Screenplay 101 - From Idea to Screen
What you'll learn
- They will learn to take an idea and turn it into a feature-length movie screenplay.
Requirements
- None
Description
Have you ever wanted to write your own movie or wondered what it takes to write one? In this educational and FUN four hour-ish workshop, I'll teach you the basics of movie screenplays, how to properly structure and format them, how to begin to write your own stories, and an honest insiders take on the movie business from a working screenwriter and producer with almost twenty years of experience.
You'll walk away not only with the tools to begin to write movies, but you'll leave with the beginnings of your own story. This is a great introduction for those interested in a possible career in film but also for those who love movies and want a one-of-kind experience.
I have written six feature films that have been produced, including most recently, The Commando, featuring Michael Jai White and Mickey Rourke. I also produced four feature films; a one-hour comedy special on Starz, Comedy InvAsian, a television series featuring the nation’s top Asian American comedians; and Brash Girls Club, a limited comedy series, which premiered on Tubi TV. The only thing I love more than writing is teaching it. I am currently a screenwriting instructor at UCLA Extensions, the New York Film Academy in Burbank, and most recently Chapman University.
Who this course is for:
- People interested in writing screenplays
Course content
- Preview01:19
Instructor
![Koji Steven Sakai](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 64 64"%3E%3C/svg%3E){kind=avatar}
- 4.9 Instructor Rating
- 16 Reviews
- 89 Students
- 1 Course
Writer/Producer Koji Steven Sakai, a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Masters of Professional Writing program, is the founder of Little Nalu Pictures LLC.
He has written five feature films that have been produced, Haunted Highway (2006), The People I’ve Slept With (2009), Santa & Me (2013), #1 Serial Killer (2013), and Dying to Kill (2016). In addition, his screenplay, Romeo, Juliet, & Rosaline, was optioned by Amazon Studios.
He has produced three feature films, The People I’ve Slept With, #1 Serial Killer, Dying to Kill; a one-hour comedy special on Starz, Dwayne Perkins: Take Note (2015); Comedy InvAsian (2017), a television series featuring the nation’s top Asian American comedians, and Brash Girls Club (2019), a limited comedy series, which premiered on Tubi TV.
Most recently, he wrote and produced a feature film, Last Girl, which is currently in post-production. The film was the directorial debut of Arsal Asal and stars Jeanne Lau, Stephen L. Wilson, Sarah Wong Thompson, and Christopher Dionne.
Koji’s debut novel, Romeo & Juliet Vs. Zombies, was published by Luthando Coeur in 2015 and in audiobook in 2016, his Amazon Kindle World novella, Operation Survive, was released in the 2016, and his graphic novel, 442, was released online in 2017 by Stela and in print by Little Nalu Pictures LLC in 2019. His newest novel, Zombie Run, was released in print and ebook in 2019 by Solstice Publishing and his newest graphic novel, Santa Vs. Zombies, was released in print in 2019 by Outland Entertainment.
He has also had stories featured in New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei, Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology, Secret Identities Volume 2: Shattered, and Pho for Life.
He has held several prestigious fellowships, writing awards and grants. They include, the Screenwriting Expo 4: New Visions Fellowship Award (2005), Visual Communication’s Armed with a Camera (2006), Film Independent’s Project: Involve (2007), The Writers Boot Camp Fellowship (2009), The Producers Guild: Power of Diversity Workshop (2009), California Civil Liberties Public Education Grant (2016), and the Tribecca Film Institute Pond5 Program (2019).
In addition to his writing, he produces and hosts three podcasts; Guy Code; Best OR Worst Podcast with M. Martin Mapoma; Midnight Watchers with Quentin Lee and Jennifer Field.
Koji’s passion for writing is only matched by his love to teach others how to do it. He is currently a screenwriting instructor at UCLA Extensions and at the New York Film Academy in Burbank.
He lives with his wife, son, and dog in South Pasadena, California.