This course is self-paced and on demand. You can go through the materials and complete assignments at your own pace. There is no instructor or peer interaction in this course.
This workshop offers comprehensive tools and insights for writing the action feature-length film. While the action genre is often equivocated with ‘simply’ daring feats and leaps into the air and off tall buildings, the reader must take the leap with the writer to suspend disbelief and jump into a script that goes beyond stereotype, one-dimensional characters and pure formula.
Understanding the fundamentals of this genre and how to make the most of it will be examined through online lectures, written assignments and creative exercises designed to both educate and inspire. Examples from blockbuster action films will be referenced to offer insights into creating suspense through action paragraphs and how to keep the audience curious and engaged without pulling false punches. Specific strategies on developing and delivering a successful action feature will include tools on implementing character and plot conflict, setting a gripping stage, moving beyond wooden and monosyllabic dialogue to making every word count, using visual storytelling to uncover clues, increasing tension and raising the stakes while remaining true to the plot and characters.
