About Robert McKee: Robert McKee, a Fulbright Scholar, is the most sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world. The best-selling author of STORY and the recently published DIALOGUE: THE ART OF VERBAL ACTION FOR PAGE, STAGE, AND SCREEN, McKee occupies a unique crossroads in modern media storytelling. His teachings have spread beyond the screen and stage to influence all story forms. Writers, producers, directors, media professionals, and business leaders from the world over read McKee and attend his sold-out international seminars for an exclusive deep dive into the narrative potential of their material. McKee’s former students include over 60 Academy Award Winners, 200 Emmy Award Winners, 1,000 Emmy Award Nominees, 100 WGA (Writers Guild of America) Award Winners, 250 WGA Award Nominees, 50 DGA (Directors Guild of America) Award Winners, and 100 DGA Award Nominees. McKee continues to be a project consultant to major film and television production companies such as 20th Century Fox, Disney, Paramount, & MTV. In addition, Pixar, ABC, BBC, Disney, Miramax, PBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount, GLOBOSAT, MNET and other international TV and Film companies regularly send their entire creative and writing staffs to his lectures. Since 1984, more than 100,000 students have taken McKee’s courses in various cities around the world. Full Bio »
In this exclusive 2 hour Stage 32 online webinar, here is just some of what you will learn from Robert McKee:
But that's not all! After Mr. McKee's lecture, Stage 32 Founder & CEO, Richard "RB" Botto, conducts an interview speaking further about the craft and opens it up to the Stage 32 community to ask questions. Now, no matter where you live in the world, this is an extremely rare opportunity to learn from Mr. McKee online!
PRAISE FOR ROBERT'S TEACHNIGS:
"You just don't get Robert McKee like this for this kind of price. Kudos to Stage 32 and thank you Mr. McKee" - Burton B.
"Thank you RB and your awesome teem, and a big thanks to Robert McKee who is truly a Master of the craft! This webinar could be hard one to top in the writers field." - Scott W.
"Just wanted you to know that McKee's webinar was fantastic. One of the best lectures I have heard on the craft. He was brilliant. And irascible." - Anthony R.
"Amazing wisdom from a writing giant. Felt he was very giving and thoughtful in his replies which made it a fantastic experience." - Paul B.
"Fantastic webinar - lots of great insights and ideas. Thanks!" - Ron H.
"I will say it again - this was a great webinar. I am more inspired and motivated than ever to increase my skill as a writer and devote more time to doing so." - Christine D.
Stage 32 Presents: Masters of Craft featuring Robert McKee - a rare online appearance exclusive to Stage 32!
Since 1984, more than 100,000 students have taken McKee’s courses in various cities around the world and now, exclusively online for Stage 32, Robert McKee will teach you Writing Believable, Engaging & Impactful Dialogue in this 2 hour class!
McKee’s former students include over 60 Academy Award Winners, 200 Emmy Award Winners, 1,000 Emmy Award Nominees, 100 WGA (Writers Guild of America) Award Winners, 250 WGA Award Nominees, 50 DGA (Directors Guild of America) Award Winners, and 100 DGA Award Nominees.
We are excited to bring in legendary author and story authority, Robert McKee. A script consultant, screenwriter, playwright and author, McKee’s seminars on the art and craft of storytelling have been a must for Oscar and Emmy award winning writers for the last 30 years. His bestselling writer’s guide, STORY, has been a must-read for writers around the globe. His highly anticipated book DIALOGUE: THE ART OF VERBAL ACTION FOR PAGE, STAGE AND SCREEN, is an in-depth analysis of how characters speak on the screen, on the stage and on the page in believable and engaging ways.
Now, in an exclusive online event, McKee will take you through some of the strategies and techniques for writing impactful dialogue, including the three functions of dialogue: exposition, characterization and action. He will also answer your questions. This class will serve as an important guide for all writers committed to the craft looking to sharpen their skills and write lines that will be remembered.
This is your opportunity to learn from one of the best masters of craft in the business!
Plus a Q&A with Robert!
Robert McKee
Q: How do I watch my webinar live?
A: If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Go to Webinar, you will receive an email from Go to Webinar with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. You can also access your webinar link in your purchase history located under settings in the top right-hand corner of your Stage 32 profile.
If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Zoom, you will receive a separate email from Zoom with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. Your login link will not be in your Stage 32 profile. If you did not receive your link via Zoom please email support@stage32.com.
Q: How do I watch my webinar on demand?
A: You will be able to watch your webinar on demand as many times as you’d like inside your Stage 32 profile. The recording is processed and posted between 24-48 hours after the webinar concludes. You can follow the instructions below.
