Venice Beach Screenwriting Group Info
Venice Beach Screenwriting Group Dates
Thursday, February 2 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, February 9 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, February 16 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, February 23 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, March 1 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, March 8 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, March 15 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, March 22 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, March 29 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, April 5 at 8:00 PM
Site Themes!
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Disney VillainsEach one has a uniquely defining flaw that drives them and that they are completely uninhibited about.What You MeanThere is what you say and then there is what people hear.Concept is KingAsking "what if" is a great way for your concept to become king!Differntiate Your CharactersI'm not talking about having them speak differently.Your Story's Point of ViewThe reader needs to be clear what you, the writer, think of what is happening in your story.How do you get a screenwriting agent?How do I get an agent? I used to ask this question too, but lately, I've come to terms with this quote from Blake Snyder's last book...The Truth About DisneyJust what makes a Disney movie a Disney movie?People Don't ReadPeople are easily distracted, forgetful and impatient.Show, Don't TellYou're writing a screenplay, not a phone book! How to keep your readers feeling what you want them to feel.The Three Levels of ScreenwritingWhat's the difference between a beginner, an intermediate and an advanced screenwriter?You Might Also Like...ClerkDogs.com!The Truth About ScreenwritingThere's a reason things must be written a certain way.AnticipationHitchcock once said that there's no drama in a bomb going off, there's drama in the anticipation of the bomb going off.Identity And EmpathyThe two most important aspects of your story.Your Hero Is Your StoryMore exactly, the hero's flaw is your story.Say More With LessThe purpose of each scene is to set up or deliver an emotion. Hit that target with as few words as possible.Meet the Parents SetupThe movie sets up the hero's goal and the endless obstacles to it - in a funny way.Empathy, Setup and PayoffWhy I fired my secretary.The Lovable LoserWhy does the loser always have to be lovable?Using Music In Your ScreenplayDon't do it! Here's why.Why we like RockyHe appealed way beyond the people shown in his world.Solid FeedbackAre you condemning a script instead of clearly explaining the problems so that they may be fixed?AliensThe really great things that movie had.They Mostly Come At NightMostly. A look at one of the great scenes from Aliens.Meeting Your CharactersWhen you first date someone, you don't actually date that person, you date their representative. Chris RockUnpredictabilityNow matter how technically proficient your writing is, if it is predictable, it fails. How and why to keep your writing unpredictable.How to Give Good FeedbackAlways start with this question...AnticipationWhen the reader meets your story's premise, he should be thrown into a state of anticipation - eager to see how it is going to turn out.By The Numbers"I don't want to write a script based on some cookie cutter!"The Cost Of FailureThere must be a certain type of consequence to the hero not achieving the goal if there is to be any drama or suspense.Empathy and UnpredictabilityHow to get the reader to be an active participant in the story.Active GoalThe hero must have a goal and be in active pursuit of that goal inside of the first ten pages.Your Hero's Starting PointIs your hero the right guy or the wrong guy for the job?LoglinesYour screenplay's problems and successes are in your one sentence logline.The First Ten PagesThe first ten pages of a screenplay must have a who, what, where, when and why.Brando On What Makes a Great SceneIt's not the acting.Tighten Up Your SentencesGood tips for saying the more with less.DialogueCommon sense thoughts about dialogue that are not common practice.Uniquely FamiliarThe same, but different! Giving people what they want, with a twist without having to tear your ears off.Expository DialgogueYou've got to communicate info to the audience, but how can you do it without it being boring?ToolsQuestions to ask for assessing a screenplay.
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Cinemas Greatest Mirror Pep TalksCompilation of 'em!
Disney Copy and PasteHow Disney reuses much of its own content.
Vonnegut on the Shape Of StoriesKurt Vonnegut shows the simple plot structure of popular movies.
Empathic Civilization...the evolution of empathy and the profound ways that it has shaped our development and our society.
Dennis HopperOn art
Explaining How Magnets WorkWhenever you attempt to answer the question "why" you always talk inside a framework which holds certain things to be true. Otherwise, you're perpetually asking why.
Non Euclidian Level DesignAlternate reality.
One Scene, 11 versionsA tribute to some of the best and some of the not so best.
Die HungryBen Stiller parody of Die Hard.
Tyler Perry's StereotypingThe few roles available for white women... -
Failed Hookups And The Drunken Stages Of GriefA humorous twist on the Kubler Ross stages of grief that a person will go through after experiencing a loss.
Why You're Not Married - for Femalesby Tracy McMillan TV writer, Mad Men, United States of Tara
Churchill on PrepositionsThe joy of subtle rebellion.
Readers Like Knowing How Stories End"...readers preferred a spoiler paragraph before diving into short fiction, as opposed to just enjoying it as is.The academics theorized the preference as due these possibilities..."
Best Book to Film AdaptationA top list!
The Science of FunnyWhat exactly makes things funny.
Movies Where People Are Hunted For SportFive of 'em!
7 Reasons Women CheatMotivators...
Summer Camp Themed MoviesTen of 'em listed here.
Best Sexless Sex ScenesThey left out the one between Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in Top Gun.
