Screenwriting Bootcamp
Sometimes, screenwriting classes are too general or too basic and you feel like you've wasted your time and money.
FFSA's one day, live-online Screenwriting Bootcamp gives you three live-online workshops with screenwriting techniques that you can use to improve your writing, and industry knowledge valuable to your writing career.
Take a giant leap as a writer in one day!
Step One: Register today for the Screenwriters Bootcamp
Step Two: Learn skills you can immediately apply to your scripts
Step Three: Rewrite and Watch Your Scripts Succeed
This
Winter
Winter Bootcamp
January 26, 2025
Only $59.90
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Three 90 minute workshops
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Workshops are at 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 7:00 pm eastern time
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Video replays will be available for one month after the bootcamp
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All registrants will have access to log in, watch the videos, ask questions and enter into discussions about the workshops in the class group on our website.
Workshops and Instructors
Cheryl McKay
Script Adaptations
The Most Common Job Writers Get Paid For
Adapted material makes up the large majority of jobs a screenwriter will get when hired to write for producers. True stories, novel adaptations, nonfiction books, articles, news-stories, biblical stories just to name a few. Cheryl McKay has been hired to write over 20 adaptations for television, DVD and film, including her new TV series, THESE STONES. This workshop will help you consider this lucrative area for breaking into paid writing opportunities. Cheryl will share what it’s like to write an adaptation for hire and what you can expect throughout the stages of the writing process.
(90 minute workshop)
Since 1997, Cheryl McKay’s screenplays for television, cable, TV, new media, and inspirational feature films have attracted multiple awards, nominations, as well as top star talent like James Garner, Brian Dennehy, and Abigail Breslin. Her first film produced was The Ulitmate Gift. She co-wrote the feature films, Indivisible and Extraordinary, and most recently served as the producer/showrunner for a 6 episode TV series she wrote called These Stones, starring Madeline Carroll, Karen Abercrombie, Charlene Amoia, and Cameron Arnett. Her heart from the beginning has been to make an impact through words and change the world through writing. That’s the heart behind serving at the helm of the creative development for Stone Impact Media.
George Escobar
Reviving Lost Stories
Adapting Hidden Gems from Public Domain
for Today’s Film Audiences
In an age when superhero, recycled reruns, tired rom-coms, and crass comedies dominate the screen, there’s a treasure trove of forgotten tales waiting to be rediscovered. This workshop dives into the art and opportunity of adapting lesser-known public domain works into fresh, compelling films. From uncovering unique narratives to modernizing themes and characters, you’ll learn the creative techniques and practical steps to breathe new life into hidden literary gems. We’ll explore stories that offer rich drama, adventure, and emotion, yet have barely been touched by today’s filmmakers.
Designed for screenwriters, directors, and producers, this course will equip you to mine the public domain for bold storytelling opportunities that stand out in the market. Join us to uncover overlooked titles, conceptualize modern adaptations, and bring timeless narratives to a new generation of audiences hungry for originality.
(90 minute workshop)
George Escobar is an award-winning writer, director, and producer of seven faith-based feature films and over a dozen documentaries, including the Oscar-nominated “Alone Yet Not Alone.” His films like “Come What May” and “The World We Make” have been distributed by Sony, Amazon Prime, Netflix, PureFlix, and others. A multiple award-winning screenwriter, Escobar sees opportunities to develop content that positively impacts families. He has taught over 3,500 students in filmmaking from a Christian perspective. Escobar has worked with top Hollywood executives and talent over his 25-year media career, including a stint at the American Film Institute, and recently served as Executive Producer at Focus on the Family. He is currently developing two new features - “Missileman” with producer Terry Rossio and “Trapped: The Story of Anita Dittman.”
Sean Gaffney
Subtext, Setups
and Information Reveals
Ever experience a movie that grinds to a halt as background information goes on and on and on? Or a setup so obvious it is, to be honest, painful to listen to? Or on-the-nose dialogue that takes you out of the story as you ask yourself, “Does anybody even talk like that?”
This workshop looks at techniques, tricks, and tips for the screenwriter in crafting those things that should “tell it slant.” Explore different ways to give your dialogue depth through what is not said and how characters communicate without words. Learn about the functions of setups and payoffs, and how to compose a compelling setup that leads to a satisfying landing in the payoff. And finally, we will play with exposition, starting with identifying clunking storytelling. We will play with tricks to getting over the exposition hump, and how to turn necessary information into entertaining information.
(90 minute workshop. 4:00 pm ET)
Sean Gaffney has authored well over two hundred produced plays, features, videos, animation projects, YouTube series episodes and short films (including for Big Idea and SuperBook). He was the Story Administrator for Warner Bros. Features and the Managing Director of Taproot Theatre (Seattle). Gaffney currently is a Professor in Media Communication and Screenwriting at Asbury University, as well as Associate Dean of the School of Communications. He received his BFA from Drake University, his MFA from Columbia University, and studied with Act One: Writing for Hollywood.