The Screenwriter's Guide To Captivating Your Audience
Hosted by Karina Wilson
$49
On Demand Webinar - Available for immediate viewing and unlimited access.
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Hosted by Karina Wilson
$49
On Demand Webinar - Available for immediate viewing and unlimited access.
Webinar hosted by: Karina Wilson
Story and Development Analyst at Worked for IM Global & Blumhouse
For nearly a decade Karina Wilson was the in house story consultant for IM Global which financed or produced over 30 Hollywood feature films and controlled a library of over 300 films including PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, INSIDIOUS, SINISTER and A HAUNTED HOUSE. As a story consultant she has helped to shape narratives in every genre, from independent documentaries to Netflix animated series. While at IM Global she worked on many of their titles including SECRET IN THEIR EYES with Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts, 13 SINS, and THE CIRCLE with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson. She specializes in genre movies and adaptations (particularly horror and romance) but works in all genres. Being British living in LA she brings a wealth of international experience to her development projects and is currently developing a series of Thrillers for British TV. Karina is considered an expert in the Horror genre and has taught classes at UCLA and her analysis of horror trends through the decades has been featured in the WSJ, on NPR, in medical textbooks and in documentaries alongside luminaries such as Jason Blum, Joe Dante, and Andy Muschietti. She is also the lead screenplay judge for niche indie horror festival, Shriekfest, and has been picking winners for them since 2007. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
Learn how to hook your readers through proven screenwriting techniques with story expert Karina Wilson, who has worked on films with Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Ron Perlman, Tom Hanks, Emma Watson and more!
PLUS! You'll receive an exclusive "Guide To Engaging With Your Audience" handout to help with your work!
Writing is an act of service. Not to your ego, your career, or your bank balance, but to your creative team and your audience. It’s all too easy to forget, amid the constant chatter of screenwriting advice (Structure! Format! Character arcs!), that your primary goal is to engage your readers and entertain a large group of human beings. The audience puts their time and money on the table and they want very specific things in return. They’re looking for escape, romance, fantasy, thrills, and the opportunity to feel more. The last thing you want to do is send them away disappointed. Instead, you want them to laugh, cry, scream, experience catharsis, connection, empathy, and a satisfying conclusion to a well-told story. As the final credits roll, your audience should feel rewarded for their investment in your story. However, entertaining your audience is much easier said than done. We’re here to help.
In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you will learn proven techniques you can use to engage, challenge, and entertain whoever reads your scripts and watches your films. You’ll learn how to think of your audience as an active participant in your story and how you can measure and predict audience behavior so you can best engage with them.
Teaching you everything you need to know to give your audience a rewarding experience is independent story and development professional Karina Wilson, who has worked on many films including SECRET IN THEIR EYES with Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts, 13 SINS with Ron Perlman, and THE CIRCLE with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson. Previously the in-house story consultant at IM Global, Karina is considered a story expert across all genres and her analysis of film trends through the decades has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, on NPR, in medical textbooks and in documentaries alongside luminaries such as Jason Blum, Joe Dante, and Andy Muschietti. Karina is also the lead screenplay judge for the indie festival Shriekfest.
Karina will teach you everything from story paradigms and world building to endings and the power of catharsis and how you can utilize all of these tools to make a strong impact on your audience. If you want to wow your readers and audience, this webinar is a must!
PLUS! You’ll receive an exclusive "Guide To Engaging With Your Audience" handout to help with your writing on all of your screenplays.
Praise from Karina's Previous Stage 32 Webinars:
"Her presentation was well organized, her slides contained the right amount of information to digest and takes notes from. Her delivery was excellent." - Martha C.
"I was so impressed!" - Loretta C.
"Karina is a master of all things horror and story! She knows more about crafting an effective horror story - from the plot to the villain and the scares - than anyone I've ever worked with or learned from. I can see why she's in high demand in the industry!" -- Mark L.
What You'll Learn
- Who Is This For?
- How do you measure and analyze and predict audience behavior, likes and dislikes?
- Quadrants and Segments
- Demographics
- Sociographics
- Psychographics
- What Does Your Audience Bring With Them?
- Expectations
- Paradigms
- The pleasures of familiarity and repetition
- Genre preferences
- What’s New?
- Novelty
- Challenging expectations
- Riffing on the paradigm
- Putting a fresh spin on characters and situations
- Provocation
- Hard left turns
- Inclusive World-building
- People love to see themselves in a story. How do you make that happen?
- The Power of Catharsis
- Entertainment often involves the pain and suffering of a protagonist. How do you make that worthwhile for your audience, so they don’t resent being walked through the fire alongside your character?.
- A Hollywood Ending… or not?
- Endings are crucial to audience satisfaction. Do you round your story off with a Happily Ever After or opt for ambiguity?
- How do you get your final message across without preaching?
- Pick Me - Sparking that initial connection
- Titles
- Premise
- The First Five Pages
- Q&A with Karina Wilson
About Your Instructor
Karina Wilson
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