Make Your Script's Opening Pages Stand Out
The opening pages of a script matter far more than you think. They are the chance a busy Literary Manager/Agent/Producer/Actor gives you to impress them with your command of craft, story and above all, characters. If you can impress those people with your skills in those pages, there’s a great chance they’ll keep reading. And that is the first hurdle to overcome in the obstacle course that is a screenwriting career. Get them to keep reading.
Contrary to what you may think, your opening pages don’t have to be filled with the best and biggest ideas you’ve ever had. Every page does NOT need to explode with action, drama, romance, epic sci fi battles or whatever. But they do need to engage your reader.
Tim Schildberger’s vast experience coaching writers, running screenplay competitions and writing the Amazon best selling book ‘The Audience and You – A guide to writing screenplays with emotional impact’ means he’s read more opening pages than you’ve had hot dinners. He has a rich understanding of what works, and common errors.
This OnDemand webinar will explore why these pages matter so much, and how you can entice a reader to stay with your script. You’ll also learn how to avoid some of the ridiculously common and easy mistakes that risk giving your reader an excuse to move on.
Your opening pages matter. Now’s the time to learn how to give your script, and your skills, the best chance of attracting attention, and to show the industry you are a writer who’s ready.
What You Will Learn:
- Why the opening pages matter
- How to get your reader engaged
- How to introduce your characters creatively
- How to jump into story quickly and effectively
- Understanding what a reader is looking for
- How to avoid giving the reader damaging accidental information
- The power and dangers of scene and character descriptions
- What makes a reader stop reading What makes a reader keep reading
- Common mistakes and how to easily avoid them
- How to best showcase your talent and command of craft
- How to generate an emotional response with as few words as possible
- How to write impactful dialogue
- How to avoid ‘boring’ your reader
- How to use language more efficiently
- How to send the right subliminal messages to your reader
Who Should Attend:
- Writers who want to make a positive first impression with their script
- Writers who want to engage their reader/audience
- Writers who want to get repped by Literary Managers/Agents
- Writers who want to announce themselves as an emerging talent
- Writers who have a hard time introducing characters Writers who battle with ‘clunky’ exposition and scene description
- Writers who want to learn how to say more with less words
- Writers who want to understand the power of their opening pages
- Writers who need help with dialogue
- Writers who want to improve their command of craft
- Writers who want to just want to make their script stronger
Instructor:
Tim Schildberger is a writer, script coach, podcaster, author, and Australian who lives in Los Angeles. He’s written for international soap operas, ran the field team for ‘Borat’, created his own comedy series for the Travel Channel, and has been helping writers improve their command of craft for many years.
Tim runs www.write-la.com – which has tips, advice, and is the home of the annual screenwriting competition Write LA – which has launched several careers.
Tim also organizes live read events, workshops, and is always finding new ways to share his knowledge and give back to emerging writers.