SCREENWRITING WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

Thinking about offering screenwriting classes at your film festival?

Looking for a fun instructor with actual film credits?

How about someone with a screenwriting book that fellow screenwriters rank as the best on the market?

"SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING is the best book on the practical nuts-and-bolts mechanics of writing a screenplay I've ever read." - Ted Elliott, co-writer of THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies and SHREK with Terry Rossio.

"William C. Martell knows the action genre inside out. Read and learn from an expert!" - Mark Verheiden, writer of TIME COP and THE MASK, plus TV's SMALLVILLE.

"My only complaint... is that it wasn't around when I was starting out... would have saved me years of trial and error!" - Ken Wheat, co-writer of PITCH BLACK and THE FLY 2 with Jim Wheat.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

I've taught online classes for Script Magazine, lectured at the Sacramento Film Festival, several times taught along side Oscar nominated screenwriters like Joan Tewksbury and Chris Devore at the Santa Fe Screenwriters Conference, taught classes twice at the Las Vegas Screenwriting Conference, and I've done my intensive 2 day seminar NAKED SCREENWRITING at the Raindance Film Festival in London several times, and at the Aarhus International Film Festival in Denmark, and the Hong Kong Film Festival and.... Plus I've done workshops and panels at the Cripple Creek Film Festival, Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival, and dozens of others. I've yet to do a film festival in Alaska - but there's always hope!

(If you are interested in hosting the big 2 day NAKED SCREENWRITING seminar, e-mail me.)

2 HOUR CLASSES:

DO IT YOURSELF SCREENWRITING
Making your own film? This class covers everything you need to know - from Central Locations to Confined Cameos to Robert Rodriguez's school bus. Using examples from SWINGERS, THE COOLER, STATION AGENT and films produced by the instructor for pocket change, this class is packed with information. How Indie films challenge the audience (while mainstream films reassure the audience). Structures, using BOYS DON'T CRY and others as example. Writing for a budget, writing for non-actors, getting the most production value out of your budget.

MYSTERY & NOIR
Using examples from CHINATOWN to OUT OF THE PAST you'll learn how to create stories in this dark, twisted genre. How to plant clues. Red herrings, suspects, time tables, victims, spider women, fallen heroes, the funhouse mirror world of noir supporting characters. Noir dialogue and how noir endings are different than any other genre.

THEME & VOICE
How to find theme with your character and use theme to explore your character. Why theme is the most important element in any screenplay. Theme and nexus. Theme and dialogue. Your personal themes and finding your unique voice.

STRUCTURAL FREAKS!
William Goldman says "Structure is everything". Do you understand structure? Is your script running out of steam halfway through? Do you NOT know what happens next? Is your script slow paced? Boring? This course explores different methods of structuring your screenplay - alternatives to the three act structure. Using examples like RUN, LOLA, RUN and PULP FICTION and HILARY & JACKIE and CRASH and other odd storytelling methods.

SEX AND VIOLENCE!
How to design an exciting action sequence, integrate action and character, create a high concept villain's plan, write hot love scenes without resorting to porn, use diversion & anticipation to make your script unpredictable, and create great heroes and villains. How much violence is too much? How much is not enough?

HIGH CONCEPT HOLLYWOOD
How to find and develop ideas that Hollywood is looking for and you are passionate about. A great script with a dull idea is a dull script. Learn tools like Magnification, Flipping, Substitution, Cousins, Word Association, why High Concept is *Your* Concept, finding your personal themes in high concept ideas.

WRITING HORROR
From THE RING to SAW and HOSTEL, horror is hot! You’ll learn everything you need to know to write in this genre, from creating dread, loss of free will, fear of the unknown, classic horror (like THE OTHERS) vs. Stalk & Slash and Modern Horror. How to create a monster. What do ROSEMARY'S BABY, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE EXORCIST, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE OTHERS and OPEN WATER have in common? This class will tell you! All of the critical elements necessary to write a script that scares the pants off the audience.

SUBVERSIVE SCREENWRITING
Is X-MEN 3 a superhero movie or a film about Gay rights? Is V FOR VENDETTA a popcorn flick or a political message? This class explores methods for disguising your edgy, controversial, and/or political story as a mainstream genre film. Instead of preaching to the already converted, why not lure in an unexpecting audience and zap them with your message?

ACT TWO IS EASY!
Dozens of techniques to help you through Act Two. From creating momentum to denial to dilemma to levels of conflict to pacing to the escalator of doom. How to make Act Two not only easy to write... but fun!

MAKING A SCENE
Create unusual, unpredictable, and original scenes. This technique-based class shows you how to create great scenes. Using conflict, suspense, dramatic situations. A dozen ways to create new scenes. Transitions to get you from scene to scene. A scene's DNA. Much more!

