Screenwriting and the House of Structure with Chris White

Instructor: Chris White
Date: Saturday, July 25
Time:  12:00-3:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Cost: $75 nonmembers, $48 members, $42 student members/teacher members/senior members/military members/librarian members

The structure of your screenplay is the house your protagonist inhabits. This structural house provides the barricaded doors that keep your protagonist hostage; reveals unknown rooms your protagonist must unlock and explore; permits other important characters to enter the house (with or without your protagonist’s permission); and offers hard-earned access to windows that may just allow for your protagonist’s escape and liberation.

This introductory-level, 3-hour workshop will expose participants to the classic three-act structure that houses nearly every protagonist in Western cinema and beyond. Participants will be introduced to basic screenplay format; they will write short screenplay exercises that begin to hint at structure and its building blocks; and they will experiment with writing a short synopsis of a feature-length screenplay idea that contains the main structural screenplay elements. Knowledge of screenplay structure serves not only screenwriters, but novelists and playwrights as well. No previous screenwriting experience required!

**If you would benefit from taking a workshop, but are suffering financial burden due to current circumstances, please email sarah@indianawriters.org.**