the villain of our script, it shouldn't be all that difficult to imagine ourselves as a motion picture producer".

This brilliant quote is taken from Bill Martell's ScriptSecrets. Bill talks about the problems of the rich; when you get a producer's interest, and he just want you to change some things in the script. Making your character suitable for marketing as a doll, for example. The characters I love most, I wouldn't want to have any doll in their shape. Maybe only Craig from "Being John Malkovich". Yes, he would make a great doll!

John August tells us how to write those hard-to-write scenes. Since i now start to write the first draft of my script, I found his tips really usefull. What do you ask yourself about the scene you're about to write. Helpful screenwriting tips.

The above picture was taken by my good friend Sharon Casson during her short trip to NYC. I soon need to start prepare the material for my MFA applications. I'm slightly nervous about this. The chances are so low, at the NYU-USC-UCLA prestige programs. It feels weird, I was always accepted to anywhere I went. I guess I should focus on my writings than my fears.

I just posted my first 10 pages to the course at UCLA Extension. I'm very curious about the responses. I should also read what others have posted and write comments.