Story Masters Film Academy

Welcome to Film Writing

Introducing the first exercise

Exercise: Exploring the reasons you connect to characters

A story is...

Introducing "Tango Goes for Chips" assignment

Assignment: Your "Tango Goes for Chips" story

Quiz: What is a story?

Reviewing your "Tango Goes for Chips" story

How and why to read scripts

Reading Assignment: Read the first 10 pages of "Bergman Manor"

More about heroes

More about goals

More about obstacles

Quiz: Heroes, goals and obstacles

Making us care

Introducing the "hero-goal" exercise

Exercise: Brainstorming five original hero-goal pairs

The Hero Questions

Exercise: Answering the Hero Questions for Clem

Exercise: Answering the Hero Questions for an original character

Dr. Showers' Eight Character Traits

Exercise: Finding Dr. Showers' Eight Character Traits for your original character

Character defining moments

Exercise: Discovering your character's defining moments

Brainstorming, part 1: Introduction to the creative discipline of brainstorming

Brainstorming, part 2: Unleashing your inner mad scientist

Exercise: Brainstorming from a prompt

Brainstorming, part 3: Unleashing your inner critic

Exercise: Selecting your best ideas

Brainstorming, part 4: Lego time

Exercise: Playing with your Legos

Writing log lines

Exercise: Write a log line

Brainstorming mad ideas

Exercise: Brainstorming mad ideas

Assignment: Write a "hero changes" story

Introduction to movie structure

Tools for structuring movies

The structure of the short "The Raft"

How to structure a feature-length film

Exercise: Locating the first 5 of the Eight Essential Story Points for Bergman Manor

Understanding the story you're looking for, part 1

Short Film: "Black Hole"

Short Film: "Spin"

Short Film: "Table 7"

Short Film: "Father And Daughter"

Understanding the story you're looking for, part 2

Exercise: Brainstorm an idea for your short movie

Panning for gold

Exercise: Pan for gold

Bulking up your hero

Exercise: Bulk up your hero

Building your obstacle

Exercise: Build up your obstacle

Making it personal

Who else is in the room?

Find your ending

Find your beginning

Your movie in three sentences

Assignment: Telling your story in three sentences

Finding your scenes

Exercise: Break your movie into scenes

Imagining your scenes, part 1

Exercise: Imagine each of your scenes

Imagining your scenes, part 2

Exercise: Fill out your vision of your scenes

Imagining your scenes, part 3

Assignment: Outline your script

Reading Assignment: Read the conclusion of "Bergman Manor"

Describing a setting

Exercise: Write a description of a setting for one of your scenes

Introducing characters

Exercise: Introduce one of your characters

Describing actions

Exercise: Describe yourself as a character in action

Describing sounds

Exercise: Describe a sound

Formatting your script like a pro

Using screenwriting software to help you write your script

Review of the best free screenwriting software

Writing dialogue

Exercise: Writing a dialogue scene

Creating unique character voices

Exercise: Polishing your dialogue scene

Mixing direction with dialogue

Mixing direction with dialogue and emotion

Formatting dialogue

Exercise: Polishing your scene

Writing your first draft

Making sure your work doesn't disappear

Some tips while you're writing, part 1

Some tips while you're writing, part 2

Doing deep work

Assignment: Finishing the first draft of your script

Why we need notes

Quiz: Why we need notes

The trouble with notes -- and how to survive them

How to gather notes

Exercise: Gathering three sets of notes

Review the notes

Make a rewrite plan

Exercise: Making a rewrite plan

Shaping an emotional experience for the audience

Connecting and disconnecting on "The Raft"

Expanding our emotional vocabulary

Crafting an emotional experience for the audience

Assignment: Writing your second draft

Putting the sparkle in your movie

Setups and payoffs

Rewriting

Reading Assignment: Read the first act of "The Detective's Secretary"

"The Detective's Secretary"

Gathering notes on your second draft

Exercise: Making a rewrite plan for your polish

What do stories mean... and how do they mean it?

Short Film: "The Raft"

How "The Raft" explores and communicates meaning

List your favorite films

Finding your own key themes

Charging symbols with meaning

Reading Assignment: Read the second act of "The Detective's Secretary"

Formatting your title page

Reading Assignment: Read to the end of "The Detective's Secretary"

Reviewing all we've learned about writing for film

Exercise: Delivering your polish draft

What's next? The writer's road ahead