Master Classes are in-depth, interactive learning experiences focused on craft and career building and led by renowned industry experts. Topics include fiction and documentary filmmaking, TV writing and production, and navigating and succeeding in the entertainment industry.

Crafting a good story takes time and can be both exciting and intimidating. Before starting a screenplay, you need a strong idea and an understanding of how to create conflict and tension to keep your audience engaged. Join David Schwab, a NYC-based screenwriter and adjunct professor at the Graduate Film School at Columbia University, in this three-hour Master Class. He'll help screenwriters learn the essential process of finding compelling stories and conducting the necessary research for authenticity. Discover strategies to identify your dramatic problem and themes, as well as methods for engaging the audience. Guest filmmakers Tamara Jenkins, Mira Nair, and Destin Daniel Cretton will share how they find ideas and emphasize the importance of a genuine connection to the stories you tell.

Topics covered include: 

0-4:17 - Introductions

4:17 - David Schwab’s Intro to the Class

9:06 - How Schwab Finds His Stories

19:40 - How the Masters Get Their Ideas

31:28 - Writing From Your Own Experience

38:00 - Conducting Research

45:13 - The Importance of Dramatic Problems

52:27 - Visual Examples of Dramatic Problems

1:05 - A Litmus Test for Determining Your Story

1:09 - Q&A with David Schwab

1:18 - Guest Panelist Tamara Jenkins

1:50 - Guest Panelist Mira Nair

2:20 - Guest Panelist Destin Daniel Cretton

Resources:

Download the list of resources from David Schwab and Sundance Collab