Writers Gym Workshop by Ellis Freeman (Morning group)

Subject is not scheduled Not scheduled

Code Completion Credits Range Language Instruction Semester
300MEFMG credit 2 50 seminar hours (45 min) of instruction per semester, 13 to 23 hours of self-study English summer

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Contents

Date and time: 14 – 17 April 2026 from 9:00 to 12:00

Classroom: U7, FAMU, Smetanovo nabrezi 2, Praha 1

Do you need an injection of creativity into the development your project? Would you like to refresh your creative process? Are you struggling with a story or having difficulties coming up with ideas?

A screenplay is a play; between the author and the audience, also amongst the characters. But when we start take our work more seriously, it often becomes more and more difficult to be playful.

The Writers Gym is designed to remedy that, to unlock creativity in a playful way and apply it to the development of your story ideas.

Inspired by Impro games and creative writing exercises, we will apply diverse techniques for teasing out story and deepening our understanding of it. This is a chance to experiment with your writing process and open your mind to fresh ideas.

Each session will have a topic;

Session 1 – Creativity and inspiration

Session 2 – Characters and relationships

Session 3 – Plot

Session 4 – Theme

In each session there will be practical tools you can apply to solve your creative questions during your writing process.

There will be free writing exercises to harness the right side of the brain, the unconscious mind, cracking through the critical editing mind to find interesting material.

Each class is a half day – morning and afternoon groups – and there will be short homework tasks. These will be small observational exercises and an opportunity to imagine or reimagine a story you have in mind from different angles and gain fresh insights into your work.

Bring a notebook and pen and be ready to be playful.

The class will be in English.

Enrollment is open to students of the Department of Screenwriting and Dramaturgy from the 2nd year of the BcA programme and above until February 22, 2026.

From February 23, 2026, any remaining capacity of the module will be opened for enrollment to students in accredited programmes taught in Czech and English, from the 2nd year of the BcA programme and above.

Contact persons for enrollment in the module: doc. Mgr. Tereza BRDEČKOVÁ, tereza.brdeckova@famu.cz

Kristýna Vaňková, Katedra scenáristiky a dramaturgie, tel: +420 234 244 354, e-mail: kristyna.vankova@famu.cz

Andrea Petrovičová, Mezinárodní odd. FAMU, tel.: +420 234 244 339, e-mail: andrea.petrovicova@famu.cz

Learning outcomes

Creative writing

Prerequisites and other requirements

An interest in screenwriting and creative writing based on the given field of study.

Literature

Recommended reading: Jean-Claude Carrière: The Secret Language of Film

Evaluation methods and criteria

A condition for obtaining course credit is full daily attendance, documented by signing the attendance sheet.

Note

ELLIS FREEMAN – SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Ellis is a London born screenwriter and writing teacher. His credits include the feature, Princesa, which screened at Sundance and won best foreign narrative at the LA Outfest; comedy feature, January 2nd and the acclaimed short, Coming Down.

He started teaching at London Film School over twenty years ago where he developed The Writers Gym, a workshop to explore the writing process and the nature of storytelling itself. This workshop has taken Ellis to many film schools and other artistic institutions including the Film London, the AFI; The Scuola Holden in Turin; Calarts; Famu; the Zurich University of the Arts; Hamburg Media School; the Alma Löv Museum in Sweden and the Berlinale Talents.

For five years he was Head of Screenwriting at the DFFB in Berlin where he still teaches and mentors. He also works as script consultant on features and shorts as well as mentoring emerging writer/directors in their development process.

Further information

No schedule has been prepared for this course

The subject is a part of the following study plans