SQ News

Dates: 7, 10, 14, 17, 21 and 24 February 2022 (all dates)
Times: 6pm – 7.30pm AEST per day
Cost: $250 excl. GST and booking fees
Location: Online

This 3-week, part-time course introduces participants to the tools required to assess other people’s screenplays, within the context of the current commercial film, TV and web series climate. This course will be delivered online.

Workshop content includes:

  • Quick and effective ways to breakdown a script to give critical and constructive feedback
  • Refresher on story structure and genre conventions 
  • Structured approach to reading and assessing a screenplay 
  • How to understand the importance of script assessing in the overall development process and be able to recognise the difference between a good idea badly written and an under-developed idea from a talented writer
  • How to shape your report according to the needs and nature of the organisation.

Participants will need access to a desktop or laptop with camera, sound and good internet connection. A quiet place to participate is recommended. The sessions will be delivered via video conference software, Zoom. Please note, the link will be provided prior to sessions commencing.

This course is delivered in partnership with AFTRS.


ABOUT THE COURSE LECTURER

SALLY CHESHER

Sally has a long track record of story development and producing across many genres and platforms. She has worked at the ABC as Development Manager for arts, comedy, entertainment and factual and also as an Executive Producer, overseeing the development, production and delivery of a slate of projects including Hannah Gadsby’s Nakedy Nudes and Don’t Stop the Music. She spent seven years as Creative Director at Icon Shanahan collaborating with writers and directors and overseeing a slate of projects in development. During this time, her contribution to developing the award-winning feature film The Black Balloon written and directed by Elissa Down, earned her an Executive Producer credit.

Aside from other experience as an independent producer on short films, TV and feature film development, her work experience spans from being an agent representing actors, writers and directors, to freelance film production work and story consultancy. In addition, she has unearthed and championed a new generation of filmmakers in the emerging sector, fine tuning her skills in digital storytelling.

Sally was invited to be on the inaugural Gender Matters panel for Screen Australia. As an external assessor for Screen Australia for the past seven years, she has written countless script assessments and now has expanded her work in this role to include Screenwest and Screen Queensland.

Most recently, Sally had a short term contract at Screen Australia as Development Manager overseeing the documentary development slate.