I offer workshops and lectures in script analysis to production companies and film organizations. Below is a sample description for a typical lecture class. Film titles can be substituted from a list of about 30 films for which I have prepared lectures. I am also open to requests for specific films not on that list. Lectures can be scheduled as a series or as a one-time presentation.

Analyzing the Script on Screen

Dramatic structure can take many forms – the character-based story, the theme-based story, the multiple story, the non-linear story. We will analyze, on screen, six great films in six weeks – Sunset Boulevard, Annie Hall, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Traffic, Pulp Fiction – to reveal the unique structure of each. We will study how traditional three-act structure is utilized and how it is departed from. We will track the progression of the character transformation. We will uncover the theme level of the story and note how it informs all other elements. And we will look at the construction of individual scenes. Throughout, we will examine how the “rules” of screenwriting are applied and then broken to serve artistic intentions. This class is aimed at the sophisticated film professional, but the newcomer will also enjoy the chance to think deeply about these great films.

Please contact me here to schedule a class or workshop for your company. A list of prepared lecture titles can be found here.