YOU MUST HAVE A STAGE 32 PROFILE TO WATCH YOUR VIDEO – STAGE 32 IS FREE TO JOIN
If You Already Have a Stage 32 Profile:
Q: What is the format of a webinar?
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.
Q: What are the system requirements to watch my webinar live?
A: You will need to meet the following system requirements in order to run the webinar software: Windows 7 or later Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.
If you have Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.9 (Mountain Lion): The webinar software does not support these operating systems. If you are running one of those operating systems, please upgrade now in order to be able to view a live webinar. Upgrade your Windows computer / Upgrade your Mac computer.
Q: What if I cannot attend the live webinar?
A: If you cannot attend a live webinar or purchase an on demand webinar, you will have access to the entire recorded broadcast, including the Q&A.
Q: Will I have access to the webinar afterward to re-watch?
A: Yes! Like all Stage 32 education, after the purchase of a live or on demand webinar, you will have on-demand access to the recording.
Q: How do I get a copy of the handouts provided?
A: If the webinar you take included handouts you can find them as downloads underneath your on demand video. You must be logged into your Stage 32 profile to view the video and get the handouts by clicking settings in the top right hand corner, then clicking purchase history.
Q: What if I need accessibility and accommodations?
A: Email support@stage32.com to request accommodations.
Thanks for your loyalty to Stage 32 Education. We value having you in the Stage 32 community.
If you have any further questions, we are always happy to help. Please contact Stage 32 support at support@stage32.com.
Peter Jackson (writer/director THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy, THE HOBBIT) has lauded him as “The Guru of Gurus.” For the writers of Pixar (creators of TOY STORY 1, 2, & 3, FINDING NEMO), McKee’s STORY Seminar is a rite of passage.
Emmy Award-Winner Brian Cox also portrayed McKee in the Oscar-nominated film ADAPTATION.
"[Robert McKee] is, as you know if you’ve gone to one of his seminars, an incredible teacher! I went to his Story Seminar in NYC about 10 years ago, and it/he was riveting! Multiple days, long hours in a chair, packed ballroom of a midtown NYC hotel, no visual aids . . . he just stood or sat on a stage with a microphone and pitcher of water and talked. The man is brilliant! Even though I was a professional writer at that point (books, critiques, essays, stints teaching at the college level), I came away tremendously impressed (can you tell? ) and grateful for the knowledge I gained from him. Hopefully, Stage 32 will be able to encourage Mr. McKee to do some more webinars! I’m looking forward to learning from him again next Tuesday!" ~ Judy N.
On Dialogue Webinar:
"Just wanted you to know that McKee's webinar was fantastic. One of the best lectures I have heard on the craft. He was brilliant. And irascible." - Anthony R.
"Was a pleasure to hear from him in this setting given it is hard for me to make it out to LA or NY for his Story seminars. Thanks again for a positive experience!" - Adam K.
"Always inspired and impressed by the knowledge and information that comes from a McKee lecture! Bravo for offering a webinar!" - Julie S.
"It put real flesh and blood to all the self-studying I've done over the years that has led to the publications of my stories. It was an honor to meet him live and in action. His closing words were inspirational, and I hope to be able to participate in future Stage 32 webinars of this nature." - Tarra K
"Thank you RB and your awesome teem, and a big thanks to Robert McKee who is truly a Master of the craft! This webinar could be hard one to top in the writers field." - Scott W.
"Beyond all of the valuable distinctions given about the qualities of good dialogue, the thing that stands out most is Mr. McKee's final statements about the courage and commitment required to master the craft of writing." - Chad B.
"Excellent. McKee is one of the best teachers in the world and it's wonderful that Stage 32 was able to schedule him and present him via Webinar. Thank you very much!" - Patrick C.
"It was clear, concise and I learned a lot. Thank you Stage 32 and Robert McKee." - Kathy A.
"Amazing wisdom from a writing giant. Felt he was very giving and thoughtful in his replies which made it a fantastic experience." - Paul B.
"Fantastic webinar - lots of great insights and ideas. Thanks!" - Ron H.
"I will say it again - this was a great webinar. I am more inspired and motivated than ever to increase my skill as a writer and devote more time to doing so." - Christine D.
"Very thoughtful and candid comments from a renowned expert in the field of writing. Very worthwhile." - Mark T.
"Lovely... Thank you for making this experience so easy and so very exciting and interesting and educational... Priceless..." - Betty B.
"This has been one of the most valuable and informative webinars on writing that I have ever attended. Thank you so much Stage 32 for hosting this." - Shail R.
"Great insight and instruction from one of the masters of the storytelling game." - Roderick T.
"It was a wonderful experience to hear from the Master himself!" - Anna H.
"Fantastic... Mr McKee is the guru of storytelling and conveyed usable accessible techniques with ease and confidence. Bravo!" - Linda B.
