Mechanics of Screenwriting
Part 2 | Weeks 4-6
Participants will take a peek “behind the curtain” to see how
the magic of filmmaking starts with the script.
There is a science to every artform, and screenwriting is no different. Writing for the screen has its own unique mechanics; from plot construction, beat progressions, and polarization, to action, description, and dialogue. In this intensive two-day seminar, we will discover how these elements work together to distill a writer’s ideas onto the page.
Who is this course for?
For those interested in writing films (live-action & animation),
television series, streaming series, and narrative games.
Week 4
Screenplay Essentials
Morning Session (2.5 hours)​
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Introduction (Recap of Story Essentials)
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Screenplay Elements & Formatting
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Exercise #1
Afternoon Session (2.5 hours)
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Scene Construction & Beat Progressions
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Composing Vivid Dialogue
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Exercise #2
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Week 5
Story Development
Morning Session (2.5 hours)​
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Crafting Visual Action & Description
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Establishing Tone/ Mood Through
Word Choice -
Exercise #3
Afternoon Session (2.5 hours)
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Outlining with Index Cards
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Writing a Treatment
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Exercise #4
Week 6
Script Refinement
​Morning Session (2.5 hours)
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Writing the One-Paragraph & One-Page Synopses
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The Art of Rewriting
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Exercise #5
Afternoon Session (2.5 hours)
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Understanding Script Coverage
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Exercise #6
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Final Q&A & Feedback
Course Requirments
This is an advanced-level course.
The Principles of Story seminar is a pre-requisite for this course.
Details
Correctional Institutions:
3 Weeks (One Day Per Week) - Onsite
5 hours/day = 15 instructional hours
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OR
Recovery Facilities:
One Intensive 3-day Seminar - Onsite
5 hours/day = 15 instructional hours
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Minimum 4 Participants per cohort
Maximum 8 Participants per cohort
