How To Build The World Your Characters Inhabit In Your Screenplays
Webinar hosted by: Brian Herskowitz
Screenwriter & Producer of over 3 dozen feature films and television shows
Brian is a veteran film and television writer and producer who has worked on over 2 dozen films and television shows. Some of his film credits include the feature film BUCKY AND THE SQUIRRELS, which starred Jason Alexander from SEINFELD, BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT, which starred Michael Welch from TWILIGHT, MUSICAL CHAIRS, which was directed by Susan Seidelman from SEX IN THE CITY and TIO PAPI, which was directed by Fro Rojas. As director/writer/producer, he is slated to begin production on a new film BEFORE MOONRISE. In television, his writing credits include working with HBO, NBC, CBS, Universal Television, FOX on shows such asHERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS, DREAM ON, BLOSSOM, RENEGADE and more. He was on the producing team for the critically acclaimed TOUR OF DUTY where he was recognized by the TV academy for his contribution to the show by the Emmy winning post-production sound department. Brian co-wrote the FOX pilot MANTIC with Jason Alexander. Also, he worked as a punch-up writer on BOB PATTERSON and LISTEN UP. As a director Brian wrote and directed the award-winning short film ODESSA OR BUST starring SEINFELD’S Jason Alexander and RUSHMORE’S Jason Schwartzman. His new short content series MURRAY GHOST which he directed, produced, wrote, and edited is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit. He currently has a nine-episode podcast, IDENTITY THEFT, running on Spotify. This is the first offering from the THRILLING STORIES podcast series. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
Learn how to elevate your screenwriting utilizing professional world building with a prolific film and television writer and producer who has worked on over 25 film and television projects!
PLUS! You'll receive exclusive handouts to help you with your own screenplay world building.
Whether your story takes place in the inner city or a distant planet, building the world where your story exists in your screenplay is crucially important. The world of the story adds context, texture, and is intimately tied to the concept of your piece. Master storytellers from Quentin Tarantino to Christopher Nolan take great pains to properly world build in their movies to make their stories well-defined and put their characters in the right setting.
World-building, even when it’s a version of our modern day planet earth, can be overwhelming. How do you determine the rules of your world? How do you invent details that engage without bogging the viewer down in unnecessary minutia?
In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, award-winning writer/director/producer Brian Herskowitz will take you through the fundamentals of creating the world of your screenplay so that you can elevate your story to even greater heights and send your characters on the right journey.
Brian has written and produced for both TV and film and has worked on feature films, one-hour dramas and sitcoms. He is a member of the Writer’s Guild of America and the Producer’s Guild of America and has directed award-winning short films, including MURRAY GHOST with Helen Slater, JOANNE with Gina Hecht, and ODESSA OR BUST starring Jason Schwartzman, Jason Alexander, and the late academy-award winner Red Buttons.
In this information-packed webinar, you will learn how to create the world of your story, invent rules and the world's logic, and remain consistent. You’ll also be given tools that will aid you in creating a clear, compelling environment that will feed the characters and entertain your audience. This webinar tackles an often overlooked yet critically important step in making your story jump off the page and onto the screen.
PLUS! You'll receive exclusive handouts to help with your world building in your script.
No matter what format or genre you're writing, this webinar is a must to help you elevate your work!
Praise for Brian's Teaching & Knowledge:
“As a collaborator with Brian and a guest in his class, I am hugely impressed with his screenwriting knowledge. I heartily recommend him and his course.”
- Jason Alexander (Seinfeld, Pretty Woman, Listen Up)
"I have a master's degree and a doctorate, Brian is by far the most caring and best teacher I have ever had." - Alan J.
"The course was everything I needed and then some. An excellent course." - Katie R.
"Mr. Herskowitz is very knowledgeable, patient, and superb at discerning problems and helping us solve them." - Sandra O.
"A solid course in which I felt I had learned a LOT by the time it was over." - Peter L.
What You'll Learn
- What is world-building, and why is it important?
- How do you brainstorm the universe of your story?
- What questions should you ask and answer?
- How do you pick a specific time and place for the setting?
- How does the environment inform the story?
- How do you use the setting to move your audience?
- How does time play into your decision?
- How does world-building fit your story genre?
- Why world-building is just as crucial for a courtroom drama as it is for Star Wars
- How do you build a world that doesn't exist for fantasy and Sci-Fi?
- Does your genre
- Concept and the Story World
- How Concept can influence the way you build your World
- How defining your Concept defines and REDEFINES your World.
- Examples by Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Fantasy
- Our World – (only better)
- Q&A with Brian
About Your Instructor
Brian Herskowitz
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