BBC Writersroom: Next Level Scriptwriting

BBC Writersroom works with emerging and established writers, offering practical advice on how to make a story stand out. It sits within BBC TV Drama Commissioning with a team of 15, including Development Exec Simon Nelson, working from five bases across the UK. Nelson has over 20 years’ experience as a successful storyliner, script editor and producer. Here, he discusses the “dos” and “don’ts” of scriptwriting. Discover how to avoid clichés and receive useful tips on how to enhance your writing for both the big and small screens.

Nainita Desai: Composing for Screen

Music in cinema evokes feelings, creates tension and leaves hints for the audience. Nainita Desai is a multi-award-winning composer, labelled as one of the top five “composers of 2020 who should be on your radar” by Film4. She holds an Emmy, Royal Television Society Award and Soundtrack Awards’s Discovery of The Year. She has worked on For Sama (2019) and Sundance and BIFA-winning film The Reason I Jump (2020). Learn how to create versatile, colourful and rich music that takes viewers on a journey.

From Print to Screen: Adapting Stories with Terri White

Terri White is a writer, broadcaster and the award-winning former Editor-in-Chief of Empire magazine. In 2020, she released her memoir Coming Undone (Canongate), which charts her experiences of abuse and subsequent trauma. It was published to critical acclaim, becoming a Guardian Book of the Year. Now, White is adapting her story for Netflix with actor Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie) set to star in the forthcoming production. This session asks: what does it take to translate from page to screen? How do you tell your story to the world?

Matthew Herbert: All Sound Can Be Music

Matthew Herbert’s 30-year career spans dancefloor tracks, musical scores and experimental albums. A thread tying his extensive work has been the commitment to sampling unconventional sounds, from a pig’s life to a bomb exploding. Screen-based projects include the Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman (2017), Disobedience (2018), Noughts + Crosses (2020) and The Wonder (2022).  In this masterclass, Herbert discusses his career and the process behind his latest record made from a horse skeleton, titled The Horse (2023).

The Rules of Scriptwriting and How to Break Them

What are the building blocks of a compelling script? How do you push a narrative beyond clichés, common tropes and expected conventions? In this session, our panel of talented Official Selection filmmakers offer insights into what it takes to craft a story that grabs attention. They’ll identify what makes stories work and why, exploring how you can play with genre to unlock commercial and critical success This session is ideal for writers who are looking for the tools to develop an idea or script, thinking outside the box.