COURSE STARTS 12 AUGUST - 30 SEPTEMBER 2026
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS - 6-8 PM UK

PITCH TO SCRIPT 105:
THE HOLIDAY SHORT
(or "Special")

Write your awesome label here.

DO SOMETHING "SPECIAL"!!

This last quarter of 2026, write an animated holiday short — from pitch to finished script — in 8 weeks.

The market is waiting. Are you?


Netflix released nine brand new Christmas originals in 2024 alone. That's one platform, one holiday, one year. Add Halloween. Add the streamers competing with Netflix. Add broadcasters actively hunting for animated shorts for their kids' holiday slots — and what you're looking at is a market that opens like clockwork, every single year, and actively hunts for fresh content to fill it.


A well-written holiday short isn't just a calling card. It's a pitchable, fundable, producible piece of work with real places to go. And this quarter, you're going to write one.

  • Level
    All
  • On demand video time
    1-2 hrs/week
  • Live class
    2 hrs/week
  • Assignment time
    Student dependant
  • One-on-one Tutoring
    2 hrs / module
  • Deliverable
    One script/module
OR PAY IN THREE BY PRESSING THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON BELOW.

The Nuts and Bolts a.k.a. WHAT IS IN A STORYTELLER POD COURSE  
(And why our students are so successful!)

What is Pitch to Script 105?


PS105 - THE HOLIDAY SHORT / "Special" is a 8-week live online stand-alone module where you develop and write a complete animated holiday short — from your very first idea to a finished, polished script. You choose your project: a Christmas special, a Halloween short, or a literary adaptation... with heart!


This is not a theory class. Every week you write. Every week you get feedback. And by the end of 8 weeks, you have a finished script in your portfolio that broadcasters would actually want to read... and get made!


#1 Not a Class — a Writers’ Room

This isn’t school. It’s a simulated writers’ room. You learn, you try, you mess up, you fix it — together. I show you the how, not just the what, and you get real-time feedback in a collaborative space.

#2 Samples, Worksheets, Lifelines

Lost in a scene? Stuck on structure? I’ve got you. You’ll get samples, examples, and a workbook packed with worksheets that hold your hand when your brain taps out. You are never riding blind.

#3 Killer Content, Covered

We dig into everything: age ranges, formats, screenwriting craft, and the medium of animation itself. Writing from pitch → outline → script teaches you the actual process used in professional rooms. By the end, you’ll know exactly how it’s done.

#5 A Writing Team of Peers

No one writes in a vacuum. You’ll swap scripts, give feedback, cheer each other on, and basically become a mini writers’ room. And the sneaky bonus? You’re not just writing your episode — you’re learning from four other stories too.

#5 Three One-on-Ones with Me

Yep. Every module includes three private sit-downs with your story editor (that’s me). We’ll tackle blockers, skill gaps, and polish. This is the difference between a passable script and a kickass script.

PITCH TO SCRIPT is by far the most effective, comprehensive and FUN course teaching writers to write for episodic animation!

but don't take our word for it...

This is what our students say:

“The Storyteller Pod taught me a better understanding of my audience, mentored me through the process of getting my spec scripts together. I used my spec to get a job on a series... and the rest is history! 
I still take classes every week, because I keep learning, and I keep getting better."
robyn roux
"I really enjoyed the pitch-to-script course. Natasje's wise words, humour and excellent feedback really helped my writing."
Aidan McAteer
"I went from being a regular Nigerian writer who used to joke about writing for Disney someday (never thinking it could possibly happen) to actually having written on a Disney show and a Netflix show and a PBS show... And on my second show for Disney now!! Using my specs from the Pitch to Script-course." 
omotunde akiode
"Pitch to script is a great experience. Natasje demystifies the hows and whys things work for young audiences with hands-on examples and a supportive class environment."
Ciaran Lucas
"Natasje unpacks the elements of a great scene in a simple, can-do way. Then she coaches you step-by-step through your own scene. I’ll never see the ‘humble’ scene the same again. Onwards and upwards!"
Candice argall
"The Pitch to Script course is a fantastic opportunity to enhance your writing skills. Every step, from the initial idea to the finished script, is broken down into manageable tasks that makes the process super fun and easy to follow. "
liam skinner

Meet your teacher

Natasje van Niekerk - Screenwriter & Story editor

Natasje van Niekerk is a screenwriter and story editor with nearly 20 years of experience across animation, live action, film, and television. Her screen credits span genres and formats and she is proud to have won a few awards too. She has claim to an international award for her use of comedy in animated shorts and she earned local acclaim in her home country, South Africa, for her work in live-action sitcom.

On top of a list of screen credits, she has also head written four animated series, consulted for FOX Kids, and served on multiple evaluation panels — most notably for the International Emmy Awards.

She spent seven years at a national film commission, where she mentored emerging screenwriters and evaluated film and TV projects across development stages.

She currently lives in Ireland, where she does development writing for Irish Animation Studios and works on two feature film projects.

Over the past 13 years, Natasje has developed and refined her own teaching programmes to equip writers to meet the real-world needs of writers' rooms while giving them creative confidence to help their writing voices thrive.

"Every writer deserves the tools to write." - Natasje.

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