Workshops
Guided by a professional screenwriter (Warner Bros., Fox, Disney, Sony), gain a solid foundation in the essentials of screenwriting: concept, character, story, plot, dialogue, and structure.
There are no available registration dates at this time.
Note: This Course will be held in a live, Online Format using the Zoom Platform. (Also frequently offered in-person)
Class meets 10:30am-3:30pm ET with a lunch break.
This unit provides a solid foundation in the essentials of screenwriting: concept, character, story, plot, dialogue, and structure. Guided by a professional screenwriter, students will examine format, the importance of visual storytelling, developing an economical writing style, the process of shaping a story, creating compelling character arcs, constructing scenes and sequences, writing effective dialogue, the fundamentals of suspense and tension, and how to outline. The realities of the marketplace will also be discussed. Through writing exercises, students will implement the dynamics discussed in class. Scenes will be workshopped.
While the unit’s primary focus is on developing scripts for film, television, and the web, many of the lessons will also resonate for novelists, playwrights, game designers, and filmmakers working in non-fiction. Producers and directors are also encouraged to attend.
Note: Depending on the streaming services currently used by participants (Netflix, Amazon, etc.), students may incur additional costs ($10-20) to stream assigned films at home.
Student Testimonials
I signed up for Story Structure and Character Development with Wayne Beach because I felt like I didn’t have a clue about either of these things. By the end of the workshop, I felt like I’d gotten exactly what I came for. In addition, studying with Wayne Beach was a real treat. Wayne was unfailingly kind, low-key, eloquent, and generous in his sharing from his vast knowledge, even regarding his own process. He made it OK for each participant to be exactly where they were. While I can’t speak for others, the mutual creative space he created with his presence sparked genuine growth and curiosity for the medium. He even left us with concrete ideas for how we could continue the journey, after the workshop ended. This was one of the best workshops I ever had the privilege of taking; I learned so much.” – Online student, 2023
Image Credit: Jasmine Quiñones, Header Image: Aidan Bliss
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Instructor: Wayne Beach
Wayne Beach has written screenplays for Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, Sony, TNT, Village Roadshow Pictures, Wolf Films, and other studios and networks. His students have gone on to create box office hits and popular TV shows.
He recently created and wrote an original television pilot, American Dream, for Sony. His pitch for it inspired a bidding war between Showtime, FX, and WGN. He also recently finished an assignment adapting a novel for Identity Films, producers of The Old Man & the Gun.
His filmed screenplay credits include Murder at 1600 (Warner Bros.) starring Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane and Alan Alda; and The Art of War (Warner Bros.) starring Wesley Snipes. He wrote and directed Slow Burn (Lionsgate) starring Ray Liotta, LL Cool J, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mekhi Phifer, Jolene Blalock, and Taye Diggs. His directorial debut, Slow Burn premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in 1100 theaters by Lionsgate. He has written projects for the makers of Pirates of the Caribbean, Law & Order, House M.D., Ocean’s Eleven, The Perfect Storm, Total Recall, The Fugitive Platoon, and many others.
