BEIJING SCREEN WRITING CLASS AT THE EXPAT LEARNING CENTER BEIJING

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The Art of Screen Writing

Taught by:

Story and Semiotics
Narrative; types and genres; beginning middle and end; the monomyth; Aristotle's Poetics

(mythos, ethos, dianoia, lexis, melos, opsis, catharsis, mimesis); semiotics.

Structure and Format
Three act structure; shots, scenes, sequences; the nine critical plot points; unique

elements of the film medium; TV, film and stage structures; evolution of the modern

Hollywood screenplay; format (headings, characters, dialog, action, description,

transitions, conventions, cameras); pitch; premise; treatment; beat sheet.

Character and Conflict
The nine primary character roles; protagonist vs. antagonist (outdated!); archetypes;

empathy; character ideation; axis of antagonism; effective and ineffective forms of

conflict; dramatic conflict; thematic conflict; internal/external conflict; peripheral

conflict; threat and violence; fear and hope; tension and release; suspense and surprise.

Theme and Metaphor
The “form-giving substance”; polarities; social commentary and critique; catharsis; sources

of themes; theme and the three-act structure; Kohlberg; Nietzsche; characters, objects,

locations, shots/scenes/sequences as semiotic metaphors.

Story and Scene Design
Story ideation and design; scene design; visual storytelling; the screenwriter's voice;

scene-by-scene emotional response; inside-out/outside-in; scenes of preparation; scenes of

aftermath; plot vs. character (Aristotle vs. Egri); set-ups, pay-offs, buttons; mise en

scene.

Analysis, Revision and Craft
Reading and review of scripts; finding and maintaining creativity; discovering "Zen" zones;

creativity killers; re-writing; the myth of "writer's block"; intuition and structure.

Course Title: Screen Writing
Tuition fee: 3200RMB

Click here to register for this course

Registration Procedure:
Please register online first to reserve your place. You will then receive a confirmation email. Next, payment must be made on site at the ELC Learning Annex during the payment dates (you can come in person or send someone).

Please note:
Our classes are kept small for the students' benefit (generally between 5 and 10 people), so please register early to reserve your place. Your place in the class cannot be guaranteed until payment has been received. Any course that does not meet sufficient enrollment may be cancelled and a full refund provided upon presentation of your original receipt.