August 20, 2011 – 3D Screenwriting – Writing with the Actor in Mind
August 20, 2011
With Maggie Soboil
3D SCREENWRITING – Writing with the actor in mind focuses on writing deep, rich, believable characters.
Through a series of exercises and techniques, the screenwriter will discover the key to writing truthful, three-dimensional characters that leap off the page.
During the seminar Maggie will like to give a hands-on demonstration of 3D screenwriting so you the screenwriter can see how it works using attendee’s scene submissions.
If you would like to work on a scene from one of your screenplays, please email the scene to [email protected].
The scene should be character-driven (3-4 pages) with the protagonist and not more than 2 or 3 other characters.
Choose a scene you may be having trouble with, and Maggie will work with the writer on it.
Maggie will contact the specific writers of the scenes she will use as examples in the seminar.
HOW DID 3D SCREENWRITING COME TO BE?
“I developed this technique after all my years working with hundreds of screenwriters from all over the world. I noticed that form and structure was something they could easily get and understand, but why did they have such problems creating characters with dimension and motivation — characters that actors would be dying to play — no matter the size of the role?”
“After all a screenplay is written to be performed by actors. It’s not a novel you can put down or pick up at leisure, taking the time to contemplate and digest.”
“I decided to approach screenwriting from a specific and new point of view: I’d make you, the writer, break down your screenplay from an actor’s point of view. ”
“I’d get you to experience the script as an actor would, except that this has NOTHING to do with performance — it has nothing to do with whether you can act or not. It is about the way you approach the text. Suddenly you are experiencing your script in a new way — you are looking at behavior — you are FEELING and exploring first-hand what your intention as the writer is and what motivates character.”
“You now start to approach your work from the inside — as a writer you start to ask yourself questions you may never have asked before — you start to write character from an internal truth. This holds for any type of genre you want to write — be it character driven stories, fantasy, film noir, horror, etc. — there is always that internal logic and truth and it will start to come naturally to you, the creator.”
“Many writers have told me that they now approach their writing in a brand new way — their ear has changed — they can distinguish what is truly motivated and what isn’t. I feel that it is much easier to learn the techniques of form and plot, and of course those are important, but what I want to concentrate on is the hardest task — most importantly, that screenwriters are creating roles for LIVING, BREATHING HUMAN BEINGS.”
“They need to conceive and write three dimensionally and truthfully. I believe you can use these techniques even before you begin to write… even when your script is still in treatment form.”
Through 25 years of experience as an actress, director and producer, Maggie Soboil has developed 3D SCREENWRITING — Writing with the Actor in Mind. She spent many years as head of development for a Los Angeles-based cutting edge film company, developing projects with numerous screenwriters including Armistead Maupin, Djordge Milicevic and Murray Schisgal.
For the last 7 years she has been a screenwriting consultant at DreamAgo’s (www.dreamago.com) Plume & Pellicule screenwriting workshop in Sierre, Switzerland, working intensely with over 80 screenwriters from all over the world. There she originated the “Writing for Actors Workshop” three years ago.
She has also taught 3D SCREENWRITING workshops in Paris at the prestigious Conservatoire European d’Ecriture Audiovisuelle ( CEEA ) and returns there this July. Born in South Africa, she became that country’s leading female satirist.
As an actress, she won an Obie award in NY, and wrote and starred in her own TV special for the BBC. She has directed theatre in NY and LA and her credits include ‘Boston Weekend Television”, which gave birth to some of the most successful contemporary comedy writers and performers.
Her first feature,“Myron’s Movie” , has played numerous festivals and garnered a best narrative feature award. She will direct “Missing You” this summer. As a producer she developed the series “This Week In New York” for South Africa’s MNet Television, and produced “With or Without You”, “Wooly Boys” starring Kris Kristofferson and Peter Fonda, and “Sunstroke”.
In addition, Maggie is the head of DreamAgo USA (dreamago.com), an international organization that brings together film professionals of all nationalities: screenwriters, producers, directors and distributors. Its purpose is to nurture and promote the creation of cinematic works on all continents, offering support at each stage of their development.
Additionally, each year a screenwriting workshop takes place in Switzerland with 10 projects chosen from around the world. Four films have been made since the first workshop including ”Tengri: Blue Heaven”, which was selected as Kyrgyzstan’s submission to the 2009 Oscars as well as playing the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
