5-Week Short Screenplay Workshop x Tangyi
2 hours Every Sunday 10AM-12PM for 5 Weeks
From 6/21-7/26, Skip 7/5
Workshop Overview
The first step toward becoming a film director is often making short films. Short filmmaking is not only an initial training ground, but also a deeply personal and often healing creative process.
While AI continues to challenge film production, it cannot replace the uniquely human capacity for emotional expression. Screenwriting remains one of the most effective ways to enter the world of filmmaking. Whether you are a beginner or already experienced, this workshop will guide you toward completing your own short film script.
In this course, we will explore how to develop your narrative voice and learn how to shape time and space in storytelling. As emerging creators, learning to work within limitations is essential. Constraints such as budget or time are not obstacles—they are catalysts that sharpen focus, expand imagination, and strengthen problem-solving skills.
Each week, we will watch and discuss one or two low-budget short films, including early works by directors such as Céline Sciamma, Charlotte Wells, and Taika Waititi. We will examine how they create emotional depth and cinematic texture under limited conditions, and extract practical insights from their methods.
By the end of the course, each participant will complete a refined short film script. You will learn how to dramatize a moment, discover your narrative rhythm, and translate personal inspiration into cinematic language.
This five-week workshop follows a structure inspired by NYU graduate film programs. The final script can be used for school applications or festival development, but more importantly, you will develop a sustainable creative process and a deeper connection to your inner voice.
About the Workshop
In the first two weeks, the instructor will share insights from their own practice, introducing the fundamentals of screenwriting and directing.
Participants will then begin developing their own scripts:
Experienced writers may pursue more complex narratives
Beginners are encouraged to follow a “3-3-3” structure:
3 characters 3 locations 3 scenes
Weeks 3–5 will focus on workshop sessions, including:
Table reads
Group discussions
Each writer is expected to:
Assign peers as readers
Prepare two questions to guide feedback
Feedback Principles
All feedback should be constructive—aimed at helping the writer realize their artistic vision, rather than expressing personal preference.
Avoid:
“I like / I don’t like”
“I love / I hate”
Instead:
Identify the direction of the work
Offer actionable suggestions
Learning Environment
We aim for every participant to leave each session energized and inspired, maintaining openness and curiosity toward their work.
Engaging in discussion is not only a way to support others, but also a way to discover new perspectives within their stories.
Schedule
Week 1
Black Goat — Tang Yi
All the Crows in the World — Tang Yi
Fundamentals of screenwriting & directing
Week 2
Spring — Laurel Parmet
One Night, Two Cars — Taika Waititi
Script demonstration
Week 3–5
Workshop sessions
Feedback & discussion
Q&A
Tang Yi is a filmmaker and screenwriter.
Her short film All the Crows in the World won the Short Film Palme d’Or at the 74th Cannes Film Festival. Her work often focuses on individual experiences within contemporary social contexts, employing minimal narrative structures and non-professional actors to create a grounded cinematic language.
Tang Yi’s films frequently draw from everyday life, exploring subtle interpersonal dynamics while developing a distinctive narrative rhythm and visual style within low-budget production conditions.
工作坊概述
成为电影导演的第一步，通常是拍摄短片。短片不仅是最初的导演练习，也是一种自我疗愈的方式。
无论AI将如何改变电影制作，它始终无法替代人类独有的情感表达。剧本创作依然是进入电影创作最有效的路径。无论你是零基础还是已有经验，这门课程都将带你完成一个属于自己的短片剧本。
在这个工作坊中，我们将探索如何找到属于你的叙事声音，并学习如何通过时间与空间的调度来呈现故事。对于创作者而言，“限制”并非障碍——预算有限、拍摄周期紧张，反而会促使你更专注、更具想象力，并提升解决问题的能力。
每周我们将观看并讨论一至两部低成本短片，包括 Céline Sciamma、Charlotte Wells、Taika Waititi 等导演的早期作品。我们将分析他们如何在有限条件下创造情感张力与影像质感，并从中提炼可实践的方法。
课程结束后，每位同学都将完成一部经过打磨的短片剧本。你将学会如何戏剧化一个瞬间，建立自己的叙事节奏，并将灵感转化为影像。
本课程为期五周，参考 NYU 电影研究生课程结构进行设计。最终作品可用于学校申请或电影节创作，但更重要的是，你将建立一套可持续的创作方法，与自己的内在经验建立更深的连接。
工作坊说明
前两周，导师将结合自身经验，讲解剧本创作与拍摄制作流程，并介绍基础的编剧与导演知识。
随后，学生将开始创作自己的短片剧本：
有经验者可尝试更复杂结构
初学者建议遵循「3-3-3结构」：
3个角色 3个场景 3场戏
第3至第5周为工作坊阶段，每节课包括：
剧本围读
小组讨论
每位作者需：
指定同学担任朗读角色
提前准备两个讨论问题
反馈原则
讨论应以“建设性反馈”为核心，即帮助作者实现其创作意图，而非表达个人喜好。
请避免使用：
“我喜欢 / 不喜欢”
“我很爱 / 很讨厌”
而应尝试：
判断作品的发展方向
提出可执行的修改建议
学习氛围
我们希望每位作者在每节课后都能带着能量与灵感离开，对作品保持开放与探索的状态。
参与讨论不仅是支持他人，也是在他人的作品中获得新的视角与启发。
课程结构
Week 1
《寻找黑山羊》唐艺
《天下乌鸦》唐艺
剧本基础 / 导演基础
Week 2
Spring — Laurel Parmet
One Night, Two Cars — Taika Waititi
剧本示范
Week 3–5
剧本工作坊
反馈与讨论
Q&A
导师简介：
唐艺，导演、编剧。
其短片作品《天下乌鸦》获第74届戛纳电影节短片金棕榈奖。她的创作多关注当代社会语境下的个体经验，通过简洁的叙事结构与非职业演员的表演，呈现出具有现实质感的影像语言。
唐艺的作品常以日常生活为切口，探索人物之间微妙的情感关系，并在有限的制作条件中发展出独特的叙事节奏与影像风格。