How to Write Powerful Female Characters

Learn from the VP of Motion Pictures Production at Skydance Media, producers of blockbuster films such as TOP GUN: MAVERICK and the new hit film HEART OF STONE starring Gal Gadot which premiered as the #1 film on Netflix!

Plus! You'll receive the screenplays for WONDER WOMAN, ATOMIC BLONDE, RED SPARROW, THE HUNGER GAMES, and more!

In today’s marketplace, not only are more and more films becoming female focused, but the demand for screenplays and films with female driven lead characters is growing rapidly. With the success of blockbusters such as BARBIE, FEAR THE NIGHT, WONDER WOMAN, ALIEN: COVENANT and TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, the box office is proving that not only is there an appetite for female-starring films, but also that they can be profitable. Everyone is looking for the next original idea with a female lead that can be turned into a franchise.

There are many misconceptions and challenges that writers fall into when it comes to creating female characters for a large, global audience. The most common is the gender flip, which is taking a male character and writing it as a female. It’s examples such as this that are most often believed to be the correct approach to creating a female character in a male driven genre when in fact it’s the opposite. This webinar will provide these kinds of examples and explain where the mistakes lie, how to correct them and the importance of creating authentic female characters.

Teaching you everything you need to know about creating compelling female characters is Aimee Rivera, VP of Motion Pictures Production at Skydance Media. Skydance produces blockbuster films such as TOP GUN: MAVERICK, Netflix's 6 UNDERGROUND, directed by Michael Bay and starring Ryan Reynolds, ANNIHILATION, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, and WORLD WAR Z. Most recently, Aime single-handedly conceived the new feature film HEART OF STONE starring Gal Gadot, which is currently the #1 film on Netflix. Aimee is focused on finding female driven blockbusters and franchises for Skydance's upcoming slate.

In an information-packed webinar, Aimee will go over how the #MeToo movement has changed the way female characters are written and provide an overview on how female leads in today's world have evolved. She will break down WONDER WOMAN, ATOMIC BLONDE, RED SPARROW, THE HUNGER GAMES, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, and ALIEN: COVENANT and look at the differences between these female characters and compare them to male franchise characters in films such as MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, JASON BOURNE and JAMES BOND. You will learn what makes a great character, what are the tropes and common misconceptions and break down the types of female characters you can write. Aimee will discuss writing characters in male driven genres for today's market including whether there are boundaries you must be aware of when writing female characters, what the modern female character looks like in today's filmmaking world, whether male writers can write female characters, and what today's audience looks and connects with as it relates to strong, but flawed, female leads.

Aimee will also get into her ultimate tips on writing female characters - not only in male-driven genres, but also in a post #MeToo world. She'll even share some writing exercises to assure that your female characters JUMP off the page.

PLUS! You’ll receive exclusive handouts to help you develop your female characters. Downloads include the scripts for:

• WONDER WOMAN
• ATOMIC BLONDE
• RED SPARROW
• THE HUNGER GAMES
• TERMINATOR
• ALIEN
• MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
• JASON BOURNE
• JAMES BOND

This is an incredibly unique opportunity to learn how you can develop, hone and, ultimately, write female characters that not only will attract representation, producers and financiers, but ensure your script is as market ready (and perhaps, franchise ready) as possible.

Praise for Aimee's Stage 32 Webinar:

The webinar was great and so was Aimee! She's extremely knowledgeable about the movie industry and writing screenplays and provided excellent examples of strong female characters in action movies.

-Lyle D.

This was great - a lot of information talked about very succinctly, with tips and discussions on the different facets and difficulties that can present themselves. Very enjoyable!

-Dawn P.

A great theme about female characters. Needed this very for my story. I like the simplicity of the elements taught with the details of what's needed for films nowadays.

-Mary M.

• The Brief History of Female Characters and Film
  • A brief overview of how women are portrayed in films throughout history and how it has evolved.
  • How has the #MeToo movement change the way female characters are written?
• Examples of Successful and Unsuccessful Female Characters from Films
  • We will break down films such as: WONDER WOMAN, ATOMIC BLONDE, RED SPARROW, THE HUNGER GAMES, TERMINATOR, and ALIEN and look at the differences between these female characters.
  • We will also compare them to male franchise characters in films such as: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, JASON BOURNE and JAMES BOND.
  • What makes them a great female character?
  • What are the tropes?
  • What are the common misconceptions?
  • What are the different types of female characters? What is the difference between a claiming character and a character with an origin story?
• What are the tips to building female characters not only in male driven genres, but also in a post #MeToo world?
  • Are there boundaries?
  • What is a modern female character?
  • Can male writers write female characters?
  • What are the development challenges and how to work through them?
  • What are audiences today looking for when it comes to female characters and do women have a different expectation than men?
• Exercises to Help You Craft Powerful Female Characters
• Q&A with Aimee

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