It’s not just hitting the right notes. It’s feeling and playing through those notes with your whole being. This is the essence of what I’m teaching here. What movies, what moments does this bring up for you in the great films you’ve seen and been affected by? Comment below! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSven37jP9U/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

This community has been such a surprising and great gift this year! Just want you know how much I appreciate you all and wishing you a wonderful holiday with loved ones! Big things coming! Keep on the lookout here and in the Classroom section! Merry Christmas!

We've had quite a few people signing up in December, so I wanted to make a thread specifically for them! If you've been in the community for a while yourself, drop in and welcome them, let them know what you've learned and what the resources are here. And if you're new coming thru the doors, don't be shy! Come say hi and get to know our great founding members who have helped build this place over the last two months! Welcome @Oscar Perez Ramirez @Ellie Allen @Ian Campbell @Ioannis Koutroubis @Olivis Hyde @Nick Pamment @Uzoma Chukwuonye @Christopher Robin Andrews @Ray Hernandez @Wasly Castillo @Zandrew Sonnemaker @Clay Smith @Rose Anna @Christine C @Arlene Flower @Max Russo @Irfan Qaiser @Gerry Brauders @Giao Nguyen @Tramaine Montgomery @Rachel Moran @Mb Stevens @Sandon Yahn @AllieGrace Woodard @William Khaziri @Brielle Randall @Chad Desrochers @Zac Gillam @Gary Horne @Kitti Mészáros @Jon Bliss @Nathan S Jones @Jon Evans @Yolanda Zamora @Katricia Fann @Mike Mckee @Ryan Sulak @Richie Banz @Stephen Brogdon @Lena Lieuvin @Lindis Courtney @Pi Mar @Kate Zarczynski @Kay Ross @Nick Ebeling @Franco Amurri @Mark Haapala @Zsolt Nagy

I’ve been thinking a lot about my mission with this community. At its core, I want to help you write visceral, primal characters — people with real human needs, real internal fractures, and stories that hit the audience in the gut. But before we dive into wounds, meaning, and transformation, every writer needs one simple tool to ground the work: The logline. This is where the path from good scripts to holy shit scripts start. Most people think of a logline as something you need at the END of the process, for a pitch. But a precise logline can be invaluable during the writing. And while I’ll critique the formulaic nature of Save The Cat now and then, STC has a pretty clean definition of a logline. We’ll go deeper in future posts, but let’s steelman this one first. According to Save the Cat, a strong logline needs four things: 1. A clear protagonist 2. A clear goal 3. A clear obstacle or antagonist 4. The irony — the hook That last piece is the part most writers skip — and it’s the reason many loglines fall flat. Example: Groundhog Day Protagonist: Phil Connors (cynical weatherman) Goal: Escape the time loop Obstacle: Himself — his selfishness keeps him in prison Irony: A man who never appreciates the moment is forced to relive the same one forever Logline: “A man who can’t appreciate the moment is forced to live the same day over and over until he learns that meaning isn’t found in the next thing, but in showing up fully for what’s right in front of him.” Three More Famous Examples 1. Toy Story 2 Protagonist: Woody Goal: Get back to Andy Obstacle: A collector who offers eternal preservation in a museum Irony: To return home, he must choose a love that will eventually break his heart Logline: “A cowboy doll must escape a toy collector and return to his owner, even though it means choosing a love he knows will one day leave him behind.” 2. Signs Protagonist: A grieving former priest Goal: Protect his children Obstacle: A global alien invasion

I've got my head down this week, prepping for the Emotional Authorship Seminar - aka What They Don't Teach You in Film School ... where I'm going to take students through exactly how I analyze projects at studios. How I create primal character dynamics that take those scripts to the next level and finally get them green lit! So I might be a little quiet here this week as I build that seminar out since this is the first in a series I'll be teaching. And I want everything to be absolutely top notch. What's on your plate and what are you determined to bring to the table this week? Let's get specific about our goals, so we don't get lost in the holiday shuffle. Now, don't get me wrong, it's incredibly important to be able to show up and appreciate everything we have to be grateful for during this time of year. But if we can keep plodding and plotting our way through December, we'll be able to enter the new year with a whole new energy vs having to play catch up. Drop your goals below!