Screenplay Fundamentals: Build Story Structures
A course by Naomi Beaty , Screenplay Consultant
Learn to develop compelling narratives by exploring a script’s structural elements and turning your ideas into audiovisual projects
“I love tinkering with stories the way a mechanic might take an engine apart and put it back together again.”
Screenplay consultant Naomi Beaty specializes in collaborating with writers, directors, and producers, to find creative solutions for screenplays. She has worked on projects including Twilight, Percy Jackson, and The Stanford Prison Experiment, and also teaches group screenwriting workshops.
In this online course, Naomi shows you how to turn an idea into a screenplay by finding its organic structure and foundational elements. Create a synopsis of a story intended to become a script for a feature-length movie, and learn how to market it for success. Are you ready to find and tell your story?
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 22 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (95)
- 3,123 students
- 16 lessons (1h 38m)
- 22 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create a one to two-page synopsis of a story intended to become a screenplay for a feature-length movie.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for screenwriters, producers, directors, or anyone who has an idea that they want to turn into a movie.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required.
In terms of materials, you’ll need something to write with, as well as access to word processing software like Microsoft Word for the final project.
Reviews
Naomi Beaty
A course by Naomi Beaty
Naomi Beaty is a screenwriting teacher, screenplay consultant, and former development executive with more than 10 years of experience in the entertainment industry. Growing up, she was always reading and was introduced to the world of movies while taking film appreciation classes in college. After graduating, she began her education in screenwriting through reading before going on to work for local directors and small productions, which motivated her to move to LA to pursue a career in the film industry.
There she worked in various roles from a producer, manager to a writer-for-hire, all of which deepened her knowledge and experience in the screenwriting industry. Naomi has worked on titles including Twilight, Percy Jackson, and The Stanford Prison Experiment and now is a consultant for writers, directors, and producers on their film and TV projects. She also teaches group screenwriting workshops via her company Write+Co.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
The Basic Elements of a Story
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What Is a Story?
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The Protagonist
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The Goal
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The Opposition
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The Stakes
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The Three-Act Structure and Turning Points
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U3
Writing a Synopsis
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The Logline
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Defining the Structure and Plot Points
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The Context
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The Conflict and Escalation
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The Resolution
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U4
From Synopsis to Screenplay
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Tips on Polishing the Synopsis
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How to Begin Writing the Screenplay
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Marketing the Screenplay
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FP
Final project
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Screenplay Fundamentals: Build Story Structures
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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FAQs
What are Domestika's online courses?
Domestika courses are online classes that allow you to learn new skills and create incredible projects. All our courses include the opportunity to share your work with other students and/or teachers, creating an active learning community. We offer different formats:
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É uma perpsectiva um bocadinho diferente de escrever um livro, mas os métodos apresentados parecem-me igualmente válidos. Foi tempo bem gasto. Obrigado.
Although the teaching is pretty basic, and actually writing the screenplay was excluded, Naomi Beaty did a very good job explaining the process of coming up with an idea for a film to executing a beat board (again, not completely to take your idea to 120 pages, but the very meat of it). Welldone Naomi.
Who would this course be for? Well, beginners and pros who want to review or refresh their knowledge of the rule book.
Love from Lagos, Nigeria
Obaji Akpet
(Writer, Journalist and filmmaker)
Excelente, aprendi muchísimo y adema Naomi hace de cada clase una aventura
It was ok. I liked the first two modules best; the other two were not as much craft session, but her just going through her own exercise which provides minimal learning. Recommend for anyone who has no idea at all about screen writing. Very basic information provided.
Excelente curso, Perfecto para mi que no sabia nada, aunque si me con ganas de más contenido.