In this Film Courage video, we discuss various insights and advice about writing effective dialogue for screenplays. We emphasize the importance of purposeful conversation, character intentions, subtext, and contrast in dialogue. This compilation highlights how dialogue should drive the story forward, showcasing individual voices, and avoiding on-the-nose explanations. Additionally, it…

Film Courage: When being pitched every executive has this question, “Why am I looking at this?” Executive Vice President of Co-Productions & Distribution/Author Scott Kirkpatrick: Yes, there are I think a couple of questions that may never be asked that you have to be able to answer with a…

Glenn Gers: How am I going to turn whatever feeling or idea I have into a story? Jason Satterlund: How are they doing that? What is the magic sauce? Jack Grapes: If I got in a car, the most beautiful car in the world, turn on the key, it doesn’t…

Film Courage: How do you define story? How do you teach it to clients and students? Glenn Gers, Screenwriter: I think the basic idea of a story is that you’re going to be following a character or characters. It’s entirely possible to tell the story of multiple characters. You…

*This content contains talk of mental health, depression and suicide.

Create it, put it out, that’s the art. You’re an artist now.

A story that has a metaphorical dimension Film Courage: What is a myth? Christopher Vogler, Hollywood development executive, screenwriter, author and educator: A myth is a lot of things to a lot of people but I think the basic way I interpret this term is that it’s a story, but…

Film Courage: What is the comic premise? Author/Speaker/Artist/Screenwriter John Vorhaus: The comic premise is the gap between real reality and comic reality. It’s a rule change that takes normal reality and turns it into something else. Here’s a good example, in the situation comedy Married with Children which I’m sure…

Film Courage: We all feel stuck at times? What do we do if we’re not creative, we’re not on all cylinders? Carole Kirschner, Entertainment Career Coach, Speaker & Author: There’s a couple of different ways to get unstuck. I actually teach an online course about getting unstuck and we talk…