Learning From Master Storyteller Tony Gilroy
Glenn M Benest explores the importance of finding a screenwriting mentor and his upcoming webinar exploring the techniques of master storyteller Tony Gilroy.
Glenn M. Benest is an award winning screenwriter/producer with three feature films and four television movies to his credit. Follow Glenn on Twitter: @GlennBenest
I always advise beginning and even seasoned screenwriters to find a mentor to help guide and inspire them.
My mentor was the late, great writer/director Wes Craven. He showed me how to write more visually and how to “milk” great moments on film. He taught me that the narrative or description was as important as the dialogue and helped me figure out what to include in a screenplay and what to hide -- such as subtext – what the characters are feeling but not saying.
The screenwriter I most admire today is Tony Gilroy. He wrote the Bourne movies, wrote and directed Michael Clayton, Dolores Claiborne and many others.
He spends so much time and effort constructing his narrative description. Every word is there for a reason and when you read a Tony Gilroy script you are literally “seeing” the movie unfold before you. And even though Gilroy directs most of his screenplays, he spends an inordinate amount of time being as precise and lyrical with his narrative as possible, almost like a Japanese haiku.
As screenwriters, we can learn so much by deconstructing exactly what he’s doing on the page to create the startling effect his screenplays have on the reader.
If you’ve ever had problems writing action sequences, formatting your screenplay so it has the greatest impact on your readers, had questions about introducing your main characters as succinctly as possible or wondered about where to start scenes or where to end them – you can’t do better than sitting at the knee of this great screenwriter and learning his secrets.
This is what we’ll do when we take the first 10 pages of The Bourne Identity and really tear apart what this great screenwriter is doing and how we can learn from his craft. We’ll also look at the introduction of Michael Clayton and how the screenwriter makes his protagonist as riveting as possible from the moment we first meet him. Even though this protagonist is very flawed, we still root for him. How is that accomplished?
Join me at 1:00 pm on April 27th or watch anytime for a whole year as the webinar is archived for a year for your convenience.
I know you won’t be disappointed.
Sign up for Glenn M. Benest's webinar
The First 10 Pages: Learning From Master Storyteller Tony Gilroy
Wednesday, April 27th 1:00PM
ON SALE until April 22nd
REGISTER NOW!
At a Glance:
- During this live webinar you will learn how the writer of the “Bourne” movies, “Michael Clayton” and many other Hollywood hits gabs his readers by the throat.
- Learn specific techniques for creating a great read with powerful narrative and visual storytelling.
- Discover how an accomplished screenwriter builds a story so the reader literally “sees the film” on the printed page.
Top screenwriting and film publication, founded in 1989, published by Active Interest Media. Twitter: @scriptmag
