- 50 minutes 22 seconds046 - What Makes an Ending Insanely Good
A few years ago, Alexie and Adam watched Michael Arndt's lecture "Endings: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Great" and it completely changed the way they thought about endings, stakes, and giving stories meaning.
Now, they'll discuss they're favorite, most groundbreaking insights from the lecture and give practical tips about how to use it in your own work.
Watch the original lecture: ENDINGS: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Great
Also, from now until July 20th, we want to share Writing the Pilot with you for 30% off. That means the course, which is usually $147, will be only $102.90. Use Code SUMMER24 to get your discount!
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17 July 2024, 8:38 pm - 58 minutes 17 seconds045 - How to Make a Pitch Deck for Your TV Show
How do you share your amazing TV idea with producers or potential collaborators? An amazing pitch deck is the perfect place to start! Professional screenwriters Alexie and Theo share step-by-step how to build a pitch deck by looking at:
- Real-world pitch decks that WORKED (like STRANGER THINGS and ADVENTURE TIME)
- Essential ingredients for your own pitch deck
- Step-by-step guide for using our pitch deck template
Grab your coffee and come join us for screenwriting talk!
Also, from now until July 20th, we want to share Writing the Pilot with you for 30% off. That means the course, which is usually $147, will be only $102.90. Use Code SUMMER24 to get your discount!
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3 July 2024, 11:30 am - 1 hour 26 seconds044 - How to Come Up with Ideas for TV | World, Character, and Plot
Some ideas are MADE for TV.
How do you know if your idea is up to par? Professional screenwriters Alexie and Theo talk about how to come up with a strong idea for a TV story by striking a careful balance between:
- World
- Characters
- Plot
Grab your coffee and come join us for screenwriting talk!
Also, from now until July 20th, we want to share Writing the Pilot with you for 30% off. That means the course, which is usually $147, will be only $102.90. Use Code SUMMER24 to get your discount!
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27 June 2024, 11:30 am - 56 minutes 57 seconds043 - How to Write the First 10 Pages of Your Script
The first ten pages of your screenplay can hook your readers in for the long haul. They're arguably the most important part of your script for capturing an audience.
Professional screenwriters Alexie, Adam, and Theo talk about how to make your first ten pages un-put-down-able by focusing on:
- A powerful story hook
- Compelling, complex characters
- A strong sense of voice
Grab your coffee, pick up your pen, and listen to this amazing screenwriting conversation.
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12 June 2024, 11:30 am - 54 minutes 42 seconds042 - The Best (and Worst) Lessons from THE SEVEN BASIC PLOTS by Christopher Booker
People love to talk about how there are only a few basic stories, and all other work is a variation of them. THE SEVEN BASIC PLOTS is one of the most famous books sharing this theory!
Haven't read THE SEVEN BASIC PLOTS by Christopher Booker? No problem!
Professional screenwriters Alexie Basil and Adam Schaller share the best and worst takeaways from the famous storytelling classic.
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5 June 2024, 11:30 am - 1 hour 10 minutes041 - ACTION! EXPLOSIONS! SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER! | Live Story Generation
Summer is coming! Which means that epic summer blockbusters are right around the corner. How do you write something awesome that also goes BOOM?! Join professional screenwriters Alexie Basil and Adam Schaller as they create an outline for an action-packed summer blockbuster film on the spot. They'll get into:
- Building around exciting set pieces
- Creating spectacles
- The balance of objective and stakes vs. flaw and inner-need in action films
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29 May 2024, 11:30 am - 48 minutes 47 seconds040 - Writing with VFX in Mind | Interview with Esha Sandhu
VFX Production Coordinator Esha Sandhu joins Alexie and Theo LIVE to talk about how screenwriters can write the most visually compelling screenplays. We'll cover:
- VFX breakdown in a script
- The nuances of writing explosions
- Tips for breaking into the VFX industry And more!
Join us for our live Young Screenwriters Podcast recording, and stick around after for an open Q&A and more screenwriting talk :)
About Esha Sandhu
With a background spanning over 2 years in the VFX industry, Esha's journey began with studies in 3D Animation, Visual Effects, and a touch of Game Design. However, her true passion unfolded in the realm of Production, where the spirit of collaboration and shared objectives fuels her enthusiasm as a VFX Production Coordinator. Esha has worked on Hawkeye, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Willow series, The School for Good and Evil, Lift and Dune Part: Two.
