Course Downloads – Introduction to Screenwriting

Here you’ll find PDFs of the slideshow presentations from my screenwriting courses. Sorry that they are only “draft quality” printouts but the files just get too large if they are “print quality”.

Introduction to Screenwriting Apr 28-29 2012 Sydney

Session 1 What audiences want

Exploration of why people go to the movies, the importance of emotion over plot, competing story paradigms, Joseph Campbell, Chris Vogler and an overview of the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey. Download Session 1 PDF

Session 2 – Hero’s Journey: Step 1 Ordinary World to Step 5 Crossing the first threshold

Creating ground zero for the character, establishing what they can’t do now that they’ll be able to do in Act 3, 2 different types of call to adventure, refusal not necessarily expressed by the hero, mentors not necessarily grey haired and wise, does the hero have a choice about crossing the threshold? Download Session 2 PDF

Session 3 – Hero’s Journey: Step 6 Tests, Allies & Enemies to Step 9 The Reward

Disorientation on entering the special world, who can the hero trust, pop quiz vs HSC of Act 3, squeeze and release, the evasiveness of the hero during the Approach, the life and death of the ordeal, “face slapping”, the hero forced to transform, the exultation of having faced down death. Download Session 3 PDF

Session 4 – Hero’s Journey: Step 10 The Road Back to Step 12 Return with the Elixir

Reminder the journey isn’t over, the hero’s darkest hour, transformed but externally circumstances are at their worst, ideally they are tripped up by what they did during their unevolved, “evasive” phase, the resurrection, hero faced with choice, sacrifice, denouement, returning fire to the tribe. Download Session 4 PDF

Session 5 – Concept

Session 6 – Character

Session 7 – Scenes & Dialogue

Session 8 – Concept to Screenplay