4Screenwriters: Horror Screenwriting Registration

Browse Courses

Password Reminder

Sponsor

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 Instructor: D. Martin Watson is the instructor and is a professional screenwriter with his first film TENEBROUS due to be released by Spring 2009.
Course Certification?: Yes!, you receive a certification of successful completion!
Course Format: Online Self-guided Course
Course Length: 4 week(s)
Cost: $45
Text: Provided e-text
Start Date: Daily

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

ELEMENTS:

· Elements of Horror
· Horror and the Screenwriter
· The Early Masters Of Film Horror
· Today's Horror Film Market (What's Working? Why Is It Working?)
· Grabbing Your Fear With Two Hands (Creating Your Horror)
· 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

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 .

I work and can only log into the site at different hours?

Does not matter, the program will pick up where you left off, and you work at your own pace!

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

Yes. You can start at any time.

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

Register by Phone or Email
4 Screenwriters LLC admin@4screenwriters.com (323) 230-8561