Book A Writer / Our Writers

 ABOUT

A screenwriter and director with over 15 years of experience, Joseph Tan has worked in both fiction and non-fiction, and across a wide range of genres, from crime procedurals and historical dramas, to sitcoms, family dramas and even animation. In recent years, he has served as the co-head writer for several critically-acclaimed, award-winning TV series such as This Land is Mine and 128 Circle. He also teaches screenwriting and directing at several tertiary institutions in Singapore while also pursuing his Masters in Creative Writing.

TALKS

EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE, I LEARNED FROM THE MOVIES
For: Secondary school / junior college; small group talk / assembly
Availability: 1hr per session; single session
Description: Using clips and scenes taken from some of the most distinctive (for better and sometimes for worse) films ever made, Joseph Tan shares lessons about storytelling, writing and the creative process gleamed from two decades as a cinephile, television writer, teacher and film practitioner. Regardless of medium, there will be insights here for every fledgling writer or burgeoning creative type in this fast-paced, funny and hopefully thought-provoking talk.
Learning Outcomes: Appreciate the history and the evolution of storytelling in cinema; understand how screenwriting techniques and methodology can be applied to other forms of writing.

WORKSHOPS

WORK THE ROOM: COLLABORATIVE STORYTELLING & YOU
For: Upper secondary / junior college; 5 - 20 pax
Availability: 3 hours per session; single / multiple sessions
Description: Behind every successful TV series is a brain trust known as the writers’ room. Using the key principles that run through every writers’ room, participants in this workshop will be guided through a unique and creatively fulfilling form of collaborative story-crafting that focuses on three core tenets of great writing: character creation and development; plot and subplots; and worldbuilding. Working in small groups, participants will go through the process of developing and fleshing out a strong story concept together using the individually unique ideas, experiences and perspectives; they will also receive feedback not just on their creative work, but also their collaborative methods.
Learning Outcomes: Develop a strong story world through collaboration; understand and apply the cooperative principles of a writers’ room in creative discussions; create compelling narratives through shared ideas and experiences.

WHY ZIG WHEN YOU CAN ZAG: HOW TO SUBVERT AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS IN YOUR STORY
For: Upper secondary / junior college; 5 - 25 pax
Availability: 3 hours per session; single / multiple sessions
Description: It’s been said that there are no original stories anymore; the same old cliches, tropes and narrative conventions seem to pop up everywhere we turn. But cliches are cliches because they work – and it is up to the writer to make them work in fresh, creative and oftentimes unexpected ways that respect the audiences’ intelligence. This workshop challenges participants to take the hoariest, most tired cliches, and spin new narrative gold from them through thought-provoking writing exercises, intense brainstorming sessions that encourage out-of-the-box thinking, and detailed critiques from the instructor.
Learning Outcomes: Understand the function and use of narrative tropes and conventions; form and develop a unique creative approach to the use of tropes and conventions. 

WRITING THE SHORT FILM
For: Upper secondary / junior college; 5 - 25 pax
Availability: 3 hours per session; single / multiple sessions
Description: You know how to write a story that lives and breathes on the page; now learn how to write one that will come to life on the screen. This workshop introduces participants to the fundamentals of screenwriting, gives them insight into the art of telling a story through the juxtaposition of sight and sound, and helps them understand the unique strengths – and weaknesses – of the moving image. By the end of the workshop, participants will have the tools they need to write their very own short film.
Learning Outcomes: Students will pick up the art of writing visually, practice the craft of shaping a compelling narrative meant for the screen, and complete their very own 10-minute screenplay that is also production-ready.