| James Kon |
LOCAL directors, screenwriters and academics received tips on creative writing and learnt of challenges faced by writers during the recent series of workshops with American screenwriter Mark Shepherd, part of the Embassy of the United States of America in Brunei Darussalam’s Arts Envoy Programme held in conjunction with Brunei Film Blitz 2018.
Shepherd is an Associate Professor of the Practice of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California (USC).
During the sessions, Professor Shepherd shared with the participants insights into screenwriting and storytelling centered on the theme ‘Cinematic and Performing Arts’.
Drawing on his years of valuable industry experience, he taught them how to tackle writer’s block (one technique Shepherd used during the sessions was to get participants to finish the sentence “I cannot write today because …”) and be more comfortable in writing about and expressing their individual experiences.
The sessions have received largely positive feedback from attendees. One in particular commented that it was a “unique opportunity to learn from an industry veteran the mechanics of how stories are produced for American television series”.
“It was interesting to learn how American television programmes are produced. Teams of writers plan the trajectory of an entire season down to individual scenes between commercial breaks,” said another participant.
Commenting on the positive impact made by the programme, US Embassy Public Affairs Officer Daniel Lee said, “We are proud to help Brunei diversify its economy by encouraging productive activities in the creative arts. Through the US State Department’s Arts Envoy Programme, we are fortunate to welcome a professional as experienced as Professor Shepherd.
“We hope that his expert advice on topics ranging from pitching ideas to industry executives to protecting intellectual property rights will contribute to the development of Brunei’s creative industries.”
The Arts Envoy Programme shares the best of the US arts community with the world to foster cross-cultural understanding and collaboration as well as to demonstrate shared values and aspirations.
Under this programme, American arts professionals – including performing artistes, visual artists, poets, playwrights, theatrical and film directors, curators, and others – travel overseas to conduct workshops and give performances to members of the international public and mentor young people who otherwise would not have the opportunity to engage with them.