V: The Heart of the Story: Intermediate Screenwriting - SUN DAY

Must have taken 10 Good Pages or be approved by the instructor to take this class.

Writers who’ve completed 10 Good Pages but wish to workshop a new project in this class are also welcome and encouraged to participate. Some of the topics and techniques we’ll cover in class include:

• Review and Expansion of our “writer’s toolkit”
• Collaboration Methods, whether in a writing team or writers’ room
• Using Theme, “Aboutness,” and the “Controlling Idea” to shape a story
• Long-form structure strategies for pilots, features, series, and shorts

Course Goals and Expectations:

Through a combination of lectures, discussion, creative exercises and workshopping material, writers will complete a writer’s polish on their work by the end of the course, meaning a work ready to be shared with potential artistic collaborators. Writers are encouraged to bring existing, but not produced, projects to the class, but work at this stage is not required. Through our creative exercises, writers will have the opportunity to develop and workshop new material from the ground up.

As this is a writing class, writers will be expected to write and revise, at minimum, 2-5 pages

each week. Writers will also be expected to read 20-30 pages of their classmates’ writing each

week.

Course Outline:

Week One

Introduction & Welcome; Writer’s Toolkit Review

Writing/Revision Exercise #1

Week Two

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Collaboration Methods

Workshop Exercise #1

Writing/Revision Exercise #2

Week Three

What Is It All About? Theme, Aboutness, and Controlling Idea

Workshop Exercise #2

Week Four

Long-Form Structure: Act Method

Workshop Personal Project

Week Five

Long-Form Structure: Sequence and Setpiece Method

Workshop Personal Project

Week Six

The Polished Page: Pitching Producers and Directors

Table Read and Critique

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A safe space:

This class will be a supportive, safe, and confidential space. Writers are free to explore ideas

important to them with the assurance that their stories will remain their own to take into the

world. We shall respect each writer’s privacy and not share any written work outside the class

without the express permission of said writer.

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About your teacher:

Geoffrey Gunn is a writer, producer, and director specializing in independent film. His past

writing and co-writing credits include anime legend Mamoru Oshii’s GARM WARS: THE LAST

DRUID and the dark comedy DIRTY WEEKEND, both of which enjoyed international film

festival runs before finding their way to theaters, home video and streaming services.

Additional writing credits include the Lionsgate release SIREN, micro-budget darling CINEMA

PURGATORIO and the Lifetime thriller FATAL FAMILY REUNION. With over 15 years of

experience in the business of independent film, Geoffrey also routinely works as a panelist,

teacher, and consultant on the topic of screenwriting and filmmaking.

***All Drama Inc. classes are adult, 18 and over, unless otherwise specified.