Micro-Budget Filmmaking: Screenwriting

This is the first part of the Micro-Budget Filmmaking Series where you’ll be guided through the entire filmmaking process by award winning filmmaker Dustin Curtis Murphy. Murphy's work has screened at BAFTA/BIFA qualifying festivals and his latest short film was a semi-finalist at the Academy Award qualifying Rhode Island International Film Festival. Part one is a beginner-to-intermediate class about developing your creative vision and bringing that vision to life on the page when writing a screenplay for micro-budget productions.

In this class you’ll learn:

• How to narrow down all your ideas to one that will bring you the most success
• How to choose a passion project that is achievable when you have limited resources
• How to develop compelling characters
• How to effectively manage your time as a writer
• Screenplay formatting, writing strategies and techniques

This class is perfect for anyone with the passion to become a screenwriter/filmmaker, but who struggles with taking the initial step. It’s also great for those who’ve already made a film or written a screenplay, but had difficulty getting the final project to match their initial vision. 

About the Micro-Budget Filmmaking Series:

If you’re looking to propel yourself forward in the craft of filmmaking - whether that be an eventual goal to be a screenwriter, director, producer, cinematographer, editor, sound designer, you name it - you need to know everything you can about what it takes to actually get a production off the ground. It’s great to work with a team of artists who are at the top of their craft, but unless you’re fortunate enough to have a large budget or be hired by someone who does, it’s likely that for a time you will find yourself coming up with your own projects, self-financing and filling multiple roles yourself as your hone your talents. 

Multitasking a variety of roles on a micro-budget production is great practice for when you eventually join larger productions. Understanding the basics of every role will only make you a more effective communicator and leader. It will allow you to empathize with the challenges that specialized workers face and help you to set reasonable expectations for collaborators.

The next two classes in this series are available now!

• Micro-Budget Filmmaking Part 2: Pre-Production
• Micro-Budget Filmmaking Part 3: Directing

Parts 4 & 5 (covering Post Production & Distribution) are Coming Soon

• Introduction
• Vision: What's In Your Goldmine?
• Vision: Choosing a Concept
• The Emotional Writer vs The Structured Writer
• Character Development
• Outlining Your Screenplay
• The Balanced Writer & Three Act Structure
• Screenplay Formatting
• Go Forth & Write Your Screenplay