Nine Tuesdays, Jan. 24-March 20, 7-9:30 p.m. $335 members/$365 others Berkeley Testimonials for Terrel
ATTENTION: THIS CLASS IS NOW FULL
“Let’s spend three weeks on each of the acts of a well-structured, emotionally fulfilling screenplay,” says instructor Terrel Seltzer. “We’ll read scripts, watch movies, and write scenes to develop a practical understanding of the specific ‘chores’ and challenges of each act: Act One (Inspiration) asks a question. Act Three (Philosophy) answers it. The dreaded Act Two (Craft) is all about character development and rising conflict and tension, so that the reader urgently cares how the Act One question is answered in Act Three. It pretty much separates the good from the … not so good.”
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Friday, Feb. 26th, 7-10 p.m. Berkeley $35 members/$45 non-members
“Are you working on a screenplay? I know from experience what a lonely, confusing endeavor that can be,” says Terrel Seltzer. “So come have a good time talking it over with others who have chosen the same boat, rowing up that turbulent stream. Bring a synopsis of your script, an outline, a treatment, a scene, a premise, an idea you want to try out. Plus all your questions: Read the rest of this entry »
Five Saturdays, Aug.7, 21, 28, Sept. 11 & 25, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Berkeley $185 members/$215 non-members
Attention: This class is now full. Sorry. But we do offer it every session, usually as a 9-week class.
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The basic premise behind almost every successful feature film can be stated in one simple sentence: Someone we care about wants something badly and is having a terrible time getting it. “Pretty simple, right?” says instructor Terrel Seltzer. “But how do you make a character sympathetic? How do you establish a compelling desire? How do you structure rising tension so that the Hollywood Reader keeps turning the page? That’s the art and the craft of screenwriting.”
In this class, every aspect of writing your screenplay will be explored in the following five stages:
Saturday, Oct. 29th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $95 members/$110 non-members San Francisco Testimonials for Terrel
Attention: Sorry, this workshop is no longer available this session.
“I swear, if have to read another script that begins with a hero waking up in the morning after a pan of the junk in his room, I’ll gag.” – quote from Hollywood Reader One.
“Uh-oh, is that the opening you just wrote for your script? What are the other “red flags” that cause a Reader to toss a script by page 10? “If character introductions are not done artfully, the odds of anything else in the script being great are slim.” – quote from Hollywood Reader Two.
So, how DO you write a screenplay these very same Readers will recommend? “Here’s the good news,” says Terrel, “it doesn’t have to be perfect. But you want to write a page-turner that keeps the Reader reading, and there are tried and true ways to help make that happen.”
Saturday, Feb. 21st, 10 am-4 pm; San Francisco $95 members/$110 non-members
NOTE: THIS CLASS IS NOW FULL
“There’s a deep DNA structure for a good movie idea,” says screenwriter Terrel Seltzer. “Someone we care about wants something badly (Act One), and is having a terrible time getting it (Act Two).” So what about Act Three? “It’s the answer to the question: Will they get it… or not?” says Terrel, “and it’s crucial. A story’s ending needs to stick in the mind. It pretty much determines whether the audience likes the movie or not.” On script level, it’s also decisive. An otherwise great script will likely be passed on if it doesn’t end well. Luckily — and regardless of the type of story you’re telling — there are common elements in a successful third act.
“A screenwriter needs to know the ending of the story before they start writing,” says Terrel. “Every word in your script is building to the climatic battle scene.” In this seminar, we’ll analyze the structure of a compelling third act by using writing exercises that help clarify the question/answer nature of good, dramatic screenwriting, and by discussing and watching movie endings that worked, and some that didn’t. Students can prepare by watching films from this list: Good Will Hunting, Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, Thelma and Louise, Fatal Attraction, Million Dollar Baby, Lost in Translation, Diner, Rain Man, Road to Perdition.
“Most beginning screenwriters have trouble determining where the writing ends and the directing begins,” says Terrel Seltzer. “They “see” a scene in their head, but they don’t know how much detail to write down on paper, or leave out. They usually end up with a pretty cluttered script.”
Screenwriting is the craft of writing visually and succinctly. “It’s a very poetic form,” Terrel says, “much closer to writing a sonnet than a novel. And rules apply.” In this class, you’ll learn ways to think visually and then get the picture in your head down on paper. “We’ll analyze how a screenwriter breaks down a scene into pivotal beats, and then builds that scene with the interplay of description and dialogue. We’ll compare script pages to actual scenes in movies, and also use writing exercises to discuss ways to write vivid, concise description and dialogue.”
I was in your Intro to Screenwriting class with Terrell Seltzer. I wanted to provide some feedback. I enjoyed the class very much. Terrell was so good and a wonderful teacher and resource. The six hours flew by. She is supportive, insightful, experienced and very intelligent. I could tell she was a good screenwriter. I wanted to thank you for providing this opportunity to the community. I really appreciate your school and what you are doing by bringing these talented people to come and teach. Thank you for that!
And thanks again for having the Writing Salon. It’s a very special place!
Warm regards, Carol
