Visual Storytelling: Actions Speak Louder Than Words OnDemand Webinar

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

Film is a visual medium and a screenwriter (by definition) is writing for the screen (not the speakers)... but how do you tell a story visually? When Oscar winning screenwriter Robert Rouse was given a chance to write and direct his own movie, he made THE THIEF (1952) which was dialogue free! Rouse was an Oscar winning *screen* writer. That was 1952, for the past 25 years over 2/3rds of USA film's income is from overseas, where they often do not speak English. The ability to tell your story visually is critical. Though there are dozens of old idioms like "Seeing is believing" and "Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear" and "I'll believe it when I see it", do your screenplays follow this ancient wisdom? Hitchcock said: "Rely on action to tell your story and resort to dialogue only when it's impossible to do otherwise." But how do we do that?

This seminar will show you how to tell your story visually, so that your dialogue can be the icing on the cake and doesn't have to do all of the heavy lifting. Using simple techniques you will learn how to turn a character's thoughts and emotions into concrete actions. How to write an actual screenplay using examples from Hitchcock, the Best Screenplay Oscar Winning coming of age drama "Breaking Away" and several recent and classic films. Over a dozen techniques you can use today.

William C. Martell has been a working professional screenwriter for 25 years with a stack of produced screenplays plus many more sales and assignments, and can guide you through the process of harnessing your imagination and creativity to turn thoughts, emotions, and dialogue into actions we can see and audiences the world over will understand.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• How to use physical decisions to show character.
• Why your protagonist's goal *must* be something physical.
• How to create a Visual Character Arc.
• Why creating contrast is critical to your story.
• How to use symbols to show emotions.
• How to harness the tools of visual storytelling to create a more compelling screenplay.
• Over a dozen professional techniques like Echo Scenes.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Writers looking to improve their craft.
• Writers with dialogue dependent screenplays or novels.
• Writers looking to take their work to the next level.
• Writers who want to write more exciting description.
• Writers who are great at dialogue but need help with the other 50%.
• Writers planning on novelizing their screenplays.
• Writers who wonder how much description is too much?
• Writers who love tools (not rules).