"Brilliant. Living in NZ means we miss many opportunities to see people such as Robert McKee live. For me this has been a wonderful opportunity and of no end of help." - Wayne R.
"This is the most enriching webinar I have ever been a part of . Watching Robert Mckee speak in real time from Mumbai was one of the most cherished experiences that i will keep visiting through out my life. I thank Stage 32 for this great initiative. It couldn't have been better." - Ranadeep B.
"I am a novelist and have taken Robert McKee's Story seminar and find his approach and information extremely useful and enlightening. The webinar was terrific. I hope he does one on character next! Thank you." - Randie B.
"You just don't get Robert McKee like this for this kind of price. Kudos to Stage 32 and thank you Mr. McKee" - Burton B.
Filmmakers, producers, and financiers can really be held back by distribution contracts. If they don’t understand the language or terms, are passive or held hostage by a feeling that they may be getting ripped off, or simply do not have the support system to advise them or the knowledge to know what to fight for, they can find themselves at an extreme disadvantage. In many cases, the excitement of the "someone likes my movie/let's get it out there" mentality supersedes common sense. And that alone can lead you into giving away your rights, accepting horrendous percentages or agreeing to terms that lock you and your project up. Don't fall into these traps! You worked hard on your film. You sacrificed time and likely money to get to this point. While most might think this is time to hit the gas pedal, it's actually time to tap the brakes. You want to be sure you're doing everything humanly possible to not only protect yourself, your investors and your team, but maximizing your film's potential in the marketplace. Anna Darrah is an experienced film buyer, negotiating with and licensing over 800 films in her 12 years working for Gaiam and Spiritual Cinema Circle. She has been an active player on the festival circuit and currently advises filmmakers on custom distribution strategies. Anna is also a filmmaker who produced two documentaries that aired on The Sundance Channel, and directed a music video and the short film THE MATTER OF MAGIC. She also produced a feature-length documentary about Helen Schreider (www.THEHELENMOVIE.com) while also making short films for the ZILLOW.COM series, HOMEMAKERS. Anna has enjoyed jurying and participating in film festival panels and workshops here and abroad and is currently offering a Film Distribution Workshop co-taught with Jilann Spitzmiller. Now Anna brings her knowledge and teaching prowess to Stage 32. Anna will begin by breaking down theatrical and broadcast rights as well as exclusive and non-exclusive deals. She'll dive into breaking down deal points including term, territory, rights and compensation. She'll discuss standard terms and point out red flags within and speak to what you should negotiate to assure you get the best, and most fair, deal. She will even look at the negotiation process from the other side of the table so you can understand what a distributor truly wants out of a deal. Thinking outside the box, Anna will even discuss going the DIY distribution route or a hybrid DIY/traditional distribution path. All this and much more. It’s incredible how each contract is like a snowflake -- totally unique and yet similar in some very important ways. I will help you understand the entire distribution arena so you can sleep well knowing you've made the best deal for you, your partners and, most importantly, your film. - Anna Darrah PRAISE FOR ANNA'S TEACHINGS: "Excellent overview of terms to be aware of when negotiating or reviewing a distribution agreement." - Valerie N. "Anna was great, the information she shared was so very useful!" - Christian C. "For a complex subject, Anna made it all so simple and easy to follow. Excellent webinar!" - Drea P. "A knockout." - Mana W.
Zero Gravity Management is a progressive entertainment company whose strength lies in the development and representation of screenwriters, directors, and actors. ZG Management maintains a list of some of the industry's most established professionals in all arenas.
During the Write Now Challenge, we turned the spotlight - and the microphones - back over to you during the Write Now Challenge Webcast! Using the "Breakdown Webcast: Writing True Stories" as a guide, your challenge was to find a true story or subject of a biopic that resonates with you! Write a short document that details the subject of the project - whether a historic event, historical figure, or a combination of both - including a "way into the story," principal character(s), basic synopsis, potential themes for exploration, and why it resonates with you as the writer. During the webcast, participants discussed true stories and historical figures that were either well-known or obscure, but all riveting! Participants described accounts from the US Civil War, Korean War, legal battles, pro-wrestling, and many more!
HBO Max, Netflix, Disney +, Hulu, oh my! It seems that everywhere you turn there is a new streamer showcasing some of the best television shows we have ever seen from creatives. With more distribution outlets than ever and larger, global audiences to be able to watch it, the demand for television content is the highest it's ever been. We've seen incredible shows emerge like INSECURE on HBO, THE HANDMAID'S TALE on Hulu and THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY on Netflix, and it's the engine of the writers' room that keeps us coming back for more and continuing on to watching episode after episode. Stage 32 is going to peel back the curtain and take you behind the scenes of what it takes to write on these popular shows, and what it takes to help you break in to get there. Join us as we bring in showrunner Mike Gauyo from AMC's ALLBLK SEND HELP and writer on HBO's INSECURE, as well as Co-Executive Producers and writers Jason and Jamie Neese from Netflix's THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, and John Herrara and Nina Fiore from Emmy-nominated Hulu's THE HANMAID'S TALE for an exclusive FREE Stage 32 webcast. Moderating this world-class group of television writers is our very own Jason Mirch, Director of Script Services of Stage 32. This world class group of television writers will be talking about the craft of TV writing and going over what they are seeing in the marketplace today for streaming. Come join us for this free fun and educational webinar!
