A scriptwriting incubator course in South Africa: the ‘educational dividend’ in a rapidly evolving media landscape

Abstract

Increased competition among global media conglomerates entering Africa’s largely underserved and potentially huge market in search of audience numbers results in increased demand for locally produced African stories. This article considers the educational and pedagogic approach to training screenwriters in a year-long script incubator course funded by a South African media corporate with involvement of industry and the Film and Television Department at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. The article describes the incremental nature of the script incubator process, while providing anecdotal observations about how participants responded to course content and its roll-out. Grappling with the educator’s role in such industry-funded training initiatives, the article avoids dismissing the ‘educational dividend’ as simply another path to profit for commercial broadcasters seeking suitable skills for industry employment. This raises important considerations for film educators working within local socio-economic realities.