Screenwriting & Playwriting
Established: 1991
Educational Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Duration: 4 years (8 semesters)
Form of Education: Full-time
Program Director:
Prof. Dr. Stanislav Semerdjiev
Academic Team:
Prof. Dr. Stanislav Semerdjiev (Fiction Film Screenwriting, Character Development, Plot Development, Scene Development, World Culture), Prof. Dr. Docho Bodjakov (Film & TV Directing), Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Ovcharov (Film & TV Directing), Dr. Radoslav Kamburov (Film and TV Directing, Screen Research and Journalism), Martin Genovski (Film and TV Directing), Maria Averina (Film and TV Directing), Boya Harizanova (Film and TV Directing), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emil Rashev (Film and TV Cinematography), Prof. Dr. Teodor Yanev (Film and TV Cinematography), Prof. Dr. Emilia Stoeva (Film and TV Cinematography, English Language Terminology), Dr. Krassimir Stoichkov (Film and TV Cinematography), Zdravko Ruzhev (Film and TV Cinematography), Hristo Bozadzhiev (Film and TV Cinematography), Petar Nenov (Film and TV Cinematography), Dr. Andrei Rashev (Film and TV Cinematography), Plamen Botovski (Film and TV Cinematography), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Valentina Fidanova-Kolarova (Film and TV Editing), Assoc. Prof. Rossitza Ilieva (Film and TV Editing), Eng. Dimitar Stoichev (Film and TV Editing), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nina Altaparmakova (Film and TV Editing), Andrea-Nikol Kostova (Film and TV Editing), Liuboslav Bonev (Film and TV Editing), Zina Nacheva (Film and TV Editing), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Valeria Krachunova-Popova (Film and TV Sound), Assoc. Prof. Pavel Stefanov (Film and TV Sound), Dr. Tsvetelina Tsvetkova (Film and TV Sound), Stefan Makedonski (Film and TV Sound), Desislava Georgieva (Film and TV Sound), Ivailo Natsev (Film and TV Sound), Georgi Penkov (Film and TV Sound), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elena Trencheva (Film and TV Design), Dr. Boyana Bachvarova (Film and TV Design), Hristo Karaivanov (Film and TV Design), Desislava Bankova (Film and TV Design), Iva Petkova (Film and TV Design), Elena Misheva (Film and TV Design), Assoc. Prof. Vladislav Budinov (Animation), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gospodin Nedelchev (Animation), Dr. Penyu Kiratzov (Animation), Ivailo Seferov (Animation), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krasimir Andonov (Photography), Assoc. Prof. Iglena Ruseva (Photography), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexander Nishkov (Photography), Krikor Vanlian (Photography), Mariana Zhizhanova (Photography), Tanya Decheva (Photography), Dimitar Vladimirov (Photography), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ema Konstantinova (Film and TV Producing), Dr. Hristo Bonev (Film and TV Producing), Dr. Asparuh Nikolov(Film and TV Producing), Petar Harizanov (Film and TV Producing), Ivo Nikolov (Film and TV Producing), Prof. Dr .Sc. Maya Dimitrova (Screen Research and Journalism, American Cinema, Western European Cinema), Irina Ivanova (Screen Research and Journalism), Prof. Dr. Sc. Vladimir Ignatovksi (Theory of Entertainment Arts), Prof. Dr. Sc. Bojidar Manov (Aesthetics of Documentary Cinema), Assoc. Prof. Yuri Dachev (Principles of TV Journalism, Drama Theatre Playwriting, Film Adaptation), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Krasimira Guercheva (Aesthetics of Animation Cinema), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Ivanov (Russian Cinema, Balkan Cinema, Eastern European Cinema), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Andronika Martonova (Asian Cinema), Boryana Mateeva (Latin American Cinema), Dr. Krasimir Kastelov (Bulgarian Cinema), Prof. Dr. Kalin Gaidarov (Personality Psychology, Children Psychology, Social Psychology), Neli Dimitrova (Character Development, Plot Development, Scene Development, TV Commercial Screenwriting, TV Series Screenwriting), Nikolai Yordanov (Character Development, Plot Development, Scene Development, TV