Postgraduate

Storytelling - Audiovisual and Multimedia Scriptwriting

Department of Communication Sciences and Information Technologies

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​Course Coordinator

Pedro Marta Santos

Objectives

In general terms, this postgraduate course aims to equip professionals with skills in all areas of contemporary audiovisual writing – Cinema, Video, Cable TV and OTT, web series, and multimedia platforms – in the domains of fiction, documentary, animation, narrative journalism, and hybrid models (docudrama, mockumentary, true crime, etc.).

Specific objectives of the postgraduate course include:
  • Developing skills in classical and multimedia storytelling for fiction, digital creative writing, and journalistic and fictional techniques applied to documentary and docudrama scripting
  • Teaching the use of narrative techniques of exposition, development, and resolution through foundational and contemporary dramaturgy
  • Enabling screenwriting work in all phases of audiovisual creation (scriptwriting and project development, pre-production, on-set supervision, directing, editing, and promotion) and across all storytelling formats (cinema, video art, series, miniseries and TV movies, web series, music videos, fiction and documentary podcasts, long-form journalism online)
  • Training screenwriters prepared to meet the needs of both national and international markets, with the ability to develop project bibles for producers and public/private scriptwriting and production funding competitions, including proficiency with AI tool

Target Audience

  • Professionals in film, audiovisual media, writing, production and direction of multimedia content, digital journalism, marketing, advertising and design, visual arts creation, and literature
  • Entrepreneurs, economists, and business managers seeking to acquire skills in storytelling
  • Professionals and creators from other fields who wish to transition into audiovisual and multimedia content writing

​Organization


ECTS: 20
Duration: 20 weeks, including class sessions, assessments and final project presentation
Total workload: 500 hours
Total contact hours: 160 contact hours (in-person and/or online), distributed across 2 weekly sessions of 4 hours each (in-person and/or online)
Schedule: Evening classes, to ensure compatibility with professional commitments and promote a balance between training and daily routine

Educational Model

Format: Hybrid (in-person/online), depending on the students’ availability and convenience:
  • Online and recorded classes, allowing flexible study schedules
  • In-person workshops for practical activities such as audiovisual recordings and networking events
  • Flexibility focused on personalized learning, respecting different paces of progress
  • Adaptation to students’ availability, combining flexibility and hands-on interaction. In-person classes will allow long distance participation via videoconference for students in remote locations

Structure

 Combination of multiple teaching methodologies
  1.  Online and Recorded Classes
    • Flexible scheduling for independent study
    • Access to content at any time, promoting personalized time management for learning
  2.  In-person Workshops
    • Practical activities, such as audiovisual recordings and networking events
    • Focus on developing applied skills and building professional relationships
  3. Practical Examples
    • This model prepares professionals to act strategically in the creation and management of digital content, aligning innovation with market applicability

​Learning Objectives

  • Provide dynamic and adaptable training, balancing autonomy (online) with hands-on experience (in-person)
  • Develop technical and creative skills using practical and successful examples praised by audiences and critics as a learning foundation
  • Prepare students for the market by developing communication and networking tools and delivering a public presentation of the final project