Screenwriting
Intensives

With Graham Norris & Lee Arcuri

Presented by The Norris Studio

WRITE YOUR SHORT FILM (8 Weeks)
WRITE YOUR PILOT (12 Weeks)

Space is limited and by application only. Fill out the form below and we'll send you an application for our next session.

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Meet Graham and Lee

We’re working screenwriters and WGA members with a combined twenty years of professional experience.

Graham has been on television staffs for a decade, writing on shows for Warner Brothers and Universal Studios; most recently, he was a co-executive producer of NBC’s hit medical drama NEW AMSTERDAM, while developing films with Oscar-nominated producers.

Lee has worked on the hit CW show iZOMBIE, and has sold multiple shows to Amazon, Warner Bros., and ABC Studios. He's developed pilots with writers such as Max Borenstein (Winning Time) and Anthony Zuiker (CSI) .

Please note that as working writers, we can only take on a limited number of clients at a time. A waitlist and referrals to other coaches are available.

SAVE MY SPOT

WRITE YOUR SHORT FILM

WRITE YOUR SHORT FILM
An 8-Week Intensive Course

Week One
LOGLINES

Loglines aren’t just an ad for your idea. They’re an expression of your understanding of the nuts and bolts of how screenwriting works. We’ll dive into conflict, character, and a deeper understanding of story, screening successful shorts for context.

Week Two
BREAKING STORY + INDEX CARDS

After discussing your loglines, we turn to “breaking story,” aka the construction of your short’s plot, broken into scenes. This is the main activity of all TV writers rooms, and we’ll dig into how the pros do it, including how to “index card” each scene with its key information. We’ll dissect story structure and have you ready to build the plot of your own short.

Week Three
WRITING WEEK

Breaking story takes work. There’ll be no in-person class in Week 3. Instead, you’ll turn in your first draft of your Index Cards. We’ll give you detailed notes and guidance, with optional office hours for follow-ups.

Week Four
OUTLINE

Armed with the 2nd draft of your Index Cards, you have the basic x-ray of your short. The next step is to develop an outline, a key step in any for-hire writing project. We’ll discuss what an outline is, why it’s important, and how developing one can help you spot the elements of your script that need work.

Week Five
SCRIPT

At last, it’s your moment to take the leap: Time to write the script. We’ll delve into how to make a script “read professional,” along with a discussion of how to make character and dialogue come to life.

Week Six
WRITING WEEK

No in-person class. You’ll turn in the 1st draft of your script. We’ll give you notes and thoughts, bolstered by optional office hours, giving you what you need to achieve the famous “second draft jump.”

Week Seven
TABLE READ

Using actors from the studio’s professional classes, we’ll read aloud the second drafts in a closed-door workshop setting. You’ll leave with not just notes, but the irreplaceable experience of hearing your work read aloud by pros.

Week Eight
SHOWCASE

Your short will be presented with the studio’s professional actors. We’ll talk about some of the fun stuff – short film festivals, ways to make your short more “produce-able”. Then we’ll raise a glass to taking concrete steps to making dreams a reality.

THE DETAILS

Tuesday's from 12-3pm
Sept. 26th - Nov. 14th
In-Person at The Norris Studio
THIS CLASS HAS HOMEWORK
Limited Availability
Enrollment By Application Only
Cost: $1000
$750 for clients currently enrolled in TNS ongoing acting classes within last 3 months)

WRITE YOUR PILOT