The Horowitz Center for Screenwriting’s approach to seminars is unlike any other school in the industry. This is a direct result of Marilyn Horowitz, the founder and leader of each of our seminars offered below. Marilyn’s dynamic approach, backed by years of experience and hundreds of creative exercises, takes seminar attendees to a new world of exploration on the subject of creative screenwriting. The skills learned in these seminars are valuable across a wide range of industries, including marketing, sales, education, management, consulting and film. Please contact us today to find out how we can bring one of these seminars to you.
Current seminars include:
How to Sell Your Screenplay in 30 Days: The Business of Screenwriting
This one-day seminar teaches the basics of marketing and will provide each attendee with a personalized marketing plan using both traditional and social media to sell a screenplay. Guest speakers will speak on topics, such as how they sold a screenplay, financed their film, got an agent, how to pitch their screenplay and the legal aspects of being a successful screenwriter.
The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting
In this introductory seminar, students will take their ideas and expand them into a full-length plot using the revolutionary techniques of the Horowitz System.
From Idea to Outline
The key for all screenwriters is to tell an original high-concept story that sells. To do this, writers must learn new techniques to help them create stories that are both commercially viable and written from the heart.
During this intense but fun two-day workshop, Marilyn will help you develop stronger concepts, characters, plots and endings using advanced development techniques from her writing systems: The Four Magic Questions Of Screenwriting and How to Write a Screenplay in 10 Weeks.
The two sessions include:
Day One
- Pitch what you have – idea, synopsis, treatment or draft.
- Refine “the concept” of your story so that it is more commercially-viable.
- Use Marilyn’s advanced screenwriting techniques to expand the concept into a fully-formed story.
- Use Marilyn’s advanced character techniques to create or improve existing characters so the plot will become fresh and original.
- Find the surprise ending or at least an ending you weren’t expecting.
Day Two
- Review day one’s accomplishments and learn to create a useable scene-by-scene outline so that you can begin to write or rewrite immediately.
- Intensive overview of Marilyn’s writing system and how to use it to finish either your first draft or a full rewrite in 10 weeks or less.
Writing Villain First
Two fatal mistakes that screenwriters make are first, to create characters who react to the events of the script instead of initiating them, and a plot that lacks enough jeopardy to engage the viewer. In this accelerated seminar, you will learn to use the villain to drive the plot and force the hero or heroine to become active. These are advanced tips and tricks that are used in Professor Horowitz’ international coaching practice that have enabled writers to produce and publish their work in record time.
Writing Concept First
In this accelerated seminar, Marilyn will show you how to assess whether or not the concept of your current or next project is both commercially viable, and true to the story you want to tell. By examining successful films in various genres, including romantic comedy and horror, you will learn why one film was successful, and another wasn’t. A successful concept is not a good story, it’s a good story shaped to capture your audience’s interest by connecting to their deepest concerns and needs.