BAFTA Screenwriters Lecture: William Nicholson
The multi-BAFTA-nominated writer of Shadowlands, Nell and Gladiator kicked off this year's Screenwriters' Lecture Series on 13 September at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly.
William Nicholson, writer of Shadowlands, Nell & Gladiator will kick off the #BAFTAwriters lecture series tonight. Live tweeting from 7pm- @mark_salisbury @nia_loves_films @WillieMcGregor Enjoy Bill Nicholson's lecture at #BAFTA tonight. Tweets from 7pm, follow #BAFTAwriters
- The #BAFTA cinema is rapidly filling up in anticipation of our first #BAFTAwriters lecture with William Nicholson http://yfrog.com/nvk28hzj
- #BAFTAwriters Nicholson begins by reassuring genuinely talented screenwriters that they are sought after; the standard he often sees is low
- #BAFTAwriters Nicholson: "Screenwriters do not write dialogue. We write story. Everything you see on screen is all there on paper"
- #BAFTAwriters Nicholson argues the importance of story & thus of the screenwriter; "Stories matter like Hell. They form our culture"
@BAFTA just read all of the qoutes you tweeted yest from #NicholsonLecture v.helpful.. can't wait to watch it all on website soon- Nicholson claims he will reveal the secret to "What makes movies great" in his #BAFTAwriters lecture. Stay tuned for the answer...
RT @BAFTA: Nicholson argues the importance of story & thus of the #screenwriter; "Stories matter like Hell. They form our culture"- Nicholson's #BAFTAwriters rule 1)"the script structure has to mirror our lived experience of the world. Truth will makes the structure work"
RT @industryhub: RT @bafta: Nicholson reiterates his #BAFTAwriters mantra: "the core of all #screenwriting is the delivery of emotion through characters"- Nicholson's #BAFTAwriters rule 2) "Get out there & live!" He advises writers to rejoice in every experience as they will become your stories
- Nicholson advises writers to live "if all youve ever done is watch movies everything you write will recycle whats gone before" #BAFTAwriters
- Nicholson's 2nd #BAFTAwriters rule includes the significance of central characters. The audience must care for them & care about their fate
- #BAFTAwriters Nicholson; "engage the audience in the plight & longing of central characters. This generates the 3rd rule..."
- Nicholson's 3rd key to great cinema is emotion. He explains that emotion is the whole reason why people go to the cinema #BAFTAwriters
- Nicholson tells screenwriters; "we are in the game of generating emotion. Emotion makes great scriptwriting" #BAFTAwriters
- Nicholson debates the complexities of portraying emotion in your script & asks how can you portray characters falling in love? #BAFTAwriters
- Nicholson on portraying love; "you need to see the wheels in motion, see that shift. You can't just rely on a gorgeous actor" #BAFTAwriters
- Nicholson advises; "if you possibly can, be a writer/director, that way you retain the power. It's not that hard" #BAFTAwriters
- Nicholson; "by writing love & tenderness into the character of Maximus [Gladiator] it made him real & made the audience care" #BAFTAwriters
- Nicholson reiterates his #BAFTAwriters mantra: "the core of all #screenwriting is the delivery of emotion through characters"
