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Screenwriting Lab — Level 1

6 sessions · 3 hours each · 18 hours total

Explore how films are built through characters, conflict, structure, and visual storytelling. Whether you love cinema or want to develop an idea of your own, you’ll learn to analyze films and apply what you discover to a film project. The course is open to participants with or without prior film experience.

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Who is this for

Adults (18+) only. English and Russian groups are offered separately. The first English-language group begins on November 24, 2026. The Russian-language group will begin once the group is formed. In person — all sessions take place in person.

What you will get

By the end of the course, each participant will have one developed film idea, a logline, a synopsis, and a clear direction for further development.

Program

Week 1 · In Person THE PROTAGONIST

Who Drives the Story?

  • The function of the protagonist in dramaturgy
  • The protagonist in mainstream and art-house cinema
  • Goal, motivation, and need
  • Character arc
Week 2 · In Person CONFLICT

The Foundation of a Scene and a Film

  • What is dramatic conflict?
  • External and internal conflict
  • Major types of conflict
  • Conflict within a scene
  • Conflict and reality in fiction and documentary film
Week 3 · In Person STRUCTURE

Three-Act Screenwriting Structure

  • What is dramatic structure?
  • Act I — exposition and setup
  • First turning point
  • Act II — confrontation
  • Midpoint
  • Climax
  • Act III — resolution
Week 4 · In Person THE LANGUAGE OF CINEMA

Framing, Editing, and Visual Dramaturgy

  • Wide shot, medium shot, close-up
  • What changes when the shot size changes?
  • Camera as storytelling
  • Editing and rhythm
  • How editing creates meaning
  • The Kuleshov Effect

Practice: Watch 5–7 short film excerpts and discuss one central question: Why this shot? Why did the director choose its size, angle, duration, and connection to the next shot?

Week 5 · In Person SCRIPT & IDEA DEVELOPMENT

From Idea to Project

  • Develop an idea created during the course or bring a project already in progress. Work on its concept, protagonist, conflict, stakes, logline, and synopsis.
  • Through editorial analysis and professional feedback, identify the project’s strengths, areas that need more work, and its potential direction. Learn to discuss your own and others’ work using clear film and screenwriting language.
Week 6 · In Person PRESENTATION & FEEDBACK

Five-Minute Pitch and Final Feedback

  • Present your developed project in a five-minute pitch. Each presentation is followed by group discussion and final editorial feedback focused on the project’s next steps.

Your instructor

Julia Sharipova is a film producer and educator with extensive experience in film education and project development. She studied Film and Television Production at VGIK in Moscow and founded Midpoint Film School in 2015, leading its educational programs for seven years.

She has taught film studies at university level, worked with emerging filmmakers on their creative projects, and organized four film pitching events. In Screenwriting Lab, she combines film analysis, screenwriting principles, and practical editorial feedback to help participants develop their ideas into structured film projects.

Course Details & Enrollment

  • Participants: Adults (18+)
  • Languages: English and Russian
  • Format: In person
  • Location: The Output, 218–100 Arthur Street, 2nd Floor, Winnipeg, MB
  • Schedule: Six sessions, three hours each, 18 hours total. Tuesdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m. (Winnipeg time)
  • English group: November 24, 2026 – January 26, 2027, with a holiday break between the December and January sessions
  • Russian group: Start date to be announced once the group is formed
  • Maximum group size: 12 participants
  • Course Fee: CAD $290
  • Registration: Complete the course application form, then proceed directly to Stripe payment using the link below. No separate approval is required before paying. Your place is confirmed after successful payment, subject to availability.

The first English-language group begins on November 24, 2026. A Russian-language group is also planned and will begin once the group is formed. If you are interested in joining the course in Russian, please indicate your preferred language in the application form.

English Group Schedule

Tuesdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m. (Winnipeg time)

  1. November 24, 2026
  2. December 1, 2026
  3. December 8, 2026
  4. January 12, 2027
  5. January 19, 2027
  6. January 26, 2027

There is a holiday break after December 8. Classes resume on January 12.

Course payment

Complete the course application form, then return here and proceed directly to payment through Stripe. No separate approval is required before paying. Use the same email address for your application and payment. Your place is confirmed after successful payment, subject to availability.

Course Fee: CAD $290

Pay CAD $290 — Screenwriting Lab

Registration, Payment & Cancellations

  • Cancel at least 7 days before the first class — full refund.
  • Cancel less than 7 days but at least 48 hours before the first class — 50% refund.
  • Cancel less than 48 hours before the first class or after the course begins — no refund.
  • If GS Film Minds cancels the course — full refund.
  • Missed classes are not refunded separately.

These terms do not limit any cancellation or refund rights provided by Manitoba law.