The Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Mass Communication organised story, screenplay and dialogue writing workshop here on Monday. The programme was presided over by renowned story and screenplay writer Ashok Mishra.
Mishra, while talking to the students of Advertisement and Public Relation and Film production department said, “To write a good story and screenplay one must do intense research. Today, there are many personalities in the film industry who are writing stories and screenplays but their lack of research is clearly evident. This is the reason we do not get to see good films anymore.”
There is a need for female writers in the film industry. As male writers are writing on female subjects the gravity of the situation is not rightly portrayed, added Mishra.
He further explained how an ordinary story can be rewritten as a good screenplay and he also said that normally writers use many words while writing a story from which one must refrain. There is limited requirement of words in the world of cinema, he added, explaining that the screenplays must be written in not more than 120 words.
People who try to experiment with new ideas and technologies always emerge as successful, he added while discussing about the new technologies in film industry.
“One must also try to break the norms of writing screenplay and attempt something new,” said Mishra. He further said that nowadays there is high use of technology in film making which is draining the sentiments involved in the film story.
He told the students that to write a good story one must be well read. The choice of reading must be specific to literature for the creativity to sprout.
During the workshop Mishra also showed the students few short films.