About this Service

Do you have an idea for a script you want to develop or a script you’ve already written that needs a new direction or approach?

In Jessie Keyt’s three-day Script Development Workshop, you will learn her signature 5 Key Questions to Dramatic Storytelling and gain a deeper understanding of such craft essentials as story structure, character development, internal and external wants, scenes and scene sequences, visual storytelling, tone, theme, and dramatic dialogue. Through the use of clips, guided writing prompts, discussions, and mini workshops, you’ll build (or rebuild) a comprehensive map for a feature-length screenplay, sketch out the major scenes, and identify the qualities that will inspire you to return to the page day after day.

Application Deadline: April 25 11:59pm PT (Please send brief cover letter explaining your interest in the course and where you’re at in a project AND a 600-word project synopsis/artist statement OR the first 10 pages of the script via www.jessiekeyt.com.) Selected participants will be notified by May 2.

About this Lister

Jessie Keyt is an award-winning writer and international script and story consultant who has worked in the US, UK, Europe, Mexico, South Africa, and India. Her clients have ranged from Alicia Keys, Working Title, and Nickelodeon to indie and documentary filmmakers and producers. She has taught screenwriting at Columbia University, La Femis, and Sundance, and has mentored for the Cine Qua Non Film Lab, the Nostos Screenwriting Retreat, and the Amplifier Fellowship (Netflix/Film Independent). She is the Area Head of Screenwriting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and an Associate Arts Professor in the Department of Dramatic Writing at NYU. She’s the co-author of Alternative Scriptwriting: Contemporary Storytelling for the Screen (2023) and is known for her depth of knowledge, command of traditional and alternative story structures, and uncanny ability to help creatives get closer to the project they want to make.

Background and Expertise

Friday May 9 4–9pm
• The 5 Key Questions to Dramatic Storytelling
• Deepening Your Characters

Saturday May 10 10am–6pm (one-hour lunch break)
• Generating Organic Conflict
• Turning Points
• Scenes and Scene Sequences
• World, Tone, and Theme

Sunday May 11 10am–6pm (one-hour lunch break)
• Visual Storytelling
• Dramatic Dialogue
• Treatments and Pitches
• Mini Workshop