A tree-day film-training seminar aimed at film professionals, “On Editing and Analysing a Film Script”, concluded on Saturday, 11 November. Organised by Motovila, Centre for the Promotion of Cooperation in the Cultural and Creative Sectors, in charge of implementing the programme of the Creative Europe Desk Slovenia, the seminar aimed at developing script editing skills. Acquired rather than inherent, the skills of constructive script-doctoring are vital to the success of a screenplay, ensuring that a story with creative potential gets realised and finds its way to an audience. The seminar was conducted by Christian Routh, a script editor and film consultant involved in ScripTeast, a film training programme supported by Creative Europe Media aimed at enhancing script development skills in Central and Eastern Europe. Routh works for various production companies and European state agencies, and has helped support over a hundred European films, including Toto le Hero by Jaco Van Dormael, Orlando by Sally Potter, Breaking the Waves by Lars von Trier and Elizabeth by Shekhar Kapur.

Routh concentrated on the basic scriptwriting concepts, and outlined a writer’s endeavours with an axiom, “One works towards a goal, but encounters problems in achieving this goal.” In relation to this pursuit, Routh delineated basic types of cinematic storylines and different approaches to a more convincing narrative, including a considered choice of genre, dialogues, exposition and characterisation. Routh called attention to certain archetypes on which writers should base their characters, and the stereotypes that should be avoided. He also touched upon some other common screenwriting mistakes: overly elaborate description of scenes, lack of dramaturgical charge, excessive fragmentariness or motionlessness, underdeveloped characters, two-dimensional antagonists, poor synchronisation, and an overly ambitious or enigmatic script.

Sabina Briški Karlić and Andraž Jež

Photo Iztok Dimc