StretchLearn Course

Write a Script That Reads Like a Pro Wrote It

Master scene format, three-act structure, scene and dialogue craft, and a pitch that opens doors, for both feature and TV.

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Beginner9 hrSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

Learn to write a feature film or television script that looks and reads like a professional's, from the first FADE IN to the final pitch meeting. The course teaches the master scene format used across the industry, the structural frameworks behind produced films, and the techniques pros use for scenes, dialogue, and subtext. You leave with a finished sample scene, an act outline, a logline, and a pitch you can send to managers and contests.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Format a feature and a TV script to industry standard using master scene headings, action, and dialogue blocks

Structure a story across three acts using beat-sheet frameworks like Save the Cat and the sequence approach

Write scenes that enter late, exit early, and turn on a clear conflict and value change

Craft distinct, on-the-nose-free dialogue that carries subtext and reveals character

Develop a logline, one-page synopsis, and verbal pitch tailored to managers and contests

Plan a revision pass and submission strategy targeting fellowships, the Black List, and reps

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: Format, Tools, and the Reader's Eye

Get your pages looking professional and learn how readers actually consume a script. Format is the price of admission, and white space is your friend.

3 lessons

Master Scene Format: The Five ElementsContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Sluglines, Action Lines, and White SpaceContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Software, Page Count, and Reading Like a ReaderContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Story Structure and the Beat Sheet

Build a story that holds together across acts using the structural frameworks behind produced films and series.

3 lessons

Three-Act Structure and the Major TurnsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Beat Sheets: Save the Cat and the Sequence MethodContent · 45 min

LMS Access

TV Structure: Acts, Cold Opens, and the Pilot's JobContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Scene Craft, Dialogue, and Character

Write scenes that move and dialogue that sounds human while doing dramatic work. This is where the script lives or dies on the page.

3 lessons

The Anatomy of a SceneContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Dialogue, Subtext, and VoiceContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Character Want, Need, and the ArcContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Revision, Pitching, and Breaking In

Turn a finished draft into a polished script, then learn how the industry reads, buys, and hires. Writing is rewriting, and selling is its own skill.

3 lessons

The Rewrite: Passes That Sharpen a DraftContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Loglines, Synopses, and the One-PagerContent · 45 min

LMS Access

The Pitch and the Path In: Contests, Fellowships, and RepsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

screenwritingscreenplay formatthree-act structureSave the CatTV writingdialogueloglinespitching