The Art of Dialogue: How to Nail Your Character's Voice
Hosted by Brian Herskowitz
$49
On Demand Webinar - For immediate download. Unlimited access for 1 year.
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Hosted by Brian Herskowitz
$49
On Demand Webinar - For immediate download. Unlimited access for 1 year.
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
“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)
Filmed entertainment is visual, and though everyone loves a catchy line, it’s really an exceptional dialogue exchange framed by a character’s choice of action that we remember.
Dialogue is one of the clearest ways of exploring your character’s agenda, frame of mind, and emotional state. The best dialogue is able to do even more - and succinctly, sometimes in just a few lines. It lets us know something about the overall theme of your script, as well as unresolved areas ripe for conflict between your protagonist and the other characters: friend, frenemy, and foe…
In this Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, screenwriter/producer/director Brian Herskowitz will walk you through what professional dialogue looks and sounds like. He will guide you through understanding the link between your character and dialogue, how to develop a strong character voice, the art of subtext and making sure you have the right amount of dialogue to move your story forward.
Brian is a veteran film and television writer and producer who has worked on over 2 dozen films and television shows (HBO, FOX, CBS, NBC, UNIVERSAL and more) and he's bringing his experience across all the formats to the Stage 32 community!
PLUS! To help you with your own writing exercises you will receive:
- Character Voice handout
- Strong Dialogue Voice Handout
- Brainstorm Dialogue Handout
- Tranformative Dialogue Handout
- Good Will Hunting Call Back Script
- The Fabelmans Script
- The Empire Strikes Back Script
- The Banshees Of Inisherin Script
You do not want to miss out on this chance to learn how to write effective dialogue!
Testimonials for Brian's Teaching and Stage 32 Education
“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
The Link Between Character and Dialogue
- Who is speaking and to whom are they speaking?
- Character traits that affect dialogue
- Examples of memorable and effective character dialogue
What Defines a Character’s Voice?
- Understanding your character’s voice
- How to develop a strong character voice
- Writing authentic dialogue for characters you you don’t personally relate to
- A method to creating strong character voice
You will receive a character voice handout
Subtext & Choosing Your Words
- It is all in what the character says
- And just as much what the character DOESN’T say
- Writing (or not writing) subtext
- A method to creating strong dialogue
You will receive a strong dialogue voice handout
Have I Said Too Much?
- What determines the right amount of dialogue?
- How to keep dialogue clear, and succinct within the character’s voice
- The art of NOT losing the entertainment value of dialogue
- A method to brainstorm dialogue
You will receive a brainstorm dialogue handout
Q&A with Brian
About Your Instructor
Brian Herskowitz
FAQs
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A: Stage 32 Next Level Webinars are typically 90-minute educational broadcasts that take place online using a designated software program from Stage 32. Your webinar will be taught by a working industry professional with in-depth teaching on a topic. If you are able to attend live you will be able to ask your Stage 32 Educator questions during Q&A.
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