  
|  |
 |
The Basics of Screenwriting
Fathom
|
| Seminar Introduction |
 From such famous literary figures as F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner and Anita Loos churning out screenplays during Hollywood's Golden Age to today's scribes creating multi-million dollar blockbusters such as Gladiator and Titanic, screenwriters have developed the characters, dialogue and stories that continue to make such indelible impressions on movie audiences. Whether you're creating the script for the next mega-budget Hollywood movie or even a short digital film to stream on the Web, an understanding of the basics of screenwriting can help you develop a script that will effectively translate your ideas to the screen.
In this seminar from the American Film Institute, Amy Dunkleberger guides both novice and professional writers through the creation of an engaging screenplay. The seminar clearly and concisely leads you through the creation of an effective premise, compelling characters and a structure for your work. Throughout the sessions, writing techniques, presentation do's and don'ts, screenplay terminology and film clips juxtaposed with their shooting scripts help you develop your initial whim into your final screenplay.
|
| Learning Objectives |
- Create effective premises that engage readers in your screenplay.
- Identify techniques for creating compelling characters.
- Develop efficient structures for your stories by applying such screenplay devices as buttons, visual storytelling, and set-ups and payoffs.
- Define such terms as back story, dramatic through-line and the three-act structure.
- Practice techniques to help you in the craft of creating screenplays--from techniques helping you learn when to write, to tips on what script readers don't want to read.
- Use templates, examples from familiar movies and formatting tips for your computer to learn how to turn your ideas into a finished product.
|
| Sessions |
|
| Credits |
This seminar was written by Amy Dunkleberger in April 2002. Copyright American Film Institute.
|
| Technical Requirements |
To appreciate this seminar experience, it is critical that you have the appropriate software, plug-ins, and network connections. Please take the time to download the latest versions of the plug-ins mentioned below if you do not already have them.
Browser: Netscape versions 4.x up to 4.76, or Internet Explorer versions 4.x or later. Your browser must be JavaScript-enabled and must be set to accept cookies.
Network Connection: The recommended minimum connection is 56Kbps with a throughput of 34Kbps or more. A faster connection is encouraged to take better advantage of the media elements in the seminar.
Plug-ins: If you do not have RealPlayer and Flash Player already installed, please download them from the following sites:
|
|
|