Film Writing (Basic)
What is a story? What is a compelling character? What's with screenplay format? Learn this and more in Film Writing.
Lesson 1: Welcome to Film Writing
Introducing the first exercise
Exercise: Exploring the reasons you connect to characters
Lesson 2: A look at storytelling for the screen
Lesson 3: 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
Read the first 10 pages of the screenplay "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
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
"The Raft," an animated short film
FREE PREVIEWTools 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 pt 1
Exercise: Imagine each of your scenes
Imagining your scenes pt 2
Exercise: Fill out your vision of your scenes
Imagining your scenes, part 3
Assignment: Outline your script
Exercise: Reading 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
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, part 1
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
Some tips while you're writing, part 1
Doing deep work
Some tips while you're writing, part 2
Making sure your work doesn't disappear
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
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