Screenwriting : I'm really excited to take Regina Lee's class "How To Hook Your Reader in The First 5 Pages." The first session of 3 starts tonight! by Beth Fox Heisinger

Have fun!

Thanks Anthony! :) I'm all about keeping my eyes wide open! What I'm really excited about is gaining even more knowledge about story and paradigms -- their effective use. Those of you members who know me know I love story discussion and analysis. :) Of course, gaining better understanding of how those great folks on the other side of the table assess a script's first pages will be incredibly insightful as well. ;)

Great!

Thanks Michael! :)

I'm contemplating it Beth

That's great, S.A.! ...Well, if you look over Regina's extensive professional experience and know-how, plus all that she will be covering in the class, it will be extremely beneficial. First impressions are vital in this industry -- especially on the page! She also added some extra perks that extend far beyond the first five pages. Anyway, I hope you do partake. ;) Maybe...?

I've signed up :-) Always want to improve.

Hey Beth & Phillip, I'm flattered and excited that you both signed up! Thank you! See you in a few hours!

All right, Phillip! Yup, see you both soon! :)

As much as I would love go on this class, financially I just can't at the moment. I'll try take it up in the future! Have tons of fun guys!

Thanks, and no worries, S.A.! :) Best to you!

Thank you all for taking my class! Tonight was certainly business-oriented, and next week will be a lot more screencraft-oriented! Hope you guys enjoy the balance of both sides!

I really enjoyed it, Regina! Lots of great information. The succinct concepts, or ways to consider your audience; "readers' psychology" was very interesting, helpful. I really liked the "read as a pro" list of questions a reader asks oneself while assessing a script. "Where does it (your script) stand in its weight class," that was a nice 'light bulb' moment for me. I mean, I always consider comparisons, but perhaps too broadly... The "weight class" analogy helped me think more clearly, simply. Also, considering "brand," how does your script fit with those whom you are hoping to engage -- their brand. Again, another fantastic point to always consider. Talking about the business end is so valuable because writers often look at the industry through their myopic lens -- we get wrapped up in what we are doing, our ideas. It's always beneficial to better understand how our work is discussed, assessed and enjoyed from a different perspective. Anyway, thanks for a great class! I'm looking forward to next week!

Thank you, Beth, for taking the time to post some detailed feedback. It's really helpful to know what stuck out for you!!

The goal is for all the "business-speak" that we discussed in Class 1 to pay off when we get into craft in Class 2 and 3. We had our Act 1; now moving onto Act 2!

Class 2 was much more focused on craft, right?

Yes, absolutely! You gave us much to consider when crafting that all-important opening. Looking forward to Class 3!

Session 3 starts tonight! Looking forward to discussing and analyzing various openings of 15 feature films/shows. It will be incredibly helpful to see the tips and insights Regina has discussed in previous sessions demonstrated and explored in both produced and/or sold examples. It's a lot to cover! See you guys later this evening! :)

Looking forward to it. It's been a really good class so far :-) Unfortunately I misread the homework deadline email :-/ Argh!

Thank you to my class members! I had a few class members asking for examples of "bad" script openings that fail to hook your readers. Well to be honest, here's the problem in my mind. Take it as the most important lesson in Hollywood: Don't burn any bridges. What if I'd pulled some challenging openings, and one of my class members is friends/family with the writer whose pages I'm using as an example of "what not to do." Maybe I have a class member who is managed by the same company as the "bad" writer. That video of my negative critique would be preserved for not only my current class but also future "on demand" class members. That's a sure way to burn a bridge. Hollywood is a small town. Better to use positive examples than negative examples if you want to build bridges. You may notice that I don't go really negative in my posts.