Offered for the first time, this intensive, hands on workshop will explore the art of creating film and television stories for one of the most popular genres: Science Fiction. With Avatar the most successful movie of all time, sci-fi can no longer be dismissed as mere cult entertainment for nerds. It’s the stuff of big bucks blockbusters now and the desire for crowd pleasing sci-fi entertainment concepts has never been stronger.

Sci-fi has so much to offer writers blessed with keen imaginations who wish to tell compelling, ideas-driven narratives where the impossible is made real and the future collides with now. This practical workshop will closely examine the genre’s rules and expectations by analysing elements of some of Hollywood’s most recent sci-fi successes – and some of its failures, too.

Through it you will uncover the ‘secrets’ of writing sci-fi, including:

• character types used in the most successful sci-fi story arcs
• story models used for their built-in flexibility and ‘engines’
• the universal ‘questions’ asked in all sci-fi stories

You will also gain the skills to assemble a ‘tool box’ for your ongoing sci-fi writing, including:

• the ability to find fresh spins on the genre’s most proven crowd pleasers (or clichés)
• the ability to build unique sci-fi worlds that have veracity
• the ability to brainstorm dozens of potential sci-fi story ideas
• the means of writing ‘science’ without having to get a PhD first

We will also look at the place for sci-fi within our local industry – can sci-fi stories only be sold to and made in Hollywood? Can we do sci-fi here?
This weekend workshop is suitable for all emerging writers, be they die hard sci-fi fans, or writers looking to expand their knowledge of a genre they occasionally enjoy watching but have never before considered creating stories and characters for.

This will be a highly enjoyable two days – informative, practical and intensive – incorporating concept and character creation exercises; numerous film viewings; in-depth genre analysis and plenty of lively discussion.

About the Teacher
Luke Devenish is a screenwriter, playwright and novelist with over twenty years professional writing experience. He has taught screenwriting related subjects at AFTRS since 2002, and has also taught at RMIT, NIDA and Monash. Luke does not consider himself a die-hard sci-fi fan; he just greatly enjoys the genre and always keenly awaits each year’s crop of movies and TV shows from the genre. The good ones he celebrates; the not so good ones he habitually examines for his own interest, to better understand want went wrong and why. Luke developed this workshop for AFTRS when he began doing concept and script development work on Australian created sci-fi projects and sought to enhance his own skills in the genre.

*DISCLAIMER*
AFTRS reserves the right to cancel any course for any reason at any time. In the event of a course being cancelled a full refund of course fees will be provided. For more information on AFTRS Open’s policies please see: http://www.open.aftrs.edu.au/page/25