Before beginning the first class there is a short assignment to complete, so we can hit the ground running!

Estimated Time to Completion: Approx. 45min

1. Reading a Screenplay - The best way to understand what is in a screenplay is to read one.  Here are 50 of the best. Choose one that is the same genre as your story idea to see how Hollywood's best write, and read the first ten pages of it. If you have any questions that pop into your head from reading the pages, write them down so that we can discuss them in class. https://www.scriptreaderpro.com/best-screenplays-to-read/

2. Watch this video on Video: Concepts and Loglines: You have to have a clear idea of the basics of your story before you can move forward.  Writing a logline will help you achieve that.  Once you have watched the video, either try to write a logline for an idea of your own, or write loglines for three of your favorite movies.

3. Watch this video on Video: What does a Screenwriter do?

4. Learn about Structure using The Blake Snyder Beat Sheet. Almost all movies follow what is called The 3-Act Structure. A good example of a structure that uses the 3-Act Structure is the “The Blake Snyder Beat Sheet”.  Read this summary of the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet which outlines the structure for a movie, and take notes of the steps and be prepared to discuss some of them in class.

5. (optional) If you want to learn about a similar, alternative story structure, you can watch these two video to learn about the Hero’s Journey - Video 1 and Video 2 .