Beginners Guide To Screenwriting - Shannan E. Johnson [FULL INTERVIEW]
0:00 - Introduction To Screenwriting
15:04 - 3 Common Mistakes Beginning Screenwriters Make
25:52 - Best Practices For Beginning Screenwriters
37:19 - Screenplay Structure For Beginners
48:42 - How Screenplay Outlines Work
1:00:39 - How I Teach Screenplay Structure
1:08:43 - How To Introduce The Protagonist
1:16:20 - How To Write SMART Goals For Your Characters
1:24:09 - 3 Mistakes Screenwriters Make In Act 2 That Ruin A Screenplay
1:37:43 - Biggest Mistakes Writers Make With Subplots
Shannan E. Johnson, a native of Houston, TX, is a former creative executive at The Syfy Channel turned CEO of the first black-owned script consultancy in the entertainment industry, The Professional Pen. The Professional Pen is a writer-centered service provider helping emerging and established creatives develop their stories for the screen.
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This woman is an incredible teacher. Any student or client is blessed to have her. Competent, clear, open, and focused on the person not herself. Truly rare in people let alone teachers. What a woman.
I’m surprised she isn’t also a successful actor. With her looks, smarts and charisma, it’s hard to understand why studios aren’t fighting to get her in front of the camera, not just behind it. Awesome presence and expressive power.
It's giving Angela Bassett imo
@@nailinthefashion Sorry I don’t get your point? Elaborate please?
@@Mr.Monta77 that's who she reminds me of
@@nailinthefashion Right, sorry I didnt think about that. I don’t live in the states.
@@Mr.Monta77 no worries, hope you're warm 💐🥂
I think I've commented on nearly every FC interview with Shannan but I so so so so LOOVVEEEE her articulation when deconstructing the art of screenwriting. Always easy to understand and straight to the point.
This interview is like an extra Christmas
I love how shannan is so passionate about the mechanics behind stories. she is NEVER biased and I would pay serious amounts just to see her feedback beginner scripts. We can learn so much from her passion
Shannan is an awesome teacher and the host ask the best questions.
Thanks for watching!
Literally clicked soon as I got the notification. Thank you 🙏🏾❤️this is exactly what I’m looking for.
Great! Hope you get a lot out of this one.
I think someone needs to make Film Courage movie staring Shannen and Chris Gore as a superhero duo that goes around punching out bad movie scripts and story ideas. I strongly believe that these two could save the world from bad movies.
I ❤️ her approach to characters. Thanks for another incredible interview with Shannan 🙏🏾
You got it! We love this one and are happy to share.
2 whole hours of Shannon? I’m in. I’m gonna start writing right now. Well, right now after two hours but you know what I mean.
Cheers, keep creating!
Loves her reference to Dave Chappelle and True Hollywood stories
One of the best interviews on screenwriting! She is spot on about storytelling, and writing, and so many of the other interviews by Film Courage, they say you have to do this and this....like there are rules on how to make it, but this woman specifically states there is no such thing, and explains why as well :)
I am so glad I found this channel. Analyzing cinema is my favorite pass time.
Cheers Dairon!
What is something this video taught you?
Diehard. I finally understand why I love Diehard. Shannan explains at around 1:20 mark how protagonists and antagonists roles can be flipped inside of a story, and its the audience member’s perceptions that frame the view Hans Gruber is the hero of his own story, John McClane is a nuisance who subverts his carefully laid plan. I now consider the idea of a movie that takes Hans Gruber and John McClane, and inverts them as a seed Id like to tell in a larger tale
That's some of the best advice I've seen on this channel. She's so good. Interviewer asks the best questions ever. I swear.
I want to give kudos to the interviewer as well. Those are some great follow up questions
What did you like about this video?
Shannan! She's the best at explaining aspects of screenwriting and the business. Her analogies are SOO easy to understand and put into practice. Please have more of her content. As soon as I see her name I click!
I have wanted to see this in it’s entirety for a while now. Im not any kind of screenwriter or professional, its just a passion. This is a class Im just excited to be a member of the audience. So grateful thank u, and Shannan
Been waiting for this!
We're glad to finally have this posted! Cheers!
Thank you Shannan for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us. Thank you Film Courage team for the interview🙏🏾🙌🏾👌🏾🔥.
I Like Shannan! I'll write her name in my wish list and check her website.
Shannan is so brilliant and articulate. I'm in awe. Thank you for sharing this amazing content with us!
Cheers Betti! We hope it inspires your work!
Useful information. Deeply Appreciated
For me, Shannon is the best guest this channel has.
Sharing is caring shared this
Shannan is Fabulous. She sounds extraordinarily knowledgeable and disseminates valuable information with finesse. Bravo
I don't think I've missed a single video of Shannon E Johnson especially when she mentions "raising the stakes". My name is Jarrett Matthews and not only am I an actor but I also write. I plan on consulting with you about this Screenplay I'm working on but I'm not sure how much you charge.
YES I have been waiting for this gem of a video to drop ❤
You guys have great content! Definitely have to be consistent with the work!!
On my way home to order wings 🍗 open my lap top and get down to Final Draft 📃 🖥 ... this video came right on time ⏰️ 👍🏾❤ ... she's very knowledgeable. Always on target 🎯 💯
i like her alot
Shannon is on point! I'm motivated to write now.
you are a good teacher
This was very helpful. I'm currently into music but my love for film and screenwriting is rising.
Thank you for this great interview!
Great interview.
