Introduction
Welcome
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Overview of the course
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1. You've Got an Idea, Now What?
Think like a screenwriter
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Figuring out your story's scope
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Understanding suspense, drama, and conflict
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Basic character construction
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Overcoming defensiveness
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2. Laying the Foundations for Your Story
The end comes first: Your story's event
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The beginning: What's the status quo?
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The three-act structure
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Locating your plot twists
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3. Act One: The Buildup
Introducing your protagonist
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Superpowers and kryptonite
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Your characters's desires
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Who are your supporting players?
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The routine killer: Your first plot twist
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Should I stay or should I go?
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The act one plot twist: Saying goodbye to the comfort zone
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4. Act Two: The Adventure
Why adventure?
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Your plot thickeners: Adding two new twists
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The need for obstacles
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How high are your stakes?
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Status shifts and reversals of fortune
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The first plot thickener: This is getting serious
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The halfway point
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The second plot thickener: The crisis
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Preparing your character for resolution
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The act two plot twist: The great revelation
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5. Act Three: The Resolution
How should act three open?
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The decisive confrontation (AKA the climax)
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Your story's event, in all its glory
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Aftermaths, epilogues, and twist endings
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6. Screenplay Fundamentals
One page = one minute of screen time
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Screenplay page layout
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Advanced formatting tips
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Screen direction: What to include and what not to
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7. Clearing the Legal Hurdles
Worry about the legalities now, not later
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Has your movie been made already?
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Adapting existing work
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Public domain, fair use, and parody
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Working with a cowriter
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Being a work for hire
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Registering for a copyright
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