Learn screenplay structure and story concept
A week from today, I will start teaching the Screenwriting Master Class course “Core I: Structure and Concept.” We offered the class for the first time when Tom Benedek and I launched SMC at the beginning of the year and the course was by all accounts a rousing success. Here is some background:
STRUCTURE
Screenwriter William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride) famously said, “Screenplays are structure.” In weeks 1 and 2 of this 4-week online writing class, you will learn a proven approach to story structure that not only covers the major plot events in a story’s External World, but also the emotional arc of your script’s Internal World.
* Learn a script paradigm that will enable you to craft a story that is both structurally sound and emotionally resonate.
* Workshop your story through focused writing assignments aimed at exploring fundamental plot points and the metamorphosis of key characters.
CONCEPT
Perhaps no single choice a writer makes is more important than the story concept. In weeks 3 and 4 of this 4-week online writing class, you will delve into the mindset of filmmakers, Hollywood studio executives, producers, agents, and managers, and learn time-tested ways to generate and develop story concepts, as well as the means to evaluate them to help you know when you find a viable script idea.
* Develop the ability to think like an industry executive or filmmaker and see what they look for in a story concept.
* Workshop your own story concepts through writing assignments targeted toward engendering your brainstorming and critical analysis skills.
Three lectures posted each week (12 total).
Daily forum Q&As moderated by the instructor.
Weekly writing exercises (optional) with instructor and class feedback.
Teleconference calls between instructor and class members.
Dates: February 28-March 27, 2011
No matter how busy you are or your level of experience as a writer, this course is designed for you. If you have time, you can workshop a story with optional weekly writing exercises. If your life-schedule is full, you may choose simply to download the 12 lectures for future reference. And the forums are there for you to post any questions you have about the subject matter or screenwriting in general.
The bottom line: Tom and I have been in the movie and TV business for five decades, and in truth there are some things about the writing craft you simply can not know or understand unless you’ve actually worked as a writer in Hollywood. As a result of our many years of experience and collective insight into the business, I believe the content we offer in Core I about screenplay structure and story concept is both unique and essential. As one of the writers who participated in the class in January wrote:
“I’ve taken other online writing classes along the way and BY FAR, this has been the best — not only in terms of ease of participation versus the depth of information provided, but also how much top notch information you packed into the lectures.”
So sign up today by going here.
And while you’re at it, check out all the other resources we offer writers at Screenwriting Master Class, including upcoming new 1-week and 2-week classes as well as our consulting services.