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The Cinema Writing Studio

With AI as a Thought Partner

Continue through the Cinema Writing Studio curriculum with focused weekly modules on film language, structure, and practical craft analysis.

Week 1

The Movie on the Page

Beat-by-beat reading and scene-level movement.

Week 2

Editing, Rhythm, Scene Purpose

Track scene purpose, cuts, and rhythm across full features.

Week 3

Genre as a Promise

Define genre contracts and identify delivery scenes.

Week 6

Theme as Argument (Not a Slogan)

Build a thematic question and concept document that pressure-tests your premise.

Week 7

Protagonist Design

Build a protagonist from four load-bearing elements: Want, Need, Wound, and Line.

Week 8

Antagonism as a System

Design opposition as a force with logic, escalation, and a defensible thematic position.

Week 9

World Rules You Can Film

Design a world with trackable rules, pressure-tested costs, and production-ready location strategy.

Week 10

The Promise Map

Map the nine moments your audience expects and design surprising ways to deliver each one.

Week 11

Feature Structure Without Formula

Build an 8-sequence outline that keeps momentum without turning structure into a cage.

Week 12

Midpoint

Design a midpoint hinge that transforms stakes, closes retreat, and drives the second half.

Week 13

Scene Engine I

Write goal-friction-turn scenes that move story through active resistance and consequential turns.

Week 14

Scene Engine II

Rewrite scenes with subtext, status shifts, and meaningful silence while preserving engine clarity.

Week 15

Beat Sheet → Step Outline

Expand your 8-sequence structure into a 40–60 beat causal chain using the therefore/but test.

Week 16

Draft Act I

Draft pages 1–30 and establish the five promises in your first ten pages.

Week 17

Draft Act IIa

Draft pages 31–60 while cycling complication modes to maintain momentum.

Week 18

Midpoint Rewrite Pass

Revise your midpoint sequence without losing forward drafting momentum.

Week 19

Draft Act IIb

Draft pages 61–90 with compressed scenes, faster transitions, and escalating pressure.

Week 20

All Is Lost + Dark Turn

Draft your low-point sequence and aftermath pages, then launch the climax decision.

Week 21

Draft Act III

Draft pages 91 to the end with a protagonist-driven climax, brief denouement, and resonant final image.

Week 22

First Draft Assembly Week

Assemble the full script, run a cold read in one sitting, and produce a one-page shape report for Phase 3 revision.

Week 23

Rewrite Macro Pass

Run a full macro diagnostic, then produce a structural change list and revised outline for the Phase 3 rewrite.

Week 24

Rewrite Scene Pass

Run scene-level triage with purpose tags, then cut or merge at least five scenes to tighten pace and structure.

Week 26

Clarity Pass

Run a full clarity pass for spatial grounding, temporal and logical flow, and camera-neutral shootability.

Week 27

Packaging — Logline, Synopsis, Pitch

Build your submission package: final logline, one-page synopsis, and a timed two-minute verbal pitch.

Week 28

Final Polish + Submission Prep

Complete final proofreading, consistency checks, and export a submission-ready screenplay package.

Week 29

Product Spec — Your Screenwriting App MVP

Translate your course workflow friction into a one-page PRD and a prioritized MVP feature backlog.

Week 30

Build Sprint — Editor + Scene Navigator

Build a working prototype with scene detection, click-to-navigate, and one additional backlog feature.

Week 31

AI Features — Questions-Only Script Doctor

Add a Two Readers diagnostic panel so selected scenes return specific craft questions, not generated rewrites.