Brainstorming with the best in the Bizz

Words: Caitlin Lea
Published: 12 August 2024

It’s not every day you get the chance to workshop your screenwriting ideas with one of your favourite writers and directors.

Creative Writing student Brooke Crowle sat down for a series of one-on-ones with award-winning Australian writer and director of film and television Belinda Chayko as part of her Screenworks mentorship.

“Screenwriting is not an exact science, so it was extremely helpful to see how quickly Belinda broke down my story synopsis and highlighted where the problems were,” Brooke said.

Best known for star-studded, hit television series such as Fires, Prosper, and Stateless, Belinda Chayko inspired students like Brooke when she presented on a panel at the annual Screenworks Global Screen Forum.

The mentorship opportunity enabled Brooke to workshop her concept for a television series which she describes as an “intergenerational tragic comedy” set in Byron Bay.

“Time was spent structurally discussing the main story engine and honing in on the dramatic beats that would drive this story to the end,” Brooke said.

“Belinda asked me to deliver a revised outline of my script, which was challenging but taught me so much about getting the structural stuff in order before deep-diving into the script. This task also answered questions I had about tackling my content.

“The mentorship was a super valuable experience. I felt very lucky to access one-on-one time with such an experienced industry professional. Thank you, Screenworks and Southern Cross University, for making this mentorship happen. I really value the collaborative nature of the Screenworks community and the screen industry.”