How to nail the first 10 pages
This event will take place over Zoom on May 18th 1:30pm to 3pm (BST)
Welcoming Jenna-Louise Hawkins!
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Ever wondered what actually makes a reader keep turning the page?
In this focused workshop, award-winning screenwriter and script consultant Jenna will unpack the first 10 pages — why they matter, what they must do, and how to craft them to industry standard.
Whether you’re working on a feature, short, or TV pilot, these first 10 pages are your calling card. Jenna will provide the insight, structure and tools to help you rewrite them with purpose — and polish your opening into a powerful hook.
Attendees will leave with a checklist to assess and refine the opening of any script.
Workshop Focus:
✅ First Impressions Matter – How your tone, voice and story world are judged
✅ Hooking the Reader – Raising the right questions and igniting curiosity
✅ Laying the Groundwork – Setting up character, tone and stakes with efficiency
✅ Building Your 10 Page Checklist – A survival guide of actionable criteria to pressure-test your script
Perfect for screenwriters, filmmakers, and storytellers working on TV, film, or short scripts who want their openings to grab attention — and hold it.
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Jenna-Louise Hawkins is an award winning screenwriter. Her credits include Slick Films’ award-winning, BIFA longlisted “What We Wished We Could Be” and Eldub Films’ award-winning “The Friend”. Her TV pilot “Daaé” was one of the winners of 2023 The Golden Script competition and was featured in the “Golden List”, the best unproduced screenplays of the year.
Her produced work has been screened at industry leading film festivals, including Rhode Island International, HollyShorts, Lady Filmmakers and Raindance. She loves telling character-driven stories which explore the relationship between characters’ internal and external worlds, and currently has three feature films in development. She also works as a script editor and script consultant, and teaches screenwriting at Raindance Film School, London, in her position as Programme Leader for the MA in Screenwriting.
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ATTENDANCE
If you can't attend the event on the day. We’ve got you covered. This workshop will be recorded and available for you always.
CAPACITY
We have a limited number of concession tickets available on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you identify as working class, are currently on benefits, or if you consider yourself to be financially disadvantaged in a way that is hindering your progression in your career, these tickets are available to you.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
Underscore Studios is unfunded and comprised of three volunteers. We believe that upskilling yourself should be affordable, engaging, and transparent. The money towards Workshops such as these means that we can keep them as low as they are, pay our Freelance Workshop leaders, support the organisation to be sustainable, and when we can, make more of our services available for Free._
We are aware that even the cost of a concession ticket may be a key barrier for many people.From time to time we are able to offer Bursary places, please email info@underscorestudios.co.uk for more details.