YOUR IDEA MACHINE
How to find and develop ideas that Hollywood is looking for and you are passionate about. A great script with a dull idea is a dull script. Learn tools like Magnification, Flipping, Substitution, Cousins, Word Association, why High Concept is *Your* Concept, finding your personal themes in high concept ideas.

GUERRILLA MARKETING YOUR SCRIPT
No agent? No problem! How to make your own connections, find producers interested in your script, get readings and studio meetings, sell without an agent or manager. Instructor has sold over 20 scripts without an agent, 17 were filmed. You don't need an agent to sell, just a great script!

THRILLERS & SUSPENSE
Become a master of suspense! From BOURNE IDENTITY to DOUBLE JEOPARDY, how to write the modern thriller. Secrets Desires, Basic Instincts, Moral Dilemmas. Isolation, Paranoia, Small Sins lead to Bigger Sins, Death & Rebirth of Protagonist, Dopplegangers, Mistaken Identities, Spying, Villains, Deadly Paperclips and more. Instructor has several *produced* thriller scripts.

VISUAL STORYTELLING
Sure, your dialogue's great, but description is 50% of your screenplay and film is a visual medium. Is half your script in trouble? Technique-based class with 25 ways to improve description, create hidden camera angles, tell your story visually. Decisions, metaphors, symbolism, why pictures are worth a thousand words.

3-8 HOUR CLASSES:

THE WRITE STUFF

Basic Screenwriting Course for beginning to advanced screenwriters - From finding a great idea to finding a producer to buy your finished script. This is a striped down version of the Naked Screenwriting seminar, focusing on techniques you can put to use today. Starting with ideas, moving to stories, character creation, subplots, dialogue, visual storytelling, and ending with some tips on taking your script to market.
(A great one day class - packed with information. Good for general screenwriters.)
(Can be condensed to fit available time slot}

STORY AND CONCEPT

Course for beginning and Intermediate screenwriters - understanding story, relationship of character to story, high concept, finding an interesting concept, theme and conflict. If you are having trouble figuring out what comes next, or what your script should be about, or have trouble coming up with ideas, this is the class for you.
(A great 2-4 hour class - packed with information. Good for general screenwriters.)

STRUCTURE AND OUTLINES

Course for beginning and Intermediate screenwriters - William Goldman says "Structure is everything". Do you understand structure? Is your script running out of steam halfway through? Do you NOT know what happens next? Is your script slow paced? Boring? This course explores different methods of structuring your screenplay, plus techniques for outlining and pacing your script.
(A great 2-4 hour class - packed with information. Good for general screenwriters. Combine with STORY AND CONCEPT for a full day.)

(Both STORY AND CONCEPT and STRUCTURE AND OUTLINES can be further expanded by the inclusion of an example film. LIAR LIAR is used as the primary example in the STORY class and THE MATRIX is used as primary example in STRUCTURE. This adds over 2 hours to each class, making each almost a full day of material.)

ACTION & THRILLER SCRIPTS

The class of the book. Technique-based seminar. How to write an effective plot twist, create unbearable suspense, design an exciting action sequence, create a high concept villain's plan, use diversion & anticipation to make your script unpredictable, and create great heroes and villains. Dozens of techniques that can be used in any genre.
(This class was taught at Santa Fe in three 4 hour segments. Can be condensed further to a one day seminar, or expanded to two days.)

FIRST AND TEN

By page ten you have either hooked your reader and made them want to read more, or lost them. You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression! This class will teach you techniques that will make your first page exciting and engaging to readers, and methods to hook readers by page ten so that they MUST find out how your story ends. Plus how to effectively introduce your protagonist, and how to create an exciting ending.
(A six hour online class, can be condensed to a 2-3 hour class.)

THE CHARACTER TOOLBOX

Creating memorable characters that jump off the page is an important part of screenwriting. But too many scripts have passive protagonists, or sketchy supporting characters. Without believable characters the story itself becomes unbelievable. Over 35,000 words of class materials, almost 200 different character building techniques.
(a six hour online class that can either be expanded to a full day or condensed to a 2-3 hour class.)

INDIES AND CABLE MOVIES

Every year there are only 200-250 theatrical movies made, but hundreds of films made for the video and cable market and hundreds more made independently. This technique based class will take you step-by-step, showing you how to write a budget friendly screenplay. Great for digital filmmakers!
(This class can easily be transformed into a "Do It Yourself" class for digital filmmakers who need to know how to write budget friendly screenplays - can be a full day seminar or condensed to 2-3 hours.)

I've also done pitching workshops for Sherwood Oaks College, done 2 hour workshops on about every screenwriting subject known to man, and been on panels discussing everything from proper format to the future of digital filmmaking (with Mike Figgis at Raindance).

