From script to screen: Essential steps in film and TV development

Details

• Time: 18:00-19:00
• Date: Monday, 28 March 2022
• Venue: Zhumu

Abstract

This talk approaches the work of film and TV project development as a series of essential steps which would bridge the gap between script and screen. I will first survey the process of development: sourcing ideas, creating logline, writing and formatting screenplays, script analysis and breakdown, as well as other related works that lead to the pre-production stage of a motion picture or tv program. Then I will illustrate in greater detail the craft of “pitch”—how to present a story and/or project idea in relatively short form to attract attention and perhaps investment, which often is the key to get a project started and sometimes at the core of the entire development process. Additionally, different mindsets of writer versus producer during the development process will also be discussed, leading towards the relationships between script elements and production budget, which would inform writers how to write visually, and economically, when needed.

Speaker

Ruiqing (Alex) Ma currently serves as associate professor at the University of Southern California-Shanghai JiaoTong University’s Institute of Creative and Culture Industry. He joined the university after working more than a decade in film and media in both independent and corporate settings, including at leading Hollywood studios and multinational cultural enterprises. He holds memberships in the China Film Association and the China Television Artists Association. His works have been screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival, the Tokyo International Film Festival, and the Busan International Film Festival, among others.