Scripts for the Stage & Screen
Marina Watson and Troy Jones have teamed up to offer the current incarnation of the writing program at Columbia River Correctional in Portland. The curriculum aims to produce a collection of scripts from which one can be chosen to make a film. The material covers all aspects of scriptwriting, including storytelling, story arc, character development, dialogue, and script conventions, such as formatting, jargon, transitions, shots, intercuts, and more. The creative writing dialogue reflects upon what it means to be an artist and ideas to access our innate flow.
Each Fiction Writing course will conclude with a public reading and/or a table read, some of which the public will be invited to attend.
Program Goals:
craft scripted stories for short films and productions (10-15 minutes).
tap into our collective wealth of insight and experience about life—both in general and on the inside.
harness the healing potential of story creation, for creators and for viewers alike.
raise awareness about prison life with the wider community and cultivate space for change.
include AICs and Returned Citizens in all phases of film creation.
“I took the class because I wanted to use my time in prison wisely and was always wanted to write a fiction novel so from taking the first class spawned taking the screen class and has given me ideas of taking college classes when I get out cause I’m getting out soon and have already applied to college so I’m pretty sure I’m gonna take a writing class.” ~incarcerated colleague
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