Reality Formats), Alexandra Petkova (Character Development, Plot Development, Scene Development), Prof. Dr. Sc. Miroslav Dachev (Semiotics, World Culture), Prof. Dr. Svetlana Stoicheva-Andersson (World Culture, Contemporary Bulgarian Literature), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivailo Kostov (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boyka Donevksa (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rumiana Evtimova (World Culture), Prof. Dr. Sc. Kamelia Nikolova (World Culture), Prof. Dr. Milena Bratoeva (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boris Minkov (World Culture), Prof. Dr. Yuri Stoyanov (World Cuture), Prof. Dr. Madlen Danova (World Culture), Prof. Dr. Julian Kuyumdzhiev (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rossen Roussev (World Culture), Prof. Dr. Kalina Stefanova (World Culture), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mariyana Lazarova (Copyright and Related Rights in the Audiovisual Field), Eng. Zhivko Ivanov (Visual Effects), Prof. Dr. Marin Damianov (Screenwriting for Thriller, Film Speech Construction, Documentary Film Screenwriting), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ludmil Georgiev (Crime Narrative Development), Prof. Dr. Sc. Anelia Yaneva (Dance Theatre Playwriting), Prof. Boyanka Arnaudova (Musical Theatre Playwriting), Dr. Yana Dzharova-Karakoleva (History of Television), Maria Atanasova (Interactive Media Screenwriting), Ivan Atanasov (Interactive Media Screenwriting), Helia Chavdarova (Writing for Radio), Elsa Laleva (Puppet Theatre Playwriting)
1.ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
The aim of this educational programme is to develop capacities and skills of students to be able to undertake positions such as screenwriters and playwrights for all audiovisual genres and theatre art. After an interdisciplinary education during the first academic year, priorities focus on writing for fiction and documentary films, drama and puppet theatre plays, musical theatre and opera librettos, physical/pantomime theatre, TV series, commercials, entertainment programs and reality shows, as well as interactive media projects.
The practical modules comprise of writing tasks for course works of the students in the Film and Television Directing programme as well as specialized tasks oriented towards acquiring abilities to work in different genres (adaptation, thriller, comedy, crime, etc.).
Additionally, there are modules on philosophy, religion, literature, theater, music, art, architecture, psychology, history of cinema, semiotics, theory of performing arts and others.
2. EDUCATION
Education is only full-time, lasting 4 years. Graduates who have completed their credits under the programme curriculum have to pass an oral and written graduation exam in the respective field of study, as well as a practical diploma defence as authors of (by their choice): play for drama theater, play for puppet theater, play for radio theater, libretto for musical theater, libretto for physical/pantomime theater, an interactive (web) project, a project for TV series (feature, documentary, or animated), a script for a full-length film (feature, documentary, animated).
3. QUALIFICATION
Graduates acquire a bachelor’s degree, with professional qualification “Screenwriter/Playwright”. They have options to work in production film, TV and media companies in Bulgaria and abroad as well as in professional theatres (state, municipal, private, independent) in all genres. They acquire all the necessary abilities to create scripts for feature films, television series and adaptations, documentaries, corporate and educational films, music and commercial videos, online productions, multimedia projects, theatre plays, musicals, operas, etc. Graduates could also continue further their education in Master programmes.
During their education, students get acquainted with the world practices and models, as well as with the professional terminology in English language, which allows them to work with/in foreign productions, as well as co-productions in Bulgaria and abroad.
