Learn how to...
Course alumni receive exclusive access to our Story Design Master Community, where you'll connect with fellow writers, creatives, entrepreneurs, producers, funding groups, and distributors — and have access to special events around the country and at major film festivals, like Sundance and SXSW!
-
Develop strong writing habits and create a story that is marketable and sells, grounded in a solid "dramatic premise," guided by an expert, award-winning (and tenured) professor of screenwriting.
-
Develop an industry-quality logline, treatment, pitch, beat sheet, step outline, using the techniques that have led to SJ's success in the film industry - and the success of many students and alumni.
-
Build strong, memorable characters, so that your protagonist, antagonist, and supporting characters attract the attention of A-list actors. And most importantly, your script won't sacrifice plot to character, or character to plot.
-
Dive deep into scenes, conflict, turning points, and create memorable character moments that drive the story forward and create what professionals refer to as "triangulation."
-
Write meaningful dialogue, fueled by what professional writers call "subtext," and develop unique voices for each of your characters in the integrated "character web."
-
Break your story into several key movements, or building blocks, so that your audience and reader is always on the edge of their seat, full of suspense.
-
Develop acts that result in maximum audience engagement and box office returns, by laying a solid yet invisible blueprint that empowers your creativity to soar.
-
Analyze the success of blockbuster projects and learn how to replicate, but also innovate, on their solid foundations, to ensure that your script results in a film that reaches hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide. (And gets made!)
-
Leverage your skills to break into Hollywood, get your film made, and understand the ins and outs of the market. We'll place you in charge of your screenwriting career and take the guess work out of the next steps.
-
Master the art of storytelling ethics, and consider how the events developed on-screen impact your audience and interact with the human brain, based on the most recent research. AND SO MUCH MORE!
Sarah-Jane Murray
About The Instructor
Dr. SJ Murray (PhD, Princeton; tenured faculty, Baylor) is an EMMY-nominated writer & producer, and executive producer/ showrunner. In 2018, she was selected as one of the #50 Women transforming the media & entertainment spaces in the US. She has won 20 international creative awards and is the author of two books, including Basics of Story Design (2017). She has spoken at, or curated events in collaboration with, organizations including the White House, Harvard, the University of Paris, Microsoft HQ, and sits on the board of the Summit Institute. She lives in Austin with her feisty Wheaton poo, Coco Chanel, and is represented by Claire Best & Associates.
Course curriculum
-
01
INTRODUCTION
Show details -
02
GETTING STARTED
Show details -
03
STEP 1: Read a Great Script
Show details- Video
- Lesson - Read a Great Script
- Exercises
-
04
STEP 2: Beginnings
Show details- Video
- Lesson - Beginnings
- Exercises
-
05
STEP 3: World Building
Show details- Video
- Lesson - World Building
- Exercises
-
06
STEP 4: Everything Changes
Show details -
07
STEP 5: The Dilemma
Show details- Video
- Lesson - The Dilemma
- Exercises
-
08
STEP 6: Crossing the Threshold
Show details- Video
- Lesson - Crossing the Threshold
- Exercises
-
09
STEP 7: A New Friend
Show details- Video
- Lesson - A New Friend
- Exercises
-
10
STEP 8: The Midpoint
Show details- Video
- Lesson - The Midpoint
- Exercises
-
11
STEP 9: All Downhill
Show details- Video
- Lesson - All Downhill
- Exercises
-
12
STEP 10: The Grand Finale
Show details- Lesson - The Grand Finale
- Exercises
-
13
STEP 11: Building Blocks
Show details- Video
- Lesson - Building Blocks
- Story Worksheet
-
14
STEP 12: Back to Basics
Show details- Video
- Lesson - Back to Basics
- Exercises
-
15
STEP 13: More Character Basics
Show details- Video
- Lesson - More Character Basics
- Exercises
-
16
STEP 14: Making a Splash
Show details- Video
- Lesson - Making a Splash
- Exercises
-
17
STEP 15: Compare and Contrast
Show details- Video
- Lesson - Compare and Contrast
- Exercises
-
18
STEP 16: To Outline!
Show details- Video
- Lesson - To Outline!
- Exercises
-
19
STEP 17: Please Mind the Gap
Show details- Video
- Lesson - Please Mind the Gap
- Exercises
-
20
STEP 18: Storytelling Ethics
Show details- Video
- Lesson - Storytelling Ethics
-
21
STEP 19: To Draft!
Show details- Video
- Lesson - To Draft!
- Exercises
-
22
STEP 20: The Rewrite
Show details- Video
- Lesson - The Rewrite
- Exercises
-
23
APPENDIX: Documentary Film
Show details- DOCUMENTARY FILM
Join the story revolution
Thinking about grad school? Think again. In Basics of Story Design, SJ gives you the tools and techniques to unlock your potential and follow your storytelling dreams.
-
Get started now
$297.00