Marilyn is the co-author of a relationship-based, screenwriting guide called Dating Your Character, about an organic approach to character creation for Stairway Press’s Summer 2016 catalog.
In this 2 week online class, Marilyn will cover creating screenplays with a memorable cast of characters.
What constitutes a memorable character is a conscious interweaving of the characters thoughts, wants, goals, secrets, flaws and delusions. For a character to move us, they must move the plot forward in a true way that is consistent with his DNA.
Marilyn will discuss several facets of the "evolution of personality" that are present in the best screen and television examples. Since, the pacing requirements of film are radically different from the opportunities in the novel, you will study how back-stories (info into a characters past life) lead into the interactions of the present via subtext rather than through the use of flashbacks.
Marilyn will be giving handouts and students should be familiar with some of the following films/TV shows by the class:
FILMS: Power of the Dog, Little Miss Sunshine, Silence of the Lambs, Do The Right Thing, Born on the Fourth of July, Thelma and Louise, Wedding Banquet, Real Women Have Curves, Transamerica, There Will Be Blood, 500 Days of Summer, The Hurt Locker, Iron Man, Imitation Game, Whiplash, Birdman, Boyhood
TV: Succession, Euphoria, The Wire, Mad Men, The Good Wife, Damages, Downton Abbey, Breaking Bad, Orange is the New Black, The Blacklist, Game of Thrones, House of Cards
Marilyn will also screen and discuss scenes from several films.
As for the technical aspects of the course, there will be homework and some short writing exercises dealing with character from Marilyn's book to help you as a screenwriter.
What to Prepare:
Students will be expected to participate in conversation as well as come prepared having read the handouts before class. No special materials will be needed, just familiarity with movies, specifically the ones previously mentioned, and characters.
