MA in screenwriting fourth edition application period started

MA in Screenwriting graduation seremony in Manchester 2009: Laura Arpalahti, Kaisa Kuikkaniemi, Pirjo Ojala and Vera Kiiskinen

MA in Screenwriting is a joint masters programme arranged by University of Salford (Manchester, UK) and Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK).

The programme wishes to develop film scripts that are innovative and creative but which are also commercially viable. For appropriate film scripts the School has the capacity to assist in developing production contacts at the Berlin Film Festival, Cannes and the American Film Market in Los Angeles.

Some short film scripts written in Finland will be produced by the Media Production programmes of Salford and Tampere.

The programme is taught entirely in English. Semester One will be taught in Tampere and Semester Two in Manchester. Semester Three, where the students write their MA Film Project, may be completed in either the UK or Finland.

The course will run from September 2010 until December 2011. Deadline for applications of Finnish students is May 5th 2010.

Application info (in Finnish)
Application info (University of Salford, non-Finnish applicants)
More posts about MA in Screenwriting (in English)
Blog posts about MA in Screenwriting  (in Finnish)

The Electrician is a film developed during MA in Screenwriting
It has been invited to and awarded at numerous film festivals in Europe and Asia
Read all stories about the Electrician (in this blog)
The Electrician website

Preparing the Fourth Edition of MA in Screenwriting

The joint study board of our joint masters programme with Salford University, MA in Screenwriting gathered this week at TAMK School of Art and Media in Tampere. At University of Salford the programme is arranged by the School of Media, Music & Performance.

The MA in Screenwriting fourth edition application time will start in April and the course starts in the beginning of September in Tampere. The second semester will be in Manchester.

The cooperation with Salford School of Media, Music & Performance has been intense 15 years already, covering staff and student exchange, joint projects and the MA in Screenwriting Programme. One outcome of the coopreation is the short film The Electrician.

The Electrician had premiere last spring, and has been invited to numerous film festivals all over, already awarded in Germany, Russia, China, Italy and Finland.

Read more about MA in Screenwriting
Read more about The Electrician

MA in Screenwriting Salford
MA in Screenwriting Tampere

Pictured from left to right participants of the joint study board meeting: Tommi Tuominen (MA in Screenwriting student), Colin Muir (Head of MA in Screenwriting, Salford), Ari Koivumäki (Head of MA in Screenwriting, Tampere), Arto Koskinen (MA in Screenwriting senior lecturer) and John Sweeney (Director of Administration, Salford International Media Centre)

Documentary Maker Swanhilde de Jong from NHL

Swanhilde de Jong made a staff exchange last week to TAMK School of Art and Media. The students of our MA in Screenwriting Programme work with a course on genres, and Swanhilde brought the expertise of documentary scriptwriting to this course. She said she enjoyed her work very much, the students showed a very professional attitude.

Swanhilde came from Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. She is Senior Lecturer in Multimedia Design at NHL. The university is one of our five partners in the Netherlands.

Swanhilde has been project manager for documentary film projects in Uganda and Namibia. She also directs documentaries for her own company, Swanhilde de Jong Produkties, and for Omrop Fryslân.

She also had some time to participate in the MindTrek Conference during her visit.

Swanhilde de Jong (LinkedIn profile)
NHL University

MA in Screenwriting

Pictured: Swanhilde de Jong at the entrance to TAMK main campus, where he was hosted by the Head of TAMK International Office, Riku-Matti Kinnunen

Three Questions to Andy Walker, the Scriptwriter

MA in Screenwriting is a joint programme of TAMK UAS and University of Salford, UK. The third edition of the programme started in September.

Some of the lecturers of the course have already been introduced in this blog. When Andy Walker was about to leave after his three week long period with the MA in Screenwriting students I managed to steal two minutes of his time for a photo on our roof garden, but there was no time for an interview. So it was made in Facebook afterwards:

Who are you and what is you job in general?
My name is Andy Walker and I'm a scriptwriter. I've worked on numerous unmade feature film scripts that are probably doomed to sit in offices around Europe and nearly, but not quite, get made. This doesn't stop me trying! Fortunately, BBC Radio 4 have been very kind over the years and I've had several original plays broadcast. I've made several short films and have shown them at festivals in London, Paris, New York and, of course, Manchester.

What do you do with MA in Screenwriting?
I'm currently an Honorary Visiting Fellow (in Screenwriting) at the University of Salford where I teach part-time. On the MA Film Screenwriting, I encourage the students to take a fresh look at genre and realise the power-of-the-premise. I lead workshops throughout the year where we critique student scripts and also supervise the writing of final project scripts; several this year have gone on to receive funding and reach the latter stages of Hollywood script-writing competitions.

What do you think about MA in Screenwriting?
I think it's a terrific course for anyone who wants to focus and get down to some real, professional level screenwriting and produce cinematic scripts that are not only original, visually breathtaking and beautifully written but have a chance of finding their place in the international marketplace.

Read all stories about MA in Screenwriting (The TAMK School of Art and Media Blog)

Pictured: Andy Walker

The Electrician Won Three Prizes in St.Petersburg

VIII Open St.Petersburg Student Film Festival "BEGINNING" took place this week in St.Petersburg, Russia. The global contest of the festival invited again this year two films from TAMK to be shown in the category for Fiction films.

This time it was success for the Electrician. Sound designer Jarno Muhonen was awarded as the Best Sound Supervisor and scriptwriter Jussi Jokihaara with the Best Script of Fiction Film. Director Miina Alajärvi was granted a diploma for the image of the cinematographic language.

Jussi Jokihaara's script was a result of his work when he was a student of the MA in Screenwriting programme, jointly arranged by TAMK and University of Salford.

