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Screenwriting with Frederick Ritzenberg Presented by Scary Cow

Stage Werx Theatre
San Francisco, CA

Frederick Ritzenberg will cover the basic elements of screenwriting, story development, and how to implement the three act structure in your screenplay. There will also be a workshop portion of the class to allow you to express your concerns about anything in regards to your script!

CLASS HIGHLIGHTS

Structure and Story:
- Know your story.
- What is your PLOT?
- Standard Three Act Structure
- Dramatic premise

Scene Breakdown:
- What are the elements of drama?
- How does each scene advance the story?
- How does the scene advance the character's development?

Character Development:
- What makes a good protagonist?
- Dramatic Need
- Motivation
- Character Arcs
- What are you trying to say about your characters?
- Who ARE your characters?
- The importance of writing character bios

Dialogue:
- Stated vs. exposition
- Implied vs. subtext
- Showing vs. telling
- What is REALLY good dialogue?!

Conflict:
- WHAT IS conflict?
- WHERE IS the conflict?
- How does conflict move the story forward?
- The importance of a worthy antagonist

Conclusion:
- Know how your story ends (or don't)
- How to resolve character issues
- Happy Endings

INSTRUCTOR BIO
Frederick A. Ritzenberg has been in the film business for the last twenty-five years, writing and producing motion pictures. He produced and directed (with David Leivick) the critically acclaimed feature film, GOSPEL, which Variety called "technically and artistically, the greatest concert film since Martin Scorsese's THE LAST WALTZ.

He has also written screenplays for some of Hollywood's top name producers: BROTHER ZACK for Joe Roth, Chairman of Revolution Studios. WOODY for Ted Field, Chairman of Radar Pictures, OFFICER BUDDY for Scott Kroopf , President of Intermedia Entertainment, THE LIMIT for Daniel Melnick, President of Indiprod Company at Columbia Pictures, TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT for Dick Clark Entertainment, and PENNIES A DAY for Nash Entertainment. Most recently he adapted THE CURE, for Mystic Films.

Fred has also been an instructor at the Academy of Art College, teaching hundreds of undergraduates the craft of screenwriting. He created the screenwriting course curriculum for the Motion Picture/Video Department. He is on the faculty at the Berkeley Digital Film Institute and holds a BA and an MFA in filmmaking from The San Francisco Art Institute. He is a member of the Writer's Guild of America, West.

Currently, Fred is producing a feature film, ZAYTOUN, with Gareth Unwin, the producer of THE KING'S SPEECH. The film will be directed by Eran Riklis and shot in Israel.

Stage Werx Theatre, 533 Sutter St.
Tuesday, August 9th & Tuesday 16th, 7-10pm.

$40 Scary Cow Members (discount code is in your Scary Cow email account)
$65 Non Members

Kid Friendly: No

Dog Friendly: No

Non-Smoking: Yes!

Wheelchair Accessible: Yes!

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