This unit guides students from outline to polished sample scenes, deepening mastery of Act II and Act III structure, character conflict, tone, exposition, and the screenplay time clock. It also covers revision through critique, adaptation across formats (film, TV, web series), and professional practices for protecting and presenting work to readers, agents, and collaborators.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze narrative structure by mapping act beats, turning points, time clock, and escalation of conflict in sample outlines and existing scripts
- Apply outlining and scene-writing techniques to produce a detailed outline and two polished scenes (one Act II, one Act III) that demonstrate clear conflict, voice, and purposeful exposition
- Demonstrate revision and collaboration skills by incorporating peer/mentor feedback to adapt material for a different format (e.g., TV or web series) and by producing a polished submission packet (logline, synopsis, and opening pages)
- Evaluate professional and legal preparation practices by creating outreach materials (query/pitch and reader instructions), explaining methods for protecting work, and justifying a strategy for seeking representation or reader support
Curriculum
- 1 Section
- 30 Lessons
- 30 hours
Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections
- Unit 3 — Developing and Polishing Screenplays30
- 1.1Letting the Listener Lead20 mins
- 1.2Song and Dance: The Movie Musical20 mins
- 1.3A Gift for Gab: How to Conduct a Meaningful Interview20 mins
- 1.4Exploring the Ins and Outs of an Outline20 mins
- 1.5Seeking Outside Help20 mins
- 1.6Sample Scenes20 mins
- 1.7Act II: Salting the Wound20 mins
- 1.8Recruiting a Reader20 mins
- 1.9Mastering the Process of Adaptation20 mins
- 1.10Polishing the Copy You Send20 mins
- 1.11Finding a Manager or Agent20 mins
- 1.12William Goldman20 mins
- 1.13If I Can Write for Film, I Can Write for TV20 mins
- 1.14Finding Your Screenplay’s Story20 mins
- 1.15Recognizing a Story When You See One20 mins
- 1.16Identifying the Tone of Your Piece20 mins
- 1.17What’s Your Problem? Introducing Conflicts and Obstacles20 mins
- 1.18Putting It Together: Characters in Conversation20 mins
- 1.19One Click Away: Writing a Web Series20 mins
- 1.20What to Do When the Outline’s Through20 mins
- 1.21Act III: The Final Frontier20 mins
- 1.22Capitalizing on Your Critique20 mins
- 1.23Studying the Art of Collaboration20 mins
- 1.24Protecting Your Work20 mins
- 1.25Approaching an Agent or Manager20 mins
- 1.26Charlie Kaufman20 mins
- 1.27I Haven’t Written Before and It’s Too Late to Start20 mins
- 1.28Working through the Writing Process20 mins
- 1.29Establishing Your Story’s Time Clock20 mins
- 1.30Exposition: From Clunky to Creative20 mins
Instructor
Free
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