Welcome to intro to screenwriting! In this course you are going to learn how to craft a screenplay and some about the industry.
Day 1
1. Watch the video ‘Intro to Screenwriting.’
Day 2
1. Watch the video ‘Designing a Story‘ (part 1).
2. What value do stories add to human existence? What purpose do stories serve? Take a moment and think about the stories that mean the most to you. Why are they important to you?
Day 3
1. Watch the video ‘Designing a Story‘ (part 2).
Day 4
1. Read pages 1-10 of “Save the Cat.”
2. Create a new document entitled, ‘Screenwriting Terms.’ Use the glossary at the back of the book to look up the terms block comedy, four-quadrant picture, hook, logline/one-line, on the nose, and pre-sold franchise. Summarize their definitions in your own words and write them in your document.
Day 5
1. Read pages 11-17 of “Save the Cat.”
2. Add high concept, one-sheet, and page one to your ‘Screenwriting Terms’ document.
3. Practice writing loglines. Choose movies that have been made, ideas that you have, or books that you have read to write loglines for. Write at least three.
Day 6
1. Turn to the exercises on page 18 of “Save the Cat.” Read the directions for exercise #4. Try to think of a movie idea for each one. Right down what you come up with.
Day 7
1. Workshop your movie ideas. Come up with a title for each one (it’s okay to have a “working title” – the best thing you can come up with that you might replace with something better later) and work on your logline. Remember that each pitch should try to include irony (or an obvious conflict that will interest viewers), create a mental picture, and have an audience in mind (who is this movie FOR?).
Day 8
1. Read the first part of chapter 2 of “Save the Cat” (pages 21-31). Try and come up with 3 movie or tv examples not listed for each of Monster in the House, The Golden Fleece, and Out of the Bottle.
Day 9
1. Today read pages 31-37 of “Save the Cat” and study Dude with a Problem, Rites of Passage, Buddy Love, and Whydunit. Try to come up with 3 movie or tv examples not listed for each one.
Day 10
1. Read pages 37-44 of “Save the Cat” and study The Fool Triumphant, Institutionalized, and Superhero. Try to come up with 3 movie or tv examples not listed for each one.
2. Add at the end of the day to your ‘Screenwriting Terms’ document.
Day 11
1. Today make a list of your “top 10” favorite movies in a new document. (You will be able to change this later, so don’t stress too much about making it perfect.)
2. Using the guide from “Save the Cat,” try to categorize each movie.
Day 12
1. Read the first part of chapter 3 of “Save the Cat.” (pages 47-56, stop before ‘Casting for the Role of Your Hero.’)
2. Think about the last three movies you’ve seen. Identify the hero and the stakes. Can you write a logline for them? (“It’s about a guy who…”)
Day 13
1. Finish reading chapter 3 of “Save the Cat.” (pages 56-64) What are the five ways to find the hero of your story?
2. Do exercise 4 on page 65.
Day 14
1. Today watch the video, “The Screenplay.”
Day 15
1. Today we’re going to begin learning about story beats. Begin reading chapter 4 of “Save the Cat” (pages 67-74).
2. Create a new document called “Beat Sheet.” Add the first 5 items from the beat sheet on page 70. (It should look like this.)
Project Title
Genre
Date
1. Opening Image
2. Theme Stated
3. Add a brief description to Opening Image and Theme Stated so you know what it is.
4. Add structure, credit jumpers, residuals and thematic premise to your ‘Screenwriting Terms’ document. Use the glossary at the back of the book to define them.
Day 16
1. Now we’re reading from page 75-84 of “Save the Cat.” Add the next 7 beats to your Beat Sheet document. Be sure to add a brief description so you will remember them.
3. Set-Up
4. Catalyst
5. Debate
6. Break Into Two
7. B Story
8. Fun and Games
9. Midpoint
2. Add the first reel, six things that need fixing, running gags, call-backs, thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, booster rocket, promise of the premise, and stakes are raised to your ‘Screenwriting Terms’ document. Use the glossary at the back of the book.
Day 17
1. Read pages 85-91 of “Save the Cat.” Add the last 6 beats to your Beat Sheet document. Don’t forget the description of each beat.
10. Bad Guys Close In
11. All is Lost
12. Dark Night of the Soul
13. Break into Three
14. Finale
15. Final Image
2. Add whiff of death to your ‘Screenwriting Terms’ document and define it.
Day 18
1. Read pages 92-96 of “Save the Cat.” Today you are looking at the beat sheet for the movie “Miss Congeniality” (2000).
2. Choose a movie you know very well. Try and plot it out on the beat sheet.
Day 19
1. Read through the beat sheet for “Captain Marvel.”
2. Choose another movie you know very well. Try to plot out its beats with a beat sheet.
Day 20
1. Watch the video about the first 10 minutes.
2. According to Blake Snyder in “Save the Cat,” the first 10 minutes or pages should include the opening images, theme stated, and complete the setup. Choose a movie you like and watch the first 10 minutes. Can you identify these three elements? Have the filmmakers succeeded in creating a “hook” to get the audience invested?
Day 21
1. Skip ahead to chapter 6 and read pages 119-130. Make a list of the ‘immutable laws’ of screenwriting and add a brief definition of each so you will remember what they are. (Today’s are Save the Cat, Pope in the Pool, Double Mumbo Jumbo and Laying Pipe.) You can either make a new document or add it into your “Screenwriting Terms” document.