Over the course of an extended two-and-a-half hour webinar, learn drama pilot story structure from one of Stage 32's most popular and requested instructors Includes case studies, story maps and free script downloads of the pilot episodes of: SUCCESSION THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL THE EXPANSE It almost sounds cliché at this point, but we’re living in the Golden Age of Television, an era where TV dramas as diverse, ambitious, and creative as SUCCESSION, BETTER CALL SAUL, BRIDGERTON, THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, I WILL DESTROY YOU, and MRS. AMERICA are not only put on air, but find an audience and gain serious popularity. This is in turn an era where networks and streamers are actually looking for new voices and new stories. More than ever before, there is a path for your own television drama to be discovered. Yet no matter how great your concept is, how strong your characters are, how diverse, clever or unique your world is, your drama series will not be effective and will not be successful unless you can nail your script’s structure. Nailing your TV drama’s story structure—specifically your pilot—is no easy task. In the span of just 40-60 pages, you have to introduce your world, your characters, your central plot and conflict, and your inciting incident, all while keeping your pacing consistent, finding some resolution for that episode, and allowing your audience to want to watch more. This is a complicated, and delicate game and ultimately comes down to how you structure and map out your script before you start writing. No matter what genre you’re writing in, understanding how to structure your pilot is vital. Gaining a clear grasp on how successful drama pilots are arranged and the rules they all follow is a necessary step if you want to have a show that will get picked up and ultimately connect with an audience. Anna Henry is a Producer and Development Executive who has worked at CBS, ABC, Nickelodeon, and multiple production companies, as well as a manager at Andrea Simon Entertainment. Her clients have worked on shows such as THE DEUCE, POWER, IN CONTEMPT, TOMMY, VIDA, SEVEN SECONDS, HUNG, CHICAGO FIRE, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD, THIS IS US, and THE FLASH, and have set up projects at AMC, Amazon, Starz, HBO, Sony, Fox, EOne, ITV America, OddLot Entertainment, Corus, and others. One of Stage 32’s most popular instructors of all time, Anna has projects currently in development around the world and is incredibly familiar with what goes into a great television pilot. Anna will go in-depth on how to properly structure your drama TV series pilot and will use real past pilot scripts as examples as she breaks down, act by act, the elements necessary to turn your series pilot into stand-out script. Anna will go over the main types of one-hour pilots and will outline the elements for pilot development, including story engine, world, characters, themes and tone. She’ll discuss how to select and map your own template show as well as incorporating multiple plotlines. Anna will then delve into the function and elements of your pilot’s teaser and Acts 1 through 5, as well as your pilot launch, pilot climax, and series launch. She will finally lay out the most common structure problems that you should avoid. Don’t even think about starting to write your own drama pilot until you gain the tools Anna will provide. Examples will be used from notable past one-hour drama pilots on network, cable, and streaming platforms. PLUS! you will receive pilot scripts and Anna's own story maps for each after the webinar: THE EXPANSE (Syfy) THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL (Amazon) SUCCESSION (HBO) Praise for Anna's Previous Stage 32 Webinar: This was my first Stage 32 webinar, and it exceeded my expectations, both in terms of quality (and quantity) of information and overall value. Anna was personable, knowledgeable, and organized. The slide deck was helpful, and her overall presentation hit all the key topics. Anna and Stage32 delivered the goods. - John R. What a thoughtful, thorough and inspiring webinar. It's clear that Anna Henry put an enormous amount of work into this presentation. Not only was the content there, but the structure was also superb. I feel educated and inspired to go back to my own work and do better than what I thought was my best. What could possibly be better than that! Thank you Anna for your genius and your generosity. - Crispin L. "Comprehensive, insightful. Combined a lot of material I had heard snippets of on character, world dev, etc. but artfully stitched together in one presentation." -James F. "It was amazing, enlightening - completely. I learned soooo much - especially as a feature writer who's been asked to turn a feature script into a pilot!! Thank you soooooo much." -Kristin G.
This month we welcome Literary Manager Zach Cox of Circle of Confusion, the management and production company behind "The Walking Dead" and the Oscar-winning film "Straight Outta Compton."