Margie Lawson

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Intro to Screenwriting

Are you an author of a book that you'd like to turn into a movie?

Do you have an idea for the next big movie, but you don't know where to start?

If you're interested in learning the art of how to write a screenplay, you're in the right place.

Wally and Betty will teach YOU what they wish someone had taught them before they ever sat down to write their first screenplays!

In this class we will cover:

WEEK 1: PREWRITING

  1. The “What If?”
  2. The “Logline”
  3. Creating the Main Character
  4. Treatment, Scriptment or Storyboard

WEEK 2: PLOT

  1. Catalyst
  2. Break into Act Two
  3. Midpoint
  4. Break Into Act 3

WEEK 3: FORMATTING

  1. Title Page
  2. Scene Headings
  3. Font and Margins
  4. Screenplay formatting SW (Industry Standard)

WEEK 4: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

  1. Character Identity
  2. The Five Cs
  3. Dialogue Dos and Don’ts
  4. V.O. vs O.S. & O.S. vs. O.C.

WEEK 5: ACTION Dos and Don’ts

  1. EXT. vs INT. vs EXT./INT.
  2. Show don’t Tell
  3. Inserts, Supers
  4. Phone Conversations & Intercuts
  5. Ellipsis, Dashes, and Stacked Action

WEEK 6: THE REWRITE

  1. Put It In A Drawer
  2. Get It Out And Fix It
  3. Get Other Writers To Read It
  4. Fix It And Send It Out

Teachers

Betty Kim Lierman with her dog

Betty Kim is a screenwriter, children’s book author, singer, songwriter, actor, and former ballet dancer. She has been active in the Northwest Screenwriters Guild, serving as president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, and head of the compendium. She is featured in Save the Cat Strikes Back for her pitching method. She has taught her pitch method at TheFilmSchool, the NWSG, and SIFF. She focuses on writing feature length comedies and children’s books.

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Wally Lane is a former Boardmember of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild (NWSG). He is an award-winning writer and filmmaker, a published poet, and has written articles and book reviews for several publications, including Journey. Wally’s film, “Winos & Pigeons”, was honored at WorldFest Houston. As long-time Chairman of the NWSG’s Compendium committee, Wally has mentored hundreds of new screenwriters by helping them write to “Industry Standard.”

Wally has been writing screenplays since 1990. He and his writing partner, Wash Phillips, have scores of screenplays completed or in development across a wide range of genres. Many of these scripts either have been or are currently optioned.

Wally is an alumnus of the U. of W. Extension Certificate Program in Screenwriting and The Film School, a Seattle-based institution of national repute. He is also a former panelist at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s and the Surrey International Writers Conference’s annual Writing Conferences.

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Schedule

Reviews

Excellent Course for Screenwriting and Novels Too!

Rated 5 out of 5
March 18, 2023

This was my second class with Wally and Betty... and I loved it! I left with a great understanding of how to plot a screenplay and work out the beats... and this can be applied to novels too! I loved that they used beat sheet examples from LEGALLY BLONDE and THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN. Studying those completely taught me how to create a solid beat sheet. And they critiqued my beat sheet too! Their caring mentorship was really wonderful and refreshing. I recommend this class to any writer wanting to improve their story and certainly any writer who wants to delve into the world of screenwriting!

Avatar for Lainey Spencer USA Today bestselling author
Lainey Spencer USA Today bestselling author

Learn the Basics & So Much More

Rated 5 out of 5
March 18, 2023

If you want a powerful course to help you plot your novel, try this screenwriting course. Working on loglines, treatments, beats, scenes, etc., really helps with novel plotting and making a story more powerful. My cowriter and I went in with a fully plotted novel idea and came out with so many wonderful new ideas and a totally different and much stronger spin on the plot. It was amazing to see the story transform, and now we’ll have not only a better novel but also a finished script for our agent to pitch.

Avatar for Rachel J. Good USA Today bestselling author
Rachel J. Good USA Today bestselling author

Great Introduction as Promised

Rated 5 out of 5
November 17, 2021

I learned a lot about screenwriting from this class. I finally now understand beats and how to use them. Wally and Betty have so much enthusiasm for writing and it was a joy to be in class with them.

Avatar for Terri Reed
Terri Reed

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