THERE IS NO FORMULA
As screenwriters we each have a unique point of view and a desire to tell our story in an original way. And so, it's understandable that when we open virtually every screenwriting book or attend a weekend seminar, we sense that we're being asked to conform to a prescribed formula. Except for the word "God" there are few terms in the English language more hotly debated than “Three-Act Structure.” The problem is that when story structure is taught by story analysts they typically mistake structure for “plotting.”
It isn’t.
In The 90-Day Screenplay you will unlock the story within by learning a process of marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure. There are a series of experiences your protagonist always passes through on their journey to transformation. But this is not a formula. Story structure is an immutable paradigm for a spiritual transformation. The structure of all films, from the most traditionally structured, to the apparent exceptions like Memento, Pulp Fiction, or The English Patient, can be distilled to three words: Desire. Surrender. Transformation.
When you begin to experience your story as your protagonist's struggle to resolve a dilemma, the screenplay starts to come alive. You begin to see that all of the images, ideas and fragments of dialogue are valid and have a place in the script when you can distill them to their nature.
We meet once a week in a LIVE Zoom call on Wednesdays from 12-1:30 pm Pacific Time, for 14 straight weeks.
The workshop combines craft lessons, screening clips from various films, and stream-of-consciousness writing exercises to illustrate story principles.
Each Zoom workshop is recorded. You will receive a link to rewatch the workshop as often as you wish for up to three week
This course is available for "remote" learning and will be available to anyone with access to an internet device with a microphone (this includes most models of computers, tablets). Classes will take place with a "Live" instructor at the date/times listed below.
Upon registration, the instructor will send along additional information about how to log-on and participate in the class.