Writing in Pictures: A One-Day Screenwriting Bootcamp with Xandra Castleton

Writers of all levels interested in screenwriting begin with the same questions (and some misconceptions) about how and why writing a screenplay is different from other forms of writing. What is the life cycle of a screenplay? What is different about writing with collaborators (such as directors and actors) in mind? What is the relationship of the screenwriter to the audience? What does it mean to write in the immediate present? Why do some ideas lend themselves well to the screenplay form and others not so well? What, in practical terms, does it mean to “write in pictures”? In this seminar and mini-workshop, we’ll tackle these questions and more through a mixture of lecture-demonstrations, discussion, and opportunities for writing exercises.

Topics will include:

*the unique challenges of screenwriting;

*the purpose of the screenplay format;

*the stages of screenwriting: idea, logline, treatment, screenplay;

*how to generate ideas and recognize promising ones;

*learning screenplay structure without being limited by it;

*creating unforgettable characters;

*writing crisp dialogue;

*writing cinematically;

*a mini-pitch session.

All students will receive an online packet with suggested screenplays and links to useful resources, groups, and conferences. The class will be followed by a 30-minute optional mixer.

Xandra Maria Castleton, M.F.A., Cinema, is a screenwriter, script consultant, and producer with credits on multiple award-winning film and TV projects, starting with an Emmy for her profile of John Waters during her stint as producer of a series on independent film. Her films have premiered at festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca, AFI, and Rotterdam, with her feature Full Grown Men (with Judah Friedlander, Alan Cumming, Amy Sedaris, and Debbie Harry) winning a Sundance Channel Audience Award prior to theatrical release. Xandra was the co-creator/writer and executive producer of Stand Up Planet, with Hasan Minhaj, Michele Buteau, Nate Bargatze, Norman Lear, and Carl Reiner.

Xandra taught screenwriting at Stanford’s Continuing Education Program and at California College of the Arts for over ten years. She now teaches exclusively at the Writers Grotto and works with her script coaching and editing clients through www.greatscreenplays.com.