Classes and Workshops can be adapted to fit your festival's unique needs. I'll also do any panel discussions, and will autograph books for festival attendees.

For more information contact: wcmartell@scriptsecrets.net

ABOUT WILLIAM C. MARTELL

William C. Martell has written nineteen produced films for cable and video including three HBO World Premieres, two Made For Showtimes, three CineMax Premieres, two films for USA Network, and many others. Reviewer David Nuttycombe of The Washington Post calls him "The Robert Towne of made for cable movies" and he was the only non-nominated screenwriter mentioned on Siskel & Ebert's 1997 Oscar Special "If We Picked The Winners". He doesn't teach screenwriting, he writes for a living.

The naval warfare action film "Steel Sharks" (HBO) stars Gary Busey and Billy Dee Williams, and was made with the cooperation of the US Navy and Department Of Defense onboard an actual aircraft carrier. "Hard Evidence" (USA) was released to video the same day as Julia Roberts' film "Something To Talk About" and out-rented it, landing at the #7 position nationally while the Roberts' film ended up #8 ("Hard Evidence" was the better reviewed film). Submarine thriller "Crash Dive" (HBO) starred Frederic Forest, and introduced "JAG"s Catherine Bell and Christopher Titus from Fox's sit-com "Titus". "Treacherous" (Cinemax) Starred Tia Carrere, Adam Baldwin and C. Thomas Howell. His family film "Invisible Mom" starring "ET"s Dee Wallace Stone won Best Children's Film at the Santa Clarita Film Festival. Mr. Martell is currently working on several projects for major studios.

ABOUT SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING

240 pages packed with techniques and tips for screenwriters, focusing on the action, thriller and suspense genres. No theories! Only actual techniques! The ultimate HOW TO screenwriting book! Creating the ultimate villain, harvesting the audience's secrets desires or hidden fears to create a hit film, how to write a plot twist, the four kinds of suspense, using reversals to keep your descriptions exciting, four ways to explode cliches, the two types of heroes, ten ways to create exciting action scenes, using secrets and lies, weapons for weirdos, instant character identifiers, your script's DNA, 16 steps to better description, pacing secrets, rugpulls, visual characterization, "Popeye" points, and more! "Secrets Of Action Screenwriting" was written by a working professional screenwriter with seventeen produced films. He knows what works!

To Order SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING:

Click here for Amazon.com.

NEW CLASS!

NOIR & MYSTERY80 minute CD packed with information on writing Film Noir and Mystery scripts. Using examples from CHINATOWN to OUT OF THE PAST to DOUBLE INDEMNITY you'll learn how to create stories in this dark, twisted genre. How to plant clues, red herrings, suspects, victims, spider women, fallen heroes, the funhouse mirror world of noir supporting characters... and the origins of Film Noir in literature Noir dialogue and how noir endings are different than any other genre. All of the critical elements necessary to write in this critically popular genre.
The Noir & Mystery Class is only $15 (plus $5 S&H). First 20 on Limited Black Disk!

RECESSION SALE! $5 OFF!

IDEAS AND CREATIVITY - 80 minute CD packed with information. Tools to find ideas that are both personal *and* commercial. Hollywood wants scripts with High Concept stories... but not stupid scripts. Developing *intelligent* high concept ideas. How to turn your personal story into a blockbuster - or find your personal story in a high concept idea. Brainstorming and being creative. Ideas and Creativity is $10.00 (plus $5 S&H)

WRITING INDIES - Writing an Indie film? This class covers everything you need to know - from Central Locations to Confined Cameos. Using examples from SWINGERS, THE COOLER, STATION AGENT and others, this 80 minute CD is packed with information. How Indoe films challenge the audience (while mainstream films reassure the audience). Structures, using BOYS DON'T CRY, RUN LOLA RUN, HILARY & JACKIE, and others as example. Writing for a budget, writing for non-actors, getting the most production value out of your budget. Writing Indies is $10.00 (plus $5 S&H)

WRITING HORROR - The essentials of a horror screenplay - what do ROSEMARY'S BABY, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE EXORCIST, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE OTHERS and OPEN WATER have in common? This class will tell you! All of the critical elements necessary to write a script that scares the pants off the audience. Writing Horror is $10.00 (plus $5 S&H).

Click here for more information on CLASS CDs!

CANON GL2 MINI DV CAMERA

Skip the producers and do it yourself - film your script and make your own movie. This "ProSumer" camera uses a 3 CCD system and has a 20x optical zoom professional L series Flourite lens. It records on either MiniDV tape or MMC/SD card. Output by firewire or USB for stills. Battery runs over 1 hour without recharging. Image stablizer. Over 500 lines of horizontal resolution. The consumer version of Canon's pro XL1S camera.

* * * Buy It!

copyright 2010 by William C. Martell