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The 12-Week Screenwriter: Start (and finish!) Your Screenplay in Three Months

Course is closed.

DURATION/TIME
12 weeks, May 19 - August 4: Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m.

LEVEL
This class is taught at an Intermediate/ Advanced level.

LOCATION
SoHo

PRICE
$610 ($575 for )
more info

Course Details

You read, you write, you have a voracious eye for story?after all, you are a media professional, right? So why take a beginner's class in screenwriting? You'll just have to sit through all that basic stuff that professional writers know already (tone, word count, dramatic appeal). What you do need to know is structure, dialogue, character, and development, which you won't get to in a class for first-timers. But what do you need the most? To finish it! In this intense workshop, our instructors will guide you as you complete all three acts of your screenplay, workshop it, and perfect it...but most of all, finish it.

In this class, you can expect to learn:

  • The three-act punctuation structure of screenwriting
  • How to enhance your storytelling abilities and create more drama in every scene
  • How to format and structure your screenplay
  • How to create effective, memorable characters
  • What to do with your screenplay when it's finished

By the end of class, students can expect to have:
A full first draft of your completed screenplay.

Admission requirements:
Please send a 2,000-word writing sample. This writing sample doesn't have to be 2,000 words, but should not exceed that amount. Your writing sample need not have been published in order to be considered for this class. Nonfiction and fiction samples are both fine. You must also include a letter of interest which includes a brief work history.

Instructor Bio

D.B. Gilles's Courses

Screenwriting – New York (Class starts July 23)
Screenwriting – New York (Class starts September 13)

D.B. Gilles
D.B. Gilles is the author of The Screenwriter Within and The Portable Film School. He is co-author of the George W. Bush parody W. The First 100 Days: A White House Journal. His essay on writer's block, The Short Attention Span Screenwriter, is a popular Internet download. He has also been published in The New York Times.

D.B.'s comedy Men's Singles has been produced throughout the world. He wrote the screen adaptation of the play Spinning Into Butter, which stars Sarah Jessica Parker. He is also featured in the book Ask The Pros: Screenwriting Questions Answered By Industry Professionals. D.B. teaches screenwriting and comedy writing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He has also taught in the Graduate Film Division at Columbia University. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Writers Guild of America.


Testimonials


Screenwriting with D.B. is even better the second time. Students are able to keep working on their drafts, and get even more feedback. Students who have taken this class before should definitely take it again. -- Elle Tracy

"DB is so helpful and encouraging, devoting lots of attention to each student individually. I would recommend this course to any screenwriter (aspiring or otherwise) who might need guidance, feedback or just a little creative push." -- Elissa Santo

"D.B. is the best around. His knowledge of the craft is unlimited and he pushes you to be the best writer you can be. I have taken this class twice and plan on doing it again and again for the sheer volume of work I'm creating because of it." -- Claire Bosch

"D.B.'s class is a must. He gives you the basics, and then he throws you into the writing pool. He is generous with his time and advice. He'll help you develop an idea, create a plot outline, and then provide great feedback as you flesh it out into a full-length screenplay by writing just ten pages a week. And best of all, D.B.'s love of film is infectious. Almost every class is kicked-off with a discussion about what films everyone saw that week. I plan on taking the class again when I start my next screenplay." -- Carlo DeCarlo

"I wrote a play that was produced half a dozen times as a staged reading. D.B. took it from that point to a finished screenplay, as promised, and then gave me detailed comments that were very helpful in finishing the script and putting it before some producers. D.B. got us all to see the importance of raising a question at the beginning and then providing an interesting informational twist to wrap it all up. I can't imagine a better way to get a script finished." -- John Tepper Marlin

"D.B. creates a focused environment that allows you trust your instincts and gets you writing--of course, those deadlines help too. D.B. helps you get those words on the page, so that all you need to do is go back and make it better." -- James Babbin, Austin Film Festival Quarterfinalist

"DB provided a solid understanding of the structure and format of a feature length screenplay. With this knowledge, insight into the business and honest feedback I was able to complete a first draft by the final class." -- Jacquetta Szathmari

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