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Breaking The Story: Basics, Beats, and Blending
ONLINE COURSE
4-WEEK LEVEL ONE SCRIPTWRITING CLASS
This class will analyze the basics of screenwriting methods used in TV and film. We will break down ABCD storylines, map out the beats of both a pilot and feature script, and navigate how to blend beats to prepare you to write your own three-act screenplay.
WHAT TO EXPECT
This level-one beginners course is designed to start building your writing muscle and get you comfortable with the beat blending stage of development. By the end of the 4-week course, you will have a beat sheet for your feature or pilot script.
Week 1 - THE BASICS
Development at large. This week we will uncover the basics of “breaking the story” - which means taking a concept and expanding it to make sure it has a unique lens, figuring out its arcs (beginning, middle, and end), and starting to put your idea on paper — or in this case notecards, whiteboard, or computer.
• Answering: Why Today?
• Analyzing themes + pillars in the conceptualizing phase
• Examining ABCD storylines
• Unpacking the elements of character development
Week 2 - BEATS, Part 1
This week we will learn about what beats are and why they are imperative in this process. We will utilize examples from Mr. and Mrs. Smith and How To Get Away With Murder to work backward and see which beats fit under which storylines. At the end of this session, you should be able to outline all the beats for your screenplay under Storyline A.
• Answering: What is a Beat?
• Understanding the parts of a Beat Sheet
• Learning the difference between a beat sheet and a treatment?
• Unpacking why is a Beat Sheet is important
Week 3 - BEATS, Part 2
This week we will take what we learned last week and expand. Utilizing Mr. and Mrs. Smith and How To Get Away With Murder, we will outline the beats of Storylines B-D. At the end of this session, you should be able to outline all the beats for your screenplay.
◦ Analyzing scene setups
◦ Exercise: Breaking down the foundational elements of a beat sheet
Week 4 - BLENDING
In our final week, we will take our beats and learn how to blend them. We will dive deeper into the 3 Act Structure and order our beats chronologically. We will understand how the order of our beats varies based on pacing, genre, tone, and timing. At the end of this session, you should be able to blend the beats for your screenplay and have a completed Beat Sheet.
• Learning how to weave your beats
• Executing the blending process
Class Schedule (4 sessions):
Wednesday, March 8TH 7 - 9PM EST
Wednesday, March 15TH 7 - 9PM EST
Wednesday, March 22TH 7 - 9PM EST
Wednesday, March 29TH 7 - 9PM EST
INSTRUCTOR: Hena Mustafa
Bridge 17 Scriptwriters' Studio
Idea to Print. Stories to Life
You want to write. We can help with that. Our classes are taught by working screenwriters. Course material, assignments, and script reads are designed to be pragmatic. We focus on the practicality of writing more than theory. From the classics to modern-day award-winning scripts. Our focus is on developing skilled writers.