1 session: Saturday, May 18, 1-5pm

Looking to enter—or re-enter—the world of screenwriting? Looking for an ideal companion course to FilmNorth’s Elements of/Advanced Screenwriting courses? In this interactive and entertaining 4-hour overview of screenwriting, you’ll learn what it takes to write a great screenplay and sell it. Topics include the fundamentals of storytelling, the seven essential elements of a screenplay, the four essential elements of a scene, the “Hollywood Formula” three-act story structure, the film industry landscape, the conventional and non-conventional paths for selling scripts, the arduous journey from script to screen, and everything in between.

This workshop has been a favorite of screenwriters, directors, producers, actors, thespians, and film enthusiasts alike, from beginner to expert. You’ll leave with great new ideas and energy to improve your writing mojo. Advance viewing of the films Usual Suspects, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Shawshank Redemption, and Dead Poets Society is recommended but not required. Attendees will receive copies of Dead Poets Society and Way of the Warriors screenplays for review in advance.

Tuition: $100 regular/$75 member/$55 low-income

John Montague is a dynamic screenwriter with film, television, and interactive media experience including Fox, PBS, Warner Brothers, and Academy Award-winning actors Sir Ben Kingsley and Jack Lemmon. He’s currently in pre-production on Way of the Warriors, a story he wrote of a high school hockey family and community that unites in a time of crisis to realize their dreams that’s scheduled to be filmed on-location in Northern Minnesota the winter of 2019.

John is a past recipient of the NYSW Billy Wilder Award for screenwriting excellence. According to Kingsley, “Montague is a creatively brilliant yet remarkably collaborative and intuitive writer. His competence and demeanor make him a pleasure for directors, actors, and producers to work with.”

Class Registration Guidelines & Cancellation Policy

• Space is assigned on a first-come basis. Registrations must include payment in full. Registrations are accepted after registration deadlines if space is available.
• If minimum enrollment has not been reached by 7 days prior to the start date of a class, FilmNorth may cancel it, in which case registrants will immediately be notified and receive a full refund within 2 business days. A check will be issued for registrations that were paid in cash. In lieu of a refund, students have the option of applying their tuition to another class scheduled in the same calendar year.
• For those wishing to cancel a registration prior to the class registration deadline, 100% of the tuition will be refunded minus a $25 administrative fee. For registration cancellations received after the registration deadline but prior to the first class session, 50% of the tuition will be refunded minus a $25 administrative fee. As of 5:00 pm the day prior to a class start date, no refunds or credits/exchanges will be given (Friday at 5:00 pm for Sunday classes). 
• Tuition is not prorated for missed class sessions.