SCREENWRITING: THE WHOLE PICTURE

An intensive two-day lecture/seminar/workshop for new and experienced film and television writers, agents, producers, executives, directors, actors and all people who care about film, television, and new media.

Scripts that sell are those that tell a compelling story. Story structure is important, but writing a movie is different from assembling a child’s tricycle. Beyond structure there is magic, wonder, laughter, fear, awe, affirmation, motion and more.

You’ve taken seminars but you’re still not writing, or you’re writing but your scripts don’t work.

By popular demand, here is an opportunity to study with America’s premier screenwriting educator. More than any freeze-dried formula for instant trillion-dollar success. Beyond connect-the-dots and paint-by-the-numbers, this seminar stimulates and expands writers horizons from curiosity through imagination to passion. Other seminars look back what worked for other screenwriters in other scripts. This seminar looks forward to what will work for you in your script.

Story, character, identity, dialogue, scene, theme, and setting, in-class exercises treating story crafting, scene analysis, pitching, conflict, networking.

Emotional strategies and attitudes including supporting your writing habit, writers’ block and tackle, ego, criticism, rejection, ecstasy, heartache, survival and much, much more.

Attend this two day seminar that motivates, empowers, liberates, and enables writers to write their own best script.

Part of Day Two will include reviewing the first page of scripts from as many writers in the class as we are able to cover, extrapolating principles from hands-on writing experience. If you would like your script to be included then please upload it via the Sign Up form below. 

There will also be a short Q&A at the end of each day. 

Please email us at contact @shorescripts.com with any questions.

Richard Walter is a screenwriter, author of best selling fiction and nonfiction, celebrated storytelling educator, associate dean, entertainment industry expert and longtime professor and chairman of the graduate screenwriting program at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

Richard Walter has written numerous feature assignments for the major studios including the earliest drafts of American Graffiti, and has sold material to all the major broadcast networks. 

He lectures on screenwriting and storytelling throughout the world. 

Writers who have studied at UCLA have written dozens of prestigious Hollywood blockbusters and independent productions.

Professor Walter has appeared multiple times on The Today Show, The O’Reilly Factor, Hardball, ABC Primetime, Scarborough Country and CBS News Nightwatch, to name a few. More than a hundred newspaper and magazine articles have described his work and the program he directs at UCLA.

Richard Walter is the best screenwriting teacher in the business.
David Koepp, screenwriter & director

Richard Walter is a prominent film expert.
The New York Times

Richard Walter is the Jewish Mother of Screenwriting.
Variety

The prime broker for Hollywood’s hottest commodity: new writing talent.
The Wall Street Journal

Students in Richard’s program have written ELEVEN projects for Steven Spielberg—Jurassic Park I, II, II, Indiana Jones II, III, The Terminal, War of The Worlds, Munich, Lincoln, Eagle Eye, Amazing Stories – plus dozens of mainstream commercial Hollywood blockbusters (such as Spider-Man, Benjamin Button, Charlie’s Angels, Men In Black, Mission: Impossible) and prestigious indie productions, including FIVE BEST SCREENPLAY OSCAR NOMINATIONS AND THREE OSCARS in ONLY the PAST SEVEN YEARS:: Milk, Sideways & The Descendants.

They have also written hundreds of hours of Television. 

Writers that Richard teaches dominate the film and TV industry.

JUST A FEW OF THE SCREENWRITERS WHO HAVE COME THROUGH RICHARD’S COURSE…

Dustin Lance Black – Milk, J. Edgar, When We Rise (TV)
Alexander Payne – Sideways, About Schmidt, The Descendants
Eric Roth – The Insider, Forrest Gump
Paul Schrader – Raging Bull, Taxi Driver
Shane Black – Lethal Weapon, Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, The Last Action Hero
Billy Ray – Flight Plan, Suspect Zero, Shattered Glass
Pamela Gray – A Walk on the Moon, Music of the Heart
Jeffrey Boam – Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon 3
David Koepp – Spider Man, Mission Impossible
Sacha Gervasi – The Terminal, The Hypnotist, Henry’s Crime
Jim Herzfeld – Meet The Parents, Meet The Fockers
Marianne Wibberley – National Treasure, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
Collin Higgins – Harold and Maude, Nine to Five
Laeta Kalogridis –  Alexander, Birds of Prey
Michael Miner – Robocop Trilogy
Niels Mueller  – Tadpole, The Assassination of Richard Nixon
Richard Price – The Color of Money, Mad Dog and Glory
Caroline Williams – The Office, Miss/Guided
Jeffrey Bell – The X-Files, Alias, Day Break
Matt Palfrey – Skins 
Sheila Callaghan – United States of Tara
Don Payne – The Simpsons
Kathy Stumpe – Cheers, Everybody Loves Raymond

There will be 4 hours of teaching each day with an additional 30 minutes in the middle of the day for lunch.

All students will be informed when we confirm the location.