Learning Screenwriting

Walks through the process of getting your screenplay idea out of your head and onto the printed page.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Overview of the course

1. You've Got an Idea, Now What?

• Think like a screenwriter
• Figuring out your story's scope
• Understanding suspense, drama, and conflict
• Basic character construction
• Overcoming defensiveness

2. Laying the Foundations for Your Story

• The end comes first: Your story's event
• The beginning: What's the status quo?
• The three-act structure
• Locating your plot twists

3. Act One: The Buildup

• Introducing your protagonist
• Superpowers and kryptonite
• Your characters's desires
• Who are your supporting players?
• The routine killer: Your first plot twist
• Should I stay or should I go?
• The act one plot twist: Saying goodbye to the comfort zone

4. Act Two: The Adventure

• Why adventure?
• Your plot thickeners: Adding two new twists
• The need for obstacles
• How high are your stakes?
• Status shifts and reversals of fortune
• The first plot thickener: This is getting serious
• The halfway point
• The second plot thickener: The crisis
• Preparing your character for resolution
• The act two plot twist: The great revelation

5. Act Three: The Resolution

• How should act three open?
• The decisive confrontation (AKA the climax)
• Your story's event, in all its glory
• Aftermaths, epilogues, and twist endings

6. Screenplay Fundamentals

• One page = one minute of screen time
• Screenplay page layout
• Advanced formatting tips
• Screen direction: What to include and what not to

7. Clearing the Legal Hurdles

• Worry about the legalities now, not later
• Has your movie been made already?
• Adapting existing work
• Public domain, fair use, and parody
• Working with a cowriter
• Being a work for hire
• Registering for a copyright

Conclusion

• Goodbye