4. ADMISSION
When submitting their application, applicants must also submit a portfolio. It may contain scripts, essays, poems, short stories, plays, novels, paintings, drawings, photographs, films, original music, performances of songs and musical instruments, recordings of musical performances and other artistic materials of the candidate’s choice. Textual materials must be in a pdf format and not exceeding 5 pages. Images must be in jpg format. Audiovisual materials must be in mp-4 format and not exceeding a total duration of 10 minutes. Sound materials must be in mp-3 format and not exceeding a total duration of 10 minutes. The purpose of the portfolio is to show the applicant’s interests, artistic preferences, potential skills and mindset in as many details as possible. All materials must be uploaded in the Google Drive cloud space with a limit up to 3 GB.
Stage I – Practical Exam (anonymous)
Applicants have to pass a test (same test for all applicants) in which they must show their abilities to create worlds, characters, conflicts, behaviour, dialogue, environment, etc.
Sample tasks:
Task 1: Write a title for a dramaturgical text which has the following resume:
Sample 1: After a scandal with the boss, Kiro (42) loses his job. When he returns, he is horrified to learn that his sister-in-law has moved in with her three daughters and two female dogs. The women start a fierce battle for dividing the territory. Above all, the mother-in-law decides that she should control the situation and she also arrives at the place. One day Kiro just disappears.
Sample 2: After an accident, Anastas (55) is in the intensive care unit of a hospital where he falls madly in love with Radina (28), who dies three days later. At her funeral, Anastas learns that Radina has a twin sister who has lived in Los Angeles for 10 years. He tries to fantasise a perfect love with her, but she refuses. Anastas kills her.
Sample 3: Dimo (20) takes over a new delivery area in a courier company where he works. During his first delivery, he meets Alex (30), who works as an erotic masseuse. She doesn’t believe in love, but Dimo manages to prove her wrong.
Task 2: Write in 100 words a resume for a dramaturgical text with the following title:
Sample 1: Live Cartridge
Sample 2: Who Lives on the Tree
Sample 3: An Orange Girl
Task 3: Write in 300 words a dialogue between:
Sample 1: Two thieves who plan to rob an apartment in the presence of the unsuspecting victim.
Sample 2: An investigator and a juvenile drug addict on the subject of what would the future of the addict be if he does not does not surrender his dealer.
Sample 3: A dentist and a nurse discussing in front of a patient how much money they could squeeze out of him with an unnecessary long-term treatment.
Task 4: Tell in 1000 words a plot, starting with the following situation:
Sample 1: Yana (45) returns home in a visibly uplifted mood and with shopping bags in her hands. She opens the kitchen door with her foot and freezes at the doorway. On the table, pierced by a shiny samurai sword, lies her husband Tony (55).
Sample 2: Despite his hesitations, Mikhail (20) goes on a “blind date”, arranged by his best friend Rado (21). Before entering the restaurant, Mikhail is hit on the head and loses consciousness. When he recovers, he sees that he is in a large white room, without doors and windows, and Rado is sitting opposite him.
Sample 3: A French family is on vacation in Burgas, Bulgaria. One morning, the wife Jacqueline (35) goes out jogging and does not return for more than two hours. Worried, her husband Laurent (40) calls the police.
Exam duration: 360 minutes. Applicants who receive a score lower than average (3.00) cannot participate in Stage II.
Stage II – Oral Exam
The tests of the applicants admitted to the Stage II, are viewed by the Final Selection Committee. The Committee comprises of: NATFA’s Rector, the Dean of the Faculty of Screen Arts and the Program Directors of all the programs in the faculty. Applicants are then invited to analyze their test results and answer questions related to their perception of the plot, characters, conflict, genre, dialogue, environment and other dramaturgical components. The Finals Selection Committee also interviews the applicants about the materials, included in their application portfolio. The commission also talks to the candidates about the materials from the presented portfolio. The aim of the interview is to understand the applicants’ potential capabilities, interests, overall cultural knowledge and mindset, ability for independent thinking and artistic reflections. Applicants who receive a score lower than average (3.00) cannot participate in the final ranking.
