Author
Released
3/8/2013- Finding the drama in your story idea
- Structuring your story into three acts
- Defining your protagonist's short-term and long-term goals
- Creating obstacles for your characters
- Understanding the importance of suspense
- Timing your plot twists
- Formatting your script
- Registering for a copyright
Skill Level Intermediate
Duration
Views
- I love screenwriting, it's such a thrill to see the words and ideas you put down on paper literally come to life before your eyes, and for me, the screenplay is by far the most important thing in a movie. A good script trumps even the most beautiful cinematography, or emotionally real performance. Telling a story is what filmmaking is all about, and the story begins with the writer. My name's Mark Tapio Kines, I worked in the motion picture industry for over 20 years. I've written and directed two live action features, and over a dozen shorts.
I'm the author of eight full-length screenplays of my own, and I've read hundreds of scripts written by other people, from Oscar winners to first timers. I've seen the good, I've seen the bad, and the one thing I've learned is that every aspiring screenwriter can truly benefit from mastering the art of story structure, and dramatic conflict. This is course is for all writers at all levels, anybody who has an idea for a movie, and wants to turn it into a screenplay. What we're gonna do is attach a character to your idea, this will be your protagonist. We'll take your protagonist, and build a story around them, the story will follow the rules of what we call the three act structure, which is the foundation of all dramatic storytelling.
In the first of these three acts, we'll introduce your characters, and establish your premise. In act two, we'll take your protagonist, and send them on an adventure full of dramatic conflict. In act three, we'll bring that conflict to a satisfying resolution. After you've built out your story, I'll give you some tips on how to format your screenplay. I'll even go over some legal issues to help you protect your work. Above all, this course is designed to make you understand your number one goal as a screenwriter, which is to always keep your audience wondering what happens next.
So, if you're ready, let's start exploring the fundamentals of screenwriting.
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Introduction
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Welcome1m 46s
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Overview of the course2m 41s
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1. You've Got an Idea, Now What?
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Think like a screenwriter2m 33s
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Basic character construction3m 34s
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Overcoming defensiveness2m 28s
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2. Laying the Foundations for Your Story
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The three-act structure4m 8s
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Locating your plot twists2m 59s
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3. Act One: The Buildup
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Introducing your protagonist4m 58s
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Superpowers and kryptonite4m 59s
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Your characters's desires4m 24s
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4. Act Two: The Adventure
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Why adventure?4m 28s
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The need for obstacles4m 22s
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The halfway point2m 55s
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5. Act Three: The Resolution
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How should act three open?2m 57s
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6. Screenplay Fundamentals
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Screenplay page layout5m 4s
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Advanced formatting tips3m 37s
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7. Clearing the Legal Hurdles
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Adapting existing work2m 48s
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Working with a cowriter1m 12s
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Being a work for hire1m 21s
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Registering for a copyright3m 26s
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Conclusion
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Goodbye1m 9s
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Video: Welcome