QALAM SCHEDULE

The Television Writers Workshop and Forum
9-11 January 2003

Day 1

9.30 am: Qalam… the purpose of the workshop… how it was evolved… its goals… its achievements… Indian Television Dot Com Founder & CEO, Anil Wanvari

9.40 am: Keynote Speaker:
What does writing entail and what a writer goes through… the process of writing

10 am: Tea Break

10.15 am: Session 1: Panel Discussion
Understanding the Business of Writing for Television: An overall View What is writing for Television? How is it different from writing for Films, Theatre and other mediums?
Television Writers perspective on writing for contemporary TV… its needs and demands… Interaction with Producers, Programming Executives
Panelists: Vivek Agnihotri, Manish Popat,

11.15 am: What do you need to be a Writer?
Rekha Nigam speaks Interaction and Q & A Sessions with the participants

11.45 am: What Television Channels look for in a writer and in a script?
Exploring new Genres… }
Saurabh Vanzara, Creative Director, SET India with a Presentation

12.15 pm: Television Programming: What works on television today….
Shailja, STAR India

1 pm: Lunch Break

2 pm: Session 2: How to start writing…. And finally make it on Television!
The Modus Operandi

The Creative Process
Ideation
How to develop an idea into a written story concept…
What is a One line Screenplay… what is a Concept
How to develop a concept note…
The Relationship between structure and the screenplay, and format
Exploring the universalness, the acceptability of your story concept
Panelists: Akash Khurana, Vijay Acharya

3pm: Ideation: How do you get and develop Story ideas
Veteran Writer BM Vyas talks

3.30 pm: The Director's Perspective
Ace TV Director Sanjay Upadhyay on what excites a Director… The working relationship between a director and a writer

4 pm: Tea Break

4.15 pm: The Selling Process
Who do you approach with your script?
How to present your work to the Channel/ Production House
How to deal with TV Channel Programming Executives….
Ace Writer Vinod Ranganath speaks

5 pm: Safeguarding your Script
How do you safeguard your scripts/ your work?
FWA General Secy Rajinder Singhji

5.15 pm: Its Viewing Time!
The Participants view some successful Programming on contemporary Television

Day 2

10 am: Session 1: The Base of writing for Television: Screenplay

What is Screenplay…
Ishan Trivedi

11 am: Writing Dailies
Ace writer of Swabhimaan, Itihaas, Kartavya and Kittie Party Vinod Ranganath takes the participants through the rudiments of screenplay and writing

11.40 am: What goes into writing the screenplay for one of the most successful dailies on Television ever….
What are the pressures involved in writing a daily… time constraints… the demands of the job
Writer of Kyunki saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu thi and Kasauti Zindagi Kay Rajesh Joshi talks

Followed by interactive Q & A session

12. 15 am: Writing Sitcoms &Comedies
Writer of the Award winning comedy show Office Office Ashwini Dhir speaks

12.45 pm: Writer of Filmi Chakkar, Nukkad, Philips Top Ten and director of Khubsoorat Sanjay Chhel speaks

1.15 pm: Lunch Break

2. 15 pm: Writing for Thrillers
Ace writer of Satya, Kaun, Shool, Anurag Kashyap takes an interactive session on Thrillers

2. 45 pm: Writer of Ssshh…Koi Hai Sameer Modi on screenplay for Supernaturals & Thrillers

3.15pm: Characterisation Developing Memorable Characters and Ideation Atul Tiwari

4pm: Effective Dialogue Writing
Eminent dialogue writer Sutapa Sikdar on The craft of Dialogue writing for Television
An assignment on dialogue writing

5pm: Tea Break

Break for Day

Day 3

9.30 am: Actual Writing Assignments Giving Topics to the Participants for Writing Assignments
Giving the participants sheets for their assignments

1pm: Submission of the Assignments

Lunch Break {The Qalam Core team goes through the Assignments of all the participants and shortlists 10 of the best}

2 pm: Non Fiction Writing
Scripting for Anchoring and Game shows
Writer of KBC and Khulja Sim Sim RD Tailang speaks on writing for Game and Host Based shows Interactive Exercise Follows

2.45 pm: Writing for News: A different ballgame altogether
Former NDTV Bureau Chief, Shishir Joshi on Writing for News on Television

3.15pm: The Uses of New Technology/ Software in Script Writing Riken Choksi, Filmmaker Tools

3.45 pm: Tea Break

4.00 pm: Its Pitching time!
For the first time ever in the history of Indian Television, a Writers Baazar!
10 Short-listed Writers get a chance to actually pitch and present their concepts to programming executives and heads of Television Channels…
Tarun Katial/ Deepak Segal/ Shailja/ Anupama Mondloi/ Gautam Adhikari/ Sushanto Roy/ Apurva Purohit

6.30 pm: Wrap up of Qalam - Interactive Q & A Session with the entire Panel

7 pm: Certificates Distribution Ceremony

7.30 pm: The annual Qalam bash begins…TV Programming Executives, Producers, Writers, Directors. A jamboree of Television professionals network and chill out!