The third installment in the Power-Up Webinar Series features Dan Calvisi, Jen Grisanti,
Lee Jessup and David Misch. These industry-leading educators will provide instruction
through 20-minute segments, live at the Relativity School Studio in LA.
Dan Calvisi – Write Great Description Paragraphs – Learn From The Masters!
A lot is written about the art of dialogue, but what about the equal challenge
of writing great description/action? Citing examples from modern masters like
Christopher Nolan, Vince Gilligan, Shonda Rhimes and Quentin Tarantino,
Dan Calvisi will explore the mechanics, formatting and execution of this crucial
element of the screenplay. Dan will also lead the class in writing the introduction of a famous movie
character, to be compared to the actual text from the original screenplay.
Jen Grisanti – Writing A TV Pilot That Sells: Setting Up The Series And Season One
Through The Arc Of The Wound
In this talk, Jen Grisanti will go over how to set up the series and season one arc by
creating a strong arc of the wound for the central character. It is when the personal
dilemma links to the professional pursuit and the pilot arc is one step toward healing
the wound that we root for the outcome and emotionally connect to the story. Jen
will discuss the season arcs for FLEABAG (Amazon), RIVER (Netflix) and HAPPY VALLEY (Netflix).
Lee Jessup – Representation Rundown
This will cover everything you ever wanted to know about agents and managers,
including how to get the right representation, what to expect from your agent vs.
what your can expect from your manager, how much you should pay them, what
they will expect from you, and what you can do to motivate them.
David Misch – How “How Comedy Works” Works
My seminar “How Comedy Works” makes a unique guarantee in the world of
screenwriting seminars: it gives you absolutely no help with screenwriting. HCW,
as we in the office like to call it (Note: There is no office), is about comedy as an
art form; what it is, what it means and how it works. Why take time with that instead
of figuring out why your 2nd act sucks?, I hear no one asking. Because learning how comedy works will
help you do it better. Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. This talk will show how looking at
comedy not screenwriting can help your screenwriting; how contemporary comedy goes back to ancient
Greece (and yes, I’m looking at you, fart and vomit jokes); and the precision, skill and ingenuity that
comedy requires. Most of all, this talk explains why everyone who says examination kills comedy is
not only wrong but should be killed, and shows how comedy principles translate into actual laughter.
So, y’know, forget that stuff about no help.