About the instructor: Diane has been commissioned to write films for Columbia, Disney, Miramax, Paramount, NBC and numerous independent producers. Her film, Frida, opened the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for six Academy Awards in 2003, winning two. Her script Hemingway in Paris sold recently to a Swiss/French producer and her script Ada—on the life of Ada Byron Lovelace – is currently under option by two Hollywood producers.
Her textbook on screenwriting, The Screenwriter’s Path: From Idea to Script to Sale, is used at universities worldwide. Diane is also a Professor Emerita in Visual & Media Arts, having taught at Emerson College in Boston/Los Angeles for 15 years. www.dianelake.com and https://www.screenwriterspath.com/
Course description: Whether you’re just thinking about writing a screenplay or are a veteran, meeting other screenwriters and talking about this art—and it is an art—can be so valuable. Our screenwriting workshop will focus on character, structure, plot, dialogue, and that elusive thing that makes one screenplay stand out over another. When we realize who we’re writing for—that reader at an agency or production company—we understand that we need to grab their attention quickly. Consequently, I hope participants leave at the end of the week having written a killer first 10 pages of a new screenplay. That’s 2 pages a day… doable, right? But hey, if you leave with a great first 3-4 pages, that’s a beginning—we’re after quality here, not quantity.
Our afternoon classes will be devoted to writing exercises, sharing your work with the other participants, and working on rewriting. You may work on a screenplay or teleplay—your choice.
For writers of all levels.
Preparation: If you want me to comment on any past script you’ve done or are working on for our one-on-one sessions, please send the first 10 pages of it by 15 May 2024 to admin.pww@wice-paris.org. Please include your masterclass workshop name with your materials. And if you’re working on a TV script for a show currently on the air, please let me know the name of the show so we can make sure I’m familiar with it.
I encourage you to read my book, The Screenwriter's Path: From Idea to Script to Sale, before the class -- but it's not required. It’s available on Amazon, etc., and you might find it in your local library. Or if you are local, you can order it from Shakespeare and Company or Red Wheelbarrow. I’ll be providing handouts during the class that will catch you up on parts of the book if you don’t get a chance to look at it before our class.
Agent consultations: For an additional fee, you can register for one, or two, agent consultations. Available exclusively to participants who have enrolled in a masterclass. Space is limited. More information here on Oliver Munson, and more information here on Caroline Hardman.
Cancellation Policy:
- Full refund through 15 April 2024 minus 100€ admin fee
- Half refund through 30 April 2024 minus 100€ admin fee
- No refund after 30 April 2024
In the event of unforeseen circumstances, PWW reserves the right to replace an instructor.