Excellent advice.
thanks appreciate a lot❤❤❤❤❤❤✌
Wow Fantabulous thanks
Thank you so much for this in-depth interview! I’m halfway through and have already gleaned so much and am quite inspired. I’m learning to write graphic novel scripts, which don’t have fixed formatting, though story is story! Thanks again to both of you!!
This is great to hear Beth! Our best to you and your work!
Great video!
Priceless interview!
I love you Shannan ****
Superb work dear
I am surprised that this channel has not reached 1 million subscribers yet. Your contents have been fantastic.
so freaking helpful!!! thank you so much for doing this, amazing stuff.
Great to hear! Our best to you and your work!
This is incredible. I'm grateful she took the time to share her knowledge.
Incredible video. Thank you Film Courage!
This is fabulous information! For those of us who write novels, does that become a real advantage when creating the outline/screenplay?
Love ✊🏿🔥
I just love this 😎👍
Cheers!
@@filmcourage 🍷 thx, appreciate it 😉
She's soo Great with a lot of wonderful first hand sage advice! ": )"
Thanks!
Thank you again Kalin! It's great to see others find value in our interview with Shannan! We think she's terrific!
thank you for this. it is wonderful.
Shannan is great! Thanks for watching!
@@filmcourage the interviewer is great too! i don’t know of anyone better at asking such good questions when the guest is unclear or to change the topic, but also so good at keeping quiet when the guest is in their groove. no egotistical interruptions. so professional and polished and kind that she makes it look easy.
Thank you. We do our best to feature our guests.
I watch your videos multiple times, it’s not one and done. I watch them as my daily podcasts. I watch them on continuous play. It’s been helping drill the information into me.
Love to hear that. We hope they continue to provide you value!
Tbh, If you’re looking for or need a “step by step guide” to do anything hollywood related then it’s probably not for you. I heard so many well what if this, and Here’s an outlier for why I could subvert or skip entirely the processes snd rules that everyone else has to follow. What really lost me was the lack of desire to even be your own advocate for your screenplay. You have to understand if YOU don’t believe enough in your work to have the courage to even TRY to shop it around, and network then it’s just posing. This is CREATIVE work, with a million ways to do it well and requires a level of sacrifice that will need to endure criticism, being poor, being turned away, and the only thing to sustain yourself is the will to keep writing keep creating, and nothing else…
Bedankt
Thank you so much Nicole! Great to see you finding value in this video! Our best to you! 🇳🇱
This channel provides limitless great content.
Well, we appreciate the support. Doing our best!
@@filmcourage I'm writing science fiction now. Thanks to your channel I know I'll succeed one day!
@@scifirealism5943 It will be because of you and the work you do. Cheers!
@@filmcourage retype
Shannon is such an Intelligent screenplay writer and such an outstanding teacher.
Great content! If you just put some limiter to input of microphone it wouldn't get distorted in some places in timeline... All other is golden!!!
Brilliant Teacher.. Going to join her classes.. Onelove from London. [Working as editor but started trying to write during Lockdown]
Best of luck moving forward!
Thank you for posting these instructions, it was helpful and informative and entertaining. Thank you. God bless you. Friday, May 12, 2023
Shannan goated
This so helpful I remember when they was shooting fnF7 in my city one of the set ppl like you just gotta no someone in this business to get stared
I would love to know her outlook on A.I., as it evolves to the point of making it possible to make a film yourself using that technology.
Shes a genius gosh dang it a genius
Did this advice also work if I went to make comics?
No way I wouldn't have time for Shannan,
I want to be a student of Shannan
Is there a good reliable site for actual screenplays for movies and television? I've often wondered if what I was reading was authentic. (I have never bothered with "transcripts" since no scene descriptions or stage directions were present, which is why I'm reading them.) I like to see how a James Gunn approaches the scene directions vs a Quentin Tarantino...
@@babumurugesan6977 Hitchcock explained a lot of that very very well
LOL I need these things in my real life! Looks like I’m’a comedy.
“If you are watching that now, the trend has passed”😂 yes, i have seen this in recent history. RMB has said a similar thing, about how WB has been chasing Marvel Studios for years, they follow not lead. Hoping there will be a change of tide or the winds have changed, Id really like to see better DC movies in years to come.
"there are no new ideas" this simple phrase made me automatically dismiss everything the interviewee had to say. It's not that there are no new ideas, there's just too many people not willing to do the work to create something new.
Film,wwow~ so insane .))
🦎💚Shannan🐞❤
How do we get in touch with you
Semiautomatic
Don't forget: "Many now-famous and critically acclaimed screenplays were initially rejected by Hollywood readers or faced challenges in getting green-lit. Rejection is a common part of the entertainment industry, and even some iconic films faced initial skepticism."
Why does she bring up Bokowski, a novelist and poet?
She brought up Bokowski because as a novelist and poet, he did his own thing. Just like Ms. Johnson suggested that we do. Break the rules if it works for us.
I originally only wanted to write my own life story, but I have a comedy I want to write first.
50:31
You can make your own film independently or you can go down the avenue with an agent . Every single person in the business is not under the oath .
Watch out with some script readers though, a Murder She Wrote script writer ruined my mom's script to make it Tarzan speech. He was a jerk.
The only rule you need: Have friends working in film industry.
Idk, that zombie shit went on for over a decade. Flaked out vampire went on for what? 6 or 7 years? Still, best to develop your chops and hit that due diligence/research. Be prolific.
i like alot of vids from film courage but these 1 hr + videos are way too much, too much fluff not enough down to the point
First, write a really WOKE script. Then lay back as the money rolls in because they eat that shit up.
Rightists are so wild
All this hard work. Just use chatgpt 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. I’m joking……or I’m I 🤔🧐