The Electrician is the story of Marvin - an executioner in charge of the electric chair, who has to find a new way to use his unusual skill when he becomes unemployed. The film is a co-production with Salford University, UK.

Earlier this month the Electrician became second in the Audience Award Competition of the Reikäreuna Film Festival.

The Electrician will keep busy this autumn, it has been invited to:
Upcoming International Film Festival Hannover
Shnit International Short Film Festival in Berne and Cologne

Beginning festival&winners

The Electrician home (also trailer)
All posts about the Electrician (TAMK School of Art and Media blog)
The Electrician@Facebook

The Third MA in Screenwriting Started

The third implementation of the joint MA in Screenwriting Programme of TAMK University of Applied Sciences and Salford University started yesterday.

Fourteen students form UK, Czech Republic and Finland will learn film scripting this autumn in Tampere, next spring in Manchester. There will additionally be distance learning and project next summer and autumn. Salford University will finally give the Master's certificate.

TAMK School of Art and Media and the School of Media, Music & Performance of Salford University have had cooperation since 1994. There has been frequent student and staff exchange, joint film projects and finally the joint MA Programme.

Master of Art in Screenwriting
Read more about MA in Screenwriting in this blog

MA in Screenwriting Application Period Started

MA in Screenwriting is a joint masters programme arranged by University of Salford (Manchester, UK) and TAMK University of Applied Sciences (Tampere, Finland).

The programme wishes to develop film scripts that are innovative and creative but which are also commercially viable. For appropriate film scripts the School has the capacity to assist in developing production contacts at the Berlin Film Festival, Cannes and the American Film Market in Los Angeles.

Some short film scripts written in Finland will be produced by the Media Production programmes of Salford and Tampere.

The programme is taught entirely in English. Semester One will be taught in Tampere and Semester Two in Manchester. Semester Three, where the students write their MA Film Project, may be completed in either the UK or Finland.

The course will run from September 1st 2009 until December 30th 2010. Deadline for applications of Finnish students is May 18th 2009.

Application info (in Finnish)
Application info (University of Salford, non-Finnish applicants)
More stories about MA in Screenwriting

Photo: The Electrician is a film developed during MA in Screenwriting
Story about the Electrician
The Electrician website

The Electrician: TAMK - Salford Collaboration

"The Electrician tells the story of Marvin, an executioner in charge of an electric chair. After becoming unemployed when the government prohibits executions, and with his profession now illegal, Martin struggles to find a new way to use his unusual skill - showing no emotion at people's deaths."

The shortfilm "The Electrician" is a collaboration between TAMK School of Art and Media and School of Media, Music and Performance of Salford University.

The film was shot in Manchester last spring, from Tampere there was a crew of ten students.

The script, written by Jussi Jokihaara, was developed during the joint MA in Screenwriting programme. Derek Melling is Marvin, and the 14-minute film is directed by Miina Alajärvi. It is also the graduation work of four students at TAMK School of Art and Media.

You can enjoy a trailer and "making of" of the film at the film website. The Electrician was screened at Tampere Film Festival. Next change to see this film is at Tampere Art Factory, May 15-16.

Electrician website
Tampere Art Factory
MA in Screenwriting (TAMK School of Art and Media blog)

Colin Muir, Mr. MA in Screenwriting

Colin Muir, Programme Leader of MA in Screenwriting - the Salford University and TAMK joint programme, is a frequent visitor at TAMK School of Art and Media.

The MA in Screenwriting works half time in Tampere, half time in Manchester, UK. Colin just spent a week in Tampere, meeting the students and discussing the further development of the programme.

The students of the first MA in Screenwriting group are graduating in January 2010, and the second group started in September.

Colin says that this programme differs in some ways from the ordinary programmes arranged in one university only. There is a better balance between the creative possibilities of the individual and the common interests of the film industry.

Another difference is that we are maintaining the relation to students after they graduate, Colin points out. We assist the students with the best scripts to Cannes, Berlin Film Festival and even to the American film market in Los Angeles.

The results seem good. Studying in a new place gives time and space to the students, a chance to see the world in new ways - this helps to be creative.

Colin tells that in the future students will not be recruited in Finland and UK only, there are discussions to extend the activity to Germany and Austria, even USA.

Colin was born in Edinburgh. He has an MFA in Theatre Directing from the University of Connecticut and an MFA in Film and Television Directing from Temple University in Philadelphia. He worked in USA as a director, producer and scriptwriter. Since 1991 he has been teaching at the University of Salford. He is Programme leader for the MA in Television and Radio Scriptwriting and the MA in Film Screenwriting. He is also a director of the Film Production Company.

Master of Art in Screenwriting

Photo: Colin Muir at the roof garden of TAMK Finlayson Campus

Marianne Connor from Hollywood at MA in Screenwriting

Marianne Connor has been teaching script writing for MA in Screenwriting students last week, and will do so over the next week. She will also advise students of the previous MA in Screenwriting course who are now writing their final script.

Marianne is screenwriter/producer/teacher from Los Angeles. Her teaching experience is from TAMK University of Applied Sciences, Salford University and three Universities in Philadelphia. Marianne has produced a number of films, two of them awarded; The Ghosts of Edendale, a feature-length supernatural thriller, and Time 'til Light (also Writer/Director/editor), a short film about a woman’s choice to deny her sense of self in exchange for a man’s desire.

Marianne has also been screenwriter in a number of films, now she has series in development with HBO.

During these dark and stormy late October days here many people would stay rather in Los Angeles than in Tampere. But Marianne came here for the second time. She says she enjoys working with the MA in Screenwriting students, they are very committed and open, wanting to apply the tools for screenwriting she presents during her lessons.

Marianne Connor at Internet Movie Database

Photo: Marianne Connor at the roof garden of TAMK School of Art and Media
Photographer: Cai Melakoski