The Writer's Program

The Writer's Program allows current and aspiring screenwriters to benefit from a highly skilled and professional staff and faculty through carefully tailored classes.

The mission of this program is to facilitate for the writers an effective and expressive journey by helping them to discover their personal connection to their work and to give them the tools necessary to bring that personal expression to life through their writing in a structured and sequential manner.

Screenwriting is a demanding art form in which the writer must learn to compress the complex world of their story and characters into a lean and concise written document. This deceptively demanding writing form requires the writer to compress an entire universe into a stripped down less than 90 – 120 page documents. In order to create effective and compelling stories, the screenwriter must learn how to tap into his or her own personal experiences and meld them with the demands of the story and genre in which they are working. The final goal of the screenwriting program is the creation of at least 2 finished short and/or feature film scripts as well as exposure to specialized courses in dialogue and genres.

Among the goals and objectives of the Writer's Program are the following key elements:

• The Writer's Program at The Promenade Conservatory is a sequential process of training that will expose each writing student to the essential aspects of this unique form of writing.
• Each student will have the opportunity to embrace several aspects of the screen writing process and to be guided though that process by seasoned professionals.
• The students will learn the basic tools and requirements of good screen writing through a series of exercises and assignments.
• To have access to segments of our signature program, The Artist's Keys to Success, which offers to the writer the necessary edge in the creation of characters, in the world of pitching and effective communication with colleagues in the work place.
• This program is also designed as a finishing school for writers who want to focus on the writer’s process as well as gaining a better understanding of script analysis and breakdown, character development and an exploration into the psychological dark side of characters, the visual aspects of cinema, and an in depth study into the “business” aspects of screenwriting.

The Creativity Key

This exclusive, signature program is part of a series called The Creative Keys to Success. Based on psychological theory it is designed as an approach and study in Character Development; whether it be for the Performing Arts, Business Management, Entertainment, Communications or Human and Psychological Interactions. The artists learn different Personality Types and how they come alive through different professions, behavior, dialogue, body language, thinking styles, decision-making processes and action.

Creating the One Person Show

An exploratory course that begins with a concept. The students are coached through the writing of biographies, stream of consciousness pieces and individual scenes, to arrive at structure and sequence. The students work at their own pace so that through the writing they will arrive to the core of their story.

Defining the Screenplay

From the idea to the page, students will learn screenplay structure, character development, plot points, the creation of each act, and scene by scene breakdown. Well known screenplays are used as a model for analysis and the viewing of them as a finished product in film allows the student to see how the written word is interpreted on to the screen.

The Screenwriter's Key

A writing workshop that provides cutting edge technology into unlocking the mysteries of character through personality types. The students learn to create a structured psychological landscape with depth, assimilation, emotional through lines, conflict and transformation. Character Biographies, the Four Foundation Pillars, Plot Points and Key Incidents that will involve and move the characters into the story line, are all explored.

The Pathology Key

Uncovering the “Dark Side” and the basics of human psychology and character development through Addiction, Disconnection, Abusive Patterns of Behavior, Control Release Cycles, Curses and Spells. Artists will learn the origin of pain and suffering, how to access repressed feelings, engage in empathy and transformation. An application of the tools is synergized into daily life and character work for acting, screenwriting and directing by creating actions and scenarios that evoke feelings of recognition, happiness, disillusionment, pity, rage and sympathy.