Film Writing (Basic)
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Chapter 1: What is a story?
Welcome to Film Writing
Introducing the first exercise
Exercise: Exploring the reasons you c...
A look at storytelling for the screen
A story is...
Introducing "Tango Goes for Chips" as...
Assignment: Your "Tango Goes for Chip...
Quiz: What is a story?
Chapter 2: Heroes, goals, and obstacles
Reviewing your "Tango Goes for Chips"...
How and why to read scripts
Reading assignment: "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...
Chapter 3: Digging deeper into character
The Hero Questions
Exercise: Answering the Hero Question...
Exercise: Answering the Hero Question...
Dr. Showers' Eight Character Traits
Exercise: Finding Dr. Showers' Eight ...
Character defining moments
Exercise: Discovering your character'...
Chapter 4: Brainstorming original stories
Brainstorming part 1: Introduction to...
Brainstorming part 2: Unleashing your...
Exercise: Brainstorming from a prompt
Brainstorming part 3: Unleashing your...
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
Chapter 5: Structuring films to grab and hang onto your audience
Introduction to movie structure
Short Film: "The Raft"
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...
Chapter 6: Building your movie from the log line up
Understanding the story you're lookin...
Short Film: "Black Hole"
Short Film: "Spin"
Short Film: "Table 7"
Short Film: "Father And Daughter"
Understanding the story you're lookin...
Exercise: Brainstorm an idea for your...
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 thr...
Chapter 7: Imagining the scenes
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 you...
Imagining your scenes part 3
Assignment: Outline your script
Reading assignment: Read the conclusi...
Chapter 8: Putting your movie on the page part 1
Describing a setting
Exercise: Write a description of a se...
Introducing characters
Exercise: Introduce one of your chara...
Describing actions
Exercise: Describe yourself as a char...
Describing sounds
Exercise: Describe a sound
Formatting your script like a pro
Using screenwriting software to help ...
Review of the best free screenwriting...
Chapter 9: Putting your movie on the page part 2
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 em...
Formatting dialogue
Exercise: Polishing your scene
Chapter 10: Finishing your first draft
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...
Chapter 11: Getting notes and planning your next draft
Why we need notes
Quiz: Why we need notes
The trouble with notes -- and how to ...
How to gather notes
Exercise: Gathering three sets of notes
Review the notes
Make a rewrite plan
Exercise: Making a rewrite plan
Chapter 12: Emotion and connection: making the audience laugh and cry and scream and cheer
Shaping an emotional experience for t...
Connecting and disconnecting on "The ...
Expanding our emotional vocabulary
Crafting an emotional experience for ...
Assignment: Writing your second draft
Chapter 13: Learning to speak the language of cinema
Putting the sparkle in your movie
Setups and payoffs
Rewriting
Reading assignment: Read the first ac...
Exercise: Gathering notes on your sec...
Chapter 14: Exploring meaning in film
Exercise: Making a rewrite plan for y...
What do stories mean... and how do th...
Short Film: "The Raft"
How "The Raft" explores and communica...
Exercise: List your favorite films
Finding your own key themes
Exploring meaning with Johnny Cash pa...
Exploring meaning with Johnny Cash pa...
Exploring meaning with Johnny Cash pa...
Exploring meaning with Johnny Cash pa...
Charging symbols with meaning
Reading assignment: Read the second a...
Chapter 15: Polishing your script and next steps toward writing for film
Formatting your title page
Reading assignment: Read to the end o...
Reviewing all we've learned about wri...
Exercise: Delivering your polish draft
What's next? The writer's road ahead
Products
Course
Section
Chapter 4: Brainstorming original stories
Chapter 4: Brainstorming original stories
Film Writing (Basic)
Buy now
Learn more
Chapter 1: What is a story?
Welcome to Film Writing
Introducing the first exercise
Exercise: Exploring the reasons you c...
A look at storytelling for the screen
A story is...
Introducing "Tango Goes for Chips" as...
Assignment: Your "Tango Goes for Chip...
Quiz: What is a story?
Chapter 2: Heroes, goals, and obstacles
Reviewing your "Tango Goes for Chips"...
How and why to read scripts
Reading assignment: "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...
Chapter 3: Digging deeper into character
The Hero Questions
Exercise: Answering the Hero Question...
Exercise: Answering the Hero Question...
Dr. Showers' Eight Character Traits
Exercise: Finding Dr. Showers' Eight ...
Character defining moments
Exercise: Discovering your character'...
Chapter 4: Brainstorming original stories
Brainstorming part 1: Introduction to...
Brainstorming part 2: Unleashing your...
Exercise: Brainstorming from a prompt
Brainstorming part 3: Unleashing your...
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
Chapter 5: Structuring films to grab and hang onto your audience
Introduction to movie structure
Short Film: "The Raft"
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...
Chapter 6: Building your movie from the log line up
Understanding the story you're lookin...
Short Film: "Black Hole"
Short Film: "Spin"
Short Film: "Table 7"
Short Film: "Father And Daughter"
Understanding the story you're lookin...
Exercise: Brainstorm an idea for your...
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 thr...
Chapter 7: Imagining the scenes
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 you...
Imagining your scenes part 3
Assignment: Outline your script
Reading assignment: Read the conclusi...
Chapter 8: Putting your movie on the page part 1
Describing a setting
Exercise: Write a description of a se...
Introducing characters
Exercise: Introduce one of your chara...
Describing actions
Exercise: Describe yourself as a char...
Describing sounds
Exercise: Describe a sound
Formatting your script like a pro
Using screenwriting software to help ...
Review of the best free screenwriting...
Chapter 9: Putting your movie on the page part 2
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 em...
Formatting dialogue
Exercise: Polishing your scene
Chapter 10: Finishing your first draft
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...
Chapter 11: Getting notes and planning your next draft
Why we need notes
Quiz: Why we need notes
The trouble with notes -- and how to ...
How to gather notes
Exercise: Gathering three sets of notes
Review the notes
Make a rewrite plan
Exercise: Making a rewrite plan
Chapter 12: Emotion and connection: making the audience laugh and cry and scream and cheer
Shaping an emotional experience for t...
Connecting and disconnecting on "The ...
Expanding our emotional vocabulary
Crafting an emotional experience for ...
Assignment: Writing your second draft
Chapter 13: Learning to speak the language of cinema
Putting the sparkle in your movie
Setups and payoffs
Rewriting
Reading assignment: Read the first ac...
Exercise: Gathering notes on your sec...
Chapter 14: Exploring meaning in film
Exercise: Making a rewrite plan for y...
What do stories mean... and how do th...
Short Film: "The Raft"
How "The Raft" explores and communica...
Exercise: List your favorite films
Finding your own key themes
Exploring meaning with Johnny Cash pa...
Exploring meaning with Johnny Cash pa...
Exploring meaning with Johnny Cash pa...
Exploring meaning with Johnny Cash pa...
Charging symbols with meaning
Reading assignment: Read the second a...
Chapter 15: Polishing your script and next steps toward writing for film
Formatting your title page
Reading assignment: Read to the end o...
Reviewing all we've learned about wri...
Exercise: Delivering your polish draft
What's next? The writer's road ahead
12 Lessons
Brainstorming part 1: Introduction to...
Brainstorming part 2: Unleashing your...
Exercise: Brainstorming from a prompt
Brainstorming part 3: Unleashing your...
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