4Screenwriters: Horror Screenwriting Registration

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Advanced Class > Writing Horror

This course is for intermediate to advanced screenwriters who have learned basic screenplay format. Students will learn all the aspects and elements of genre screenwriting and will be able to write a feature length Horror screenplay at the end of this course. In order to write about Horror, the student must first understand the basics of Human Nature when it comes to Horror or rather Fear. Horror shows people in decay, hideous, ridden with guilt by ghosts from the past, chased by monsters that are sometimes of their own making. We will first study the Nature of Fear and the introduction of Horror through History and Mythology of our Cultures. This will lead us into the age of Writing and then into Movies.

Students will be able to study chosen films by the instructor and be able to talk about the essence of the Horror in the film. The instructor will identify the different types of Horror to help you understand the success of Horror films in the market today. Modern Horror films and their screenplays will be discussed as well as the Classics. Students will learn the difference between a true Horror film and the twenty gallons of red food dye films. Students will talk and describe what they fear most and how to use that feeling of fear to help their stories progress and have that fear transferred to the page.

Course Format: Online & instructor based
Course Length: 6 week(s)
Cost: $150
Text: None
Start Date: May 1st, 2008

Classes available 2008	Enrolled	Capacity	Deadline
Spring	6	10	May 1st

(Office Hours are live sessions with the instructor and take place at least twice every month -- 6PM PST to 7:30 PM -- That's LA time.)

Class space is limited so reserve your space now for the next class.

Class Goals:

Reading (e-text), movie analysis, and some writing exercises
Lectures on fundamental concepts
Present work for critique

Course Outline

Class Breakdown by Week:

WEEK ONE: Elements of Horror
WEEK TWO: Horror and the Screenwriter
WEEK THREE: The Early Masters Of Film Horror
WEEK FOUR: Today's Horror Film Market (What's Working? Why Is It Working?)
WEEK FIVE: Grabbing Your Fear With Two Hands (Creating Your Horror)
WEEK SIX: Making Your Horror Film

Topics Covered:

· Story-Story-Story
· Horror script structure
· Dynamics of horror storytelling
· Human Fear
· Psychology of the horror mind
· Expectations of genre and why it is important
· Monster and how they propel the horror story
· Blood and Guts
· Writing the Scene
· Types of Scenes
· Dialogue
· Story Movement
· Structures
· Developing Characters
· Storyline
· The Payoff
· The Elevator Pitch
· Selling Horror Films

Who is the instructor?

D. Martin Watson is the instructor and is a professional screenwriter with his first film TENEBROUS due to be released by Spring 2008.

Do I need any special equipment to take an eClass?

The digital classroom Web site works with every common modern operating system. The best web browsers to use are:

Internet Explorer (IE) version 5+ for Windows 98+

Netscape version 7+ or Mozilla for MacOS X, Mac 9, and Linux

If you do not have the latest version of one of these browsers, you can just download it for free from these websites:

Internet Explorer (recommended for Windows users): http://www.microsoft.com/ie
Netscape Navigator (recommended for Mac users): http://www.netscape.com/download
Mozilla (recommended for Linux users): http://www.mozilla.org/

Do classes meet?

Classes don't meet in the traditional sense. You will participate online for parts of the class - except for Office Hours (live sessions with your instructor!) - on your own time. Each "class" continues for entire duration, office hours 2 times per month.

How do I communicate with the instructor and my classmates?

Via LIVE chat sessions with your instructor and your classmates in the Chat Room, which we call Office Hours. During Office Hours the instructor will make a brief presentation, discuss assignments, and then you and your fellow students can ask questions, discuss the assignments or lectures, and anything else that pertains to the class.

You'll also be communicating with your instructor and classmates in the interactive Forums where you can post about the lectures, assignments, ask questions, make comments, anything! And your instructor will be checking in on the forum regularly to answer your questions and add their own two cents when necessary.

How do I get feedback from my instructor? Will this be an interactive class?

Yes. Your instructor gives you a deadline for posting your work in the Homework Forum. Students and instructor read your work and post comments under your name on the forum. You can go to the forum as often as you like to read instructor and class discussions, post your own comments, or get class updates. In turn, you also will read your fellow students' work and post comments under their name on the forum. We encourage you to read the instructor's comments on all of your classmates' work, since that will help you develop a critical eye. Reading and commenting on each other's work is one of the most critical keys to success in our eClasses.

If I miss an instructor's Office Hours, is there a way to find out what I missed?

Yes! You can read a transcript of all Chat Room discussions by viewing the Chat Room log.

It's already into the month I wish to take the class, can I still take it?

Yes. You can start up to the first live Office Hour, or Chat Room class. The dates are noted at the top of the page. Up to that first class all activities are web-based and allow you to catch up quickly.

Do I have to register to get into class?

Yes. You can start your registration process below

Did You Know?
The average payment to a feature writer or team in 2003 was $654,000. - Source Hollywood Reporter

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