Learn the craft of screenwriting with David Lemon

UAL Short Courses tutor and screenwriter David Lemon is passionate about helping people realise their creative ideas. His screenwriting credits include FAINTHEART (Film4) starring Eddie Marsan and CONTAINMENT, a pandemic thriller on Netflix. He has also written for BBC1 continuing drama, children's TV and for Radio 4, including 'The Man In Black' radio horror series starring Mark Gatiss.

David is set to run three new online screenwriting short courses here at UAL Short Courses: Writing a Horror Film Online Short Course, Writing a TV Pilot Online Short Course and Writing a Short Film Online Short Course. We caught up with him to find out more about his work and what students can expect from his courses.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a screenwriter and teacher with a passion for helping people to tell their stories. So far, I’ve had two feature films produced as well as radio, TV and short film.

What do you do day to day?

When I’m not teaching screenwriting at various institutions (including The Metfilm school, London Film Academy and London Film School), I’m developing new feature and TV scripts.

Are you currently working on any creative projects?

I’m currently working on PINWHEEL, a new horror feature, with Neil West (who directed my last feature CONTAINMENT.

How do you keep yourself inspired?

As well as trying to see as many new films and TV series as I can, I try to ‘feed’ my creativity through reading, attending exhibitions, plays etc. I find that a lot of the creativity takes place away from my laptop, so it’s always a good idea to keep a notebook handy (or the notes app on my phone).

Do you have a 'go-to' method to extract new ideas?

Everyone works differently, but I’ll often start with a bunch of ‘what ifs’-ideas that are maybe just a sentence or two. If I find myself coming back to them over and over again, that tells me that there’s something there.

What's your advice to someone who's feeling stuck in their practice?

I find that a lot of new writers put too much pressure on themselves to write something ‘perfect’ the first time. It’s worth bearing in mind that when we look at those brilliant, award-laden screenplays, they could be the 50th draft and a long way from that very rough first draft.

If you’re feeling stuck, it can be worth writing something that you never intend to share with anyone, just to get back into the habit of putting that idea down. It can also be worth changing up the way you record ideas (e.g. writing longhand in a notebook instead of a laptop). A change of scene can really help, too.

Who are your favourite industry peers or creative influences?

Too many to mention. I think Dan Erickson, the creator of the Apple TV series Severance, is a genius. I also love Daisy May Cooper and Sharon Horgan - and anything Noah Hawley writes is always worth watching. Other people I admire in no fixed order: David Bowie, Nick Cave, Daisy Haggard, Chris Ware (a brilliant comic book artist) and George Saunders.

What do you most enjoy about teaching?

There are many aspects of teaching that I find fulfilling. I especially enjoy demystifying the screenwriting process and encouraging the people I work with to experiment and make mistakes; to enjoy the process as much as the result.

What is your best piece of advice for a screenwriting beginner?

Watch as much as you can, and read scripts. They’re rarely as much fun to read as novels, but it’s important to get a sense of what films and TV series looked like on the page before the cameras started rolling.

What can students expect from your courses and what will they learn?

In my experience, one of the main benefits for people who’ve attended my course is getting into the habit of writing ideas and sharing them. It can be daunting sharing creative work (especially if it’s a deeply felt personal story), but I always try to encourage a supportive and constructive atmosphere.

Students will gain a good understanding of the fundamentals of screenwriting. On the Writing a Horror Film Online Short Course, for example, students gain a greater understanding of the tropes and underlying structure of the genre.

The courses offer a chance to gain skills in creative writing in an exciting and vibrant medium and learn how to tell stories for a visual and constantly evolving medium.

• Trailer for FAINTHEART (FILM4)
• Trailer for CONTAINMENT (NETFLIX EU)
• Short film DEAD HAPPY (Sky Movies)
• RADIO 4 drama starring Mark Gatiss