Tiburon International Film Festival

The Screenwriter’s Craft with Syd Field features a deep exploration of screenwriting and illustrations from Academy Award-winning films. The purpose of this course is to “expand, enlarge and broaden your knowledge, comprehension, and technique of the screenplay and the art and craft of screenwriting.”

Conducted from 10:00AM – 12:00PM PDT, these unique online sessions also include a 30-minute live Q&A with Syd. This is an unprecedented opportunity to pose your own specific questions to the master himself!

You may choose which webinars you’d like to take, or attend all four sessions at a special package rate. Topics include:

Day One: Structure Deconstructed – Saturday March 31

Structure Deconstructed is a look back at the importance of dramatic structure. What is structure and how does it work?

From the inception of the idea through the completion of the screenplay, structure is what holds it all together. Using the basic building blocks of screenwriting – shots, scenes and sequences – this session explores the dimension of structure as the essential building block in screenwriting. Using clips from Academy Award-winning films, Structure Deconstructed is an insightful and educational look at the importance of dramatic structure and how it relates to the craft of screenwriting.

Day Two: Making Your Scenes Reveal – Sunday April 1

The scene is the cell of dramatic action. Its function is simple: either it moves the story forward, or it reveals information about the character. This session focuses on the many different ways scenes are written to effectively move the story forward and reveal emotional insights. What do all great scenes have in common? What’s the best place to enter the scene? What is the character’s dramatic need within the scene? What is the reveal ? We’ll analyze a scene in depth and detail from The King’s Speech and explore different aspects and approaches to writing great scenes for the movies.

Day Three: Writing Effective Dialogue – Saturday April 14

What’s the purpose of dialogue? Does it move the story forward, or does it reveal information about the character? Is your dialogue too “right on the nose,” or “too direct?” Do your characters all sound the same? Are your minor characters more interesting than your main character?

This session explores the function of dialogue and illustrates the nine different types of dialogue found in movies like Juno, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Little Miss Sunshine, The Bucket List, American Beauty, and more. The purpose of the evening: to expand and broaden your awareness of dialogue and its function.

Day Four: The Six Stages of Rewriting – Sunday April 15

You’ve finished the first draft. Now what? Does it work or does it need more work? Do you need more action? Stronger characters? More tension? Are the stakes high enough? What can you do to make your first draft a better read? In this session, you’ll learn to approach the re-write through the Six Stages of Rewriting. Begin by examining your initial intention – what was it that originally attracted you to the idea? A character? A situation? An experience? In the first draft, did you end up writing the story you originally intended to write? This evening is all about the Re-Write and the tools you can employ to make your intention equal your result.

Space is limited – The last session sold out.

 Reserve your virtual seat before it sells out for only $79 per day.