Angus Fletcher

Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story

Angus Fletcher
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  • In-depth Instruction; over 769 mins
  • On-demand video access anytime
  • Bonus downloadable PDF resources
  • Access to class Q&A
  • Available for purchase: $234.95
Before "Lights! Camera! Action!" there's one thing a film must have: a good story. In this first lesson, Angus. Fletcher introduces you to the importance of story. See how the earliest stories shape the ones we create today. You may be surprised to discover how cognitive science can shed light on how humans experience stories.
The first question any writer must ask is: Where do I want to take my audience? Prof. Fletcher shows you how to reverse-engineer stories to pinpoint their cognitive effects and put those tools to use in your own writing (and viewing) experiences.
Every script has a setting, both a time and a place where the story occurs. Understand the value of the rules that underlie your story and see how genres allow you to use pre-existing structures while enabling you to embrace a multitude of possibilities. Then look at the "big three" genres: tragedy, comedy, and heroic.
Character is the key ingredient in most successful stories. Prof. Fletcher presents a simple recipe for creating memorable characters with three simple ingredients. Discover why fear is the most powerful driver of human behavior and why this is a key to creating and sustaining great characters.
One thing budding screenwriters often forget is this: You are not the director. Your job as the writer is to create a great story. Here, look at the two most important ways writers shape tone, and then dive into four influential tones screenwriters used, using both literature and award-winning scripts as your guide.
One of the most common pitfalls of scriptwriting is poor plotting. Find out how plotting backwards can help you stay on track and why you should forget about creating a three-act structure.
Begin your exploration of great film scripts with "Casablanca." Learn how to identify its cognitive effect and reverse engineer the four main story components to unlock the tools you will use to understand every script.
How does a script go through 19 rewrites and multiple directors to emerge as one of the most influential films of the 20th century? Reverse engineer this story that traces its roots back to ancient Rome and see how a sublime tragedy can be even more powerful when brought down to a human scale.
The basic plot of all romantic comedies is essentially the same, so the surprise success of "When Harry Met Sally" can teach writers volumes about all the other ways you can make a story great. Prof. Fletcher demonstrates the subtle ways screenwriters can add naturalistic details to make a predictable story still feel realistic and rewarding.
Take a look at the film whose immense success gave us the term "blockbuster," examining why the feeling of relief is one of the most primordial of human emotions. You'll gain an appreciation for the value of improvisation and collaboration with actors in the filmmaking process.
"Annie Hall," a comedy with a more tragic ending and a tone that effortlessly fuses irony and sentiment, was an instant success that almost didn't happen. Use what you've learned about reverse engineering stories to better understand how to reach your ultimate (psychological) destination in a script.
The influence of Joseph Campbell and the idea of an archetypal journey have long been credited as part of the success of George Lucas's epic space opera. However, neuroscience has since debunked the idea of this "monomyth.” Prof. Fletcher shows you how the power of script comes down to something much simpler: childlike wonder.
""The Princess Bride" is the first film thus far that was not a hit on its initial release. Instead, its popularity grew slowly over time, engaging small audiences who were connected by a sense of being "in on the secret," the essence of charm. Solve the riddle of how two different worlds can actually be the same and discover why community can be an important element of storytelling.
Most Hollywood films use simple but strong emotional effects to lull audiences into an easy enjoyment in a world with moral certainty. But some movies want to make you think critically and offer no easy answers. Ambivalence can be a crucial tool for writers who want to challenge audiences, and this lesson shows you how to use it for powerful effect.
The gritty soul of the Western genre was revived by the release of "Unforgiven," a film that's not just a lesson in great genre writing, but in how to bring old stories back to life. Look at the ways the various story elements help create an anti-hero audiences will root for as you explore how a seemingly forgotten genre can be revived with the right script at the right time.
Film scripts often use literary techniques to build the story world, form characters, and set the right tone. By adopting a collage method taken from the surrealist movement, "Pulp Fiction" shows that visual arts can influence story in much the same way. Explore the various ways connections can be made between seemingly unrelated characters and events.
How did a film that began as a computer demo become an unexpected smash hit? Solve this mystery as you learn why having an engineering mindset can be a great advantage in screenwriting.
Some films defy easy explanation. "Fargo" is an eccentric story that uses its oddities to its advantage, such as delaying the appearance of the main character for almost a third of the film. Explore existentialism and see what can happen when writers stop thinking about fixed structure and focus on the desired result.
Begin your transition from the big screen to the small by looking at the different ways television and film scripts approach storytelling. See why the conflicts and plotting of TV must operate differently from film to sustain story over time and how you can determine which format is best for the kind of story you want to tell.
Follow Prof. Fletcher as he shows you how a TV pilot works. Or, in the case of the original "Game of Thrones" pilot, how it doesn't. Compare the initial failed script with the later successful one and see how a story can be reshaped to better achieve its desired effect.
In the first of three lectures focused on successful TV genres, look at the longest running sitcom in television history, "The Simpsons.” Discover why jokes are not the key to humor; it's all in the characters and their ongoing conflict with the world around them.
The success of the procedural story harkens back to the Victorian heyday of Sherlock Holmes, whose adventures always followed a similar pattern but with important variations. This same technique drives the success of shows like "CSI," as this lecture demonstrates by looking at the pilot episode, which encapsulates the show's combination of problem solving and problem making.
See why soap operas are an enduring and brilliant form of storytelling, despite their reputation. "Grey's Anatomy" shows how the conflict between wanting to belong and feeling like an outsider can fuel an emotional kind of storytelling.
Prof. Fletcher wraps things up by revisiting the ultimate goals of the class: to help you appreciate more film and TV; tell better stories; and write your own scripts. As he takes you through each of these points, he also gives invaluable practical advice on how to become a screenwriter from a professional perspective. And that's a wrap!
 
 
24 Lessons
12  hrs 49  mins

Whether you want to write your own scripts or simply gain a deeper appreciation for the great stories you see unfold on the screen, Professor Angus Fletcher is here to show you the way. In this class, you’ll understand not only how to write a script, but how to tell a great story that moves audiences — the ultimate goal of storytelling in any medium.

Angus Fletcher

Angus Fletcher is a professor of English and Film at The Ohio State University and a core faculty member at Project Narrative. He has previously taught at Stanford University, the University of Southern California and Yale University. Angus is the author of more than a dozen feature screenplays and television pilots, including a J.R.R. Tolkien biopic for the producers of "The Lord of the Rings" series, an adaptation of "The Longest Journey" for the estate of E. M. Forster, and an adaptation of "The Variable Man" for the estate of Philip K. Dick. He holds a Ph.D. in English from Yale.

Angus Fletcher

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