Parents who hope for the children to attend a top university in the US or elsewhere might be concerned mostly about their academic grades and exam results. They might consider additional tutoring, or online learning. But a US academic is teaching a course for Beijing students promising a very different route to impress college admissions officers: screenwriting.
“As one Harvard admissions officer put it, good grades and scores will get you a ticket to the dance, but you need something special to get the girl,” says Michael Yuen, founder and CEO of StarCoach. “You need something different from the rest.”
Michael Yuen
Yuen sees storytelling as a key skill to standing out from the crowd.
“Storytelling is an essential skill for succeeding in school, at work, and in life,” he says. “Storytelling is used in writing college application essays, responding to job interview questions, giving business presentations.”
To teach this vital skill to middle school and high school students, Yuen is bringing to Beijing screenwriting mentor Mary Beth Fielder. Fielder has taught acting, directing and screenwriting at the University of Southern California (USC), and also directed classic TV drama Thirtysomething. Among the students she has mentored was Jonathan M. Chu, who went on to direct box office smash Crazy Rich Asians.
The ten workshops will take place during July and cost RMB 12,000, though the price is reduced to RMB 8,000 if you book before May 26. Yuen believes that attendees will learn more than just the art of screenwriting.
“Human beings are driven by the need to connect and the best writers are those who take audiences on a journey of connection,” he says. “In order to do this, writers must learn how to connect to themselves and, most importantly, to connect with others.”
To find out more, or to book, contact Yuen via the QR code below.
StarCoach Screenwriting Workshop, Jul 1-22
Ages 12+. RMB 12,000 (RMB 8,000 before May 26). 10-11.30am Mon, Wed, Fri.
Photos: medium.com