2. Add exposition to your “Screenwriting Terms” document and define it.
Day 22
1. Finish reading chapter 6 – paged 130-140. Add more screenwriting laws to your list. (Today we have Black Vet/Too Much Marzipan, Watch Out for That Glacier!, The Covenant of the Arc, and Keep the Press Out.)
2. Add breaking the fourth wall to your “Screenwriting Terms” document and define it.
Day 23
1. Today we are going to begin the process of creating your first screenplay. Go to coursera.org and create a free account. You will need to be logged in to access the course materials.
2. Watch the video about creating the idea for your feature film.
3. Write three ideas for a movie in a new document. Read your ideas to other people in your family or home and get their feedback on them.
Day 24
1. Watch the video about loglines.
2. Take your three story ideas from yesterday and develop them into loglines. Remember Blake Snyder’s advice that a good logline should show irony (also known as the hook), a compelling mental picture, a suggestion of audience and cost, and the movie’s title. You can review chapter 1 of “Save the Cat” if you need more help with this.
Day 25
1. Choose which of your three concepts you will develop. Going forward, we will just be working on that one.
2. Watch the video about the dramatic question.
3. Develop a dramatic question for your movie project.
*Day 26
1. Watch the video about developing your main character.
2. Print a copy of the character creation worksheet and spend some time filling it out and getting to know your protagonist better.
*Day 27
1. Typically, a screenplay will have more than one major character. Make a list of all the character that you already know you will need, order them by importance, and begin to develop them.
2. Print as many copies of the character creation worksheet as n needed and spend some time filling them out.
Day 28
1. Watch the video about the three act structure.
2. Watch this video that goes more in-depth about the parts of the three act structure.
3. Spend some time thinking about your screenplay and which parts you have already decided on. Is it going to be easy to make your screenplay fit the three act structure? Have you figured most of the major points out already?
Day 29
1. Watch the video about outlining act one.
2. Watch a video that gets more in-depth on outlining act one. (We are starting partway through.)
3. Create a new document. Title it “(Working Title) Outline.” (Substitute your working title for (Working Title).) Write an outline for your first act. Remember that according to Blake Snyder’s beat sheet the first act consists of:
- Opening Image
- Set-up (which includes the Theme Stated)
- Catalyst
- Debate
- Break into Two
4. Here is a summary of the beat sheet with each beat explained if you need a refresher.
Day 30
1. Watch this video that covers the second act of a story.
2. Begin an outline for your second act. Today we are only going to do B Plot through Bad Guys Close In. (We’ll do the rest tomorrow.) Here are the beats for Act 2 according to Blake Snyder:
- B Plot
- Fun and Games
- Midpoint
- Bad Guys Close In
- All is Lost
- Dark Night of the Soul
- Break into Three
3. Here is a summary of the beat sheet with each beat explained if you need a refresher. Reading them is a good way to figure out what needs to go in your outline!
Day 31
1. Now we are going to outline the rest of Act 2. That’s the All is Lost moment, the Dark Night of the Soul, and Break into Three.
Day 32
1. Finally, we will outline the Finale and Final Image of your screenplay. Remember that your protagonist is confronting the antagonist with new strength, and a new truth that they have learned (related to your theme). This is where the last confrontation will take place! The final image should provide a strong contrast to the opening image, and show how your protagonist has grown and changed.
2. Read your screenplay outline to someone. What do they think about your movie?
Day 33
1. Now we are going to put your screenplay outline to the side for a while. (Don’t worry, we will come back to that.) Today, read the first half of “Save the Cat” chapter 5, “Building the Perfect Beast.” Read pages 97-107.
2. Collect materials for your own Board. Whatever will work for you – although I recommend a pack of index cards. We will be doing this exercise later.
Day 34
1. Finish reading chapter 5 (pages 108-114).
2. Be thinking about the scenes you will need for your movie, and make sure you have index cards at least! Tomorrow, we will begin making your board.
Day 35
1. Read over your outline. Use an index card to write a simple summary of each scene that you already know you will need and arrange them on your board. That’s all for today!
Day 36
1. Choose a movie that is similar to the type and genre of the movie you are trying to make. Watch the first half of the movie today and make a list of all the scenes you watch. Keep this scene list for tomorrow.
Day 37
1. Watch the second half of the movie, writing the rest of the scenes on your scene list. Keep this list for tomorrow.
Day 38
1. Today analyze your scene list. Match the scenes to the beats of a movie as best you can. Keep this for tomorrow.
Day 39
1. Compare the list of scenes from the movie you analyzed with the scenes you have on your board. See if you can add any new scenes to flesh out your screenplay.
Day 40
1. Find any cards on your board that are vague or cover multiple scenes. Plan them out, break them up, figure out what goes there.
Day 41
1. Continue planning scenes on your board today.
Day 42
1. Continue planning scenes on your board. Refer to chapter 5 of “Save the Cat” for help making your board work for you. Tomorrow will be the last day to plan scenes, then we will move ahead.
Day 43
1. Finish planning scenes on your board today. You are still allowed to make changes any time that you like, but we will be moving on to the next phase after today.
Day 44
1. Watch the video about screenplay formatting and grammar.
2. Read about screenplay formatting.
Day 45
1. Watch the video about scenes.
2. Today you are going to replace all of the scene cards on Act 1 of your board with fresh cards that are formatted in the “Save the Cat” method. Here is a blank one to look at. Each card should include the location, key purpose of the scene, emotional change, and identify the conflict/good guy/obstacle. Here is a scene card example, filled out.
You’ve finished the first quarter! Proceed to Quarter 2!
