Advanced Screenwriting

WHEN: Thursdays, October 10 through December 12 – 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm PST (no class on Halloween and Thanksgiving)
WHERE: On Zoom

COST: $600

In this 8-week class you’ll get in-depth instruction on something I feel very passionate about: closing the gap between the screenplay and the finished film.

As screenwriters you will learn to employ the skills of other filmmaking disciplines in order to bring more immediacy to your pages. You’ll write like a director directs, a DP shoots, an editor edits. The goal is to create a more complete cinematic experience so that when readers finish your script they will feel they have “seen” the movie or series pilot.

Visually-driven. Immersive. Visceral. These are terms you will hear a lot – along with my continued proselytizing about character revelation and the power of POV.

Structurally, this class will focus on sequencing your screenplay. Each week we’ll break down and examine one of the eight successive sequences that comprise feature films and series.

And, of course, you’ll also get my notes and feedback on your work each week.

This is not a beginning screenwriting class. You will get the most out of it if you come with a script idea you’re ready to write or an existing draft that you want to rewrite.

Enrollment is limited to 8 writers and sign-up is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Payment can be made via PayPal, Venmo or Zelle. Contact me to sign up or if you have any questions.

Adaptability: How to Convert Pre-Existing IPs into Effective Pitches and Scripts

WHEN: Thursdays, September 5 through September 26, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm PST
WHERE: Zoom
COST: $300

The vast majority of movies and series that are developed and produced by the entertainment industry are based on pre-existing IPs, aka, Intellectual Properties.

This four-week intensive will focus on the process of adapting different types of IPs for the screen. I’m calling it “Adaptability” because the class will also aim to develop and strengthen your own adaptability so you can confidently and nimbly work across genres and platforms.

Each week we’ll tackle a different type of IP and explore the unique challenges it poses when adapting it for the screen. Through exercises and execution you’ll learn to discern what elements of the IP best serve the adaptation and/or spark your inspiration and how to coalesce them into your own unique “take,” which is essential for pitching, creating pitch decks, and ultimately delivering a successful script.

We’ll also explore the necessary steps for acquiring an IP for yourself to adapt and the kinds of agreements that you and its creator can make.

Along the way I’ll share with you my own experiences, challenges, and strategies from when I adapted such projects as The Doors, The Mask of Zorro, and Tales from the Crypt – not to mention a half-dozen others that never made it to the screen!

Sign-up is on a first-come-first-served basis and will be limited to 10 writers. Payment can be made via PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle.

Contact me to sign up or if you have any questions.

Now What?: Guidelines for Getting Your Script to the Screen

WHEN: Next class coming soon
WHERE: On Zoom
COST: $450

Almost as soon as “The End” is written, every screenwriter is confronted with one inescapable question: Now what?

This class explores the multiple routes – and a few shortcuts – aspiring screenwriters can take to get their work – and themselves – noticed. As Edna Mode states in The Incredibles, “Luck favors the prepared.” And that’s what this class will do: prepare you with the practical knowledge and knowhow to make informed decisions for when you usher your script into the Real World.

How do you protect your work? What is the WGA? Should you enter script-writing contests? How can you get an agent? What’s the difference between an agent and a manager? What’s an option? These are just a few of the topics we’ll cover in the 8-week course.

And, yes, there will be homework. You’ll create a set of effective log lines for your script along with verbal and written thumbnail pitches. Also, particular focus will be spent on developing a pitch deck.

Contact me if you’d like to be notified when enrollment for the next class opens.