In the autumn of 2023, Esha embarked on her WIA mentorship journey, eagerly embracing the opportunity to nurture and steer the forthcoming wave of Production Enthusiasts. Esha's guiding principle is to "embrace a production mindset while maintaining a friendly approach to artists".
Esha also thrives in the dynamic environment of a film set, where she channels her skills and experience. She also works as a Script Supervisor on set, contributing to the seamless execution of productions while writing her own short films to fuel her passion for filmmaking.
- Esha's IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13157752/
- Esha's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/films_by_esha/?hl=en
- Reach Esha: [email protected]
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22 May 2024, 11:30 am - 1 hour 5 minutes039 - Scene Quiz! | Writers Analyze Scene Structure
Breaking down a scene in a project you know is easy mode. What happens when you try to break down a scene without context? Professional screenwriters Alexie and Theo both bring two scenes the other has never seen before: Theo's bringing THE LOBSTER and Alexie's bringing the pilot of GENTLEMAN JACK. They'll table-read them and see if their analyses are spot on or off the mark!
- How the scenes reveal character
- Techniques used by the writer
- Connections to the overall material
And here are the screenplays to follow along:
Resources & Links
OUR COURSES
15 May 2024, 11:30 am - 1 hour 5 minutes038 - Creating Your Own Story IP | Interview with Victoria Male
Nicholl Finalist Victoria Male joins Alexie and Theo for a conversation about how to navigate risk-averse Hollywood and sell original ideas by creating your own IP. In addition to chatting about Victoria's success releasing short stories alongside her screenplays, we're going to get into:
- The current state of Hollywood (what producers are looking for)
- Strategies for creating your own IP
- Tips for making your script irresistible
About Victoria Male
Victoria Male (she/her) is a 2023 Academy Nicholl Fellowship Finalist whose writing also made the 2024 Love List of best unproduced romance scripts. Her prose has been published in over a dozen literary magazines worldwide. Victoria worked in creative development for The Montecito Picture Company and media startup Graphic India, in addition to producing a podcast for three years.
- Instagram: @VictoriaMale1
- Twitter: @VictoriaMale
- Website: https://www.victoriamale.com/
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Links Mentioned
8 May 2024, 11:25 am - 1 hour 16 minutes037 - Scripts That Get Made | Why Producers Love BILLY ELLIOT
Low-to-medium budget scripts with incredible character development are a golden ticket for producers... which makes them an excellent target for newer screenwriters! Alexie meet with Kinolime Producer John Schramm and Kinolime Creative Executive Danny Murray to break the beloved film BILLY ELLIOT and talk about:
- Why producers want strong points of view and voice
- How characterization is key for lower-budget films
- Tips for making your spec script stand out to producers
Plus, learn more about Kinolime's free screenplay contest, which promises to produce the winner's movie (of any genre!) for up to $15,000,000! They're accepting submissions through April 4, 2024. Find out more: https://www.kinolime.com/
About John Schramm
John Schramm is an American screenwriter/producer who has sold various scripts to top independent producers such as Basil Iwanyk's Thunder Road Pictures ("John Wick," "The Town," "Sicario"). Schramm has also been hired to write for Oliver Stone ("Platoon," "Wall Street," "JFK") under his Ixtlan Productions banner, as well as for Scott Free Productions and Original Films.
As a feature producer, Schramm is producing "The Mother" (2024) starring Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh and "The Falling Man" (2024) alongside Niv Fichman ("Blackberry," "Enemy," "The Red Violin").
5 May 2024, 11:30 am - 6 minutes 30 secondsANNOUCEMENT - New Name! Podcast Rebrand!
This is a special annoucement! We are rebranding the Breaking Story Podcast into THE YOUNG SCREENWRITERS PODCAST!
This change comes due to this podcast expanding in scope with interviews, discussion on theory, and talking about things that impact the industry of Screenwriting. Don't worry though, we'll still be breaking and discussing films, tv, games, and other stories that inspire us :)
Below are the links Alexie mentions during the announcement!
Young Screenwriter Courses
Young Screenwriter Community Links
5 May 2024, 11:25 am - More Episodes? Get the App