Saturday, August 15, 2026

One-day seminar via Zoom, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM PDT

🌍 Class Times by Time Zone: Los Angeles (PDT): 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM / Chicago (CDT): 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM / New York (EDT): 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM / London (BST): 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM / Berlin (CEST): 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Now Enrolling! Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.

Instructor Bio

Instructor Heidi Lux is a produced screenwriter and satirist. Her screenwriting credits include Nickelodeon and Tubi. As a satirist, Heidi is currently a managing editor for The Belladonna Comedy and has written for McSweeney's, Reductress, and more.

Who is this class for?

This one-day online screenwriting seminar is designed for beginning and early-intermediate screenwriters who feel that formatting questions are getting in the way of their creative work. Whether you're a newcomer intimidated by the rules, a developing writer who wants to use formatting as a tool for voice and impact, or anyone looking for a clear refresher on the finer points — flashbacks, montages, all-caps stage directions — this class is for you.

What to expect:

The first thing a reader sees is your script's formatting — and formatting can make or break a project before a single line of dialogue is read. This screenwriting seminar slows down and takes seriously a subject that most writing classes rush past. In the first half of this online writing class, Heidi Lux walks through the fundamentals: the theory and function behind standard formatting conventions, the nitty-gritty technical details that trip up even experienced writers, and how to handle sequences like flashbacks, montages, and dreams.

The second half shifts into a more advanced gear, exploring how formatting can be a tool for voice, emotional impact, and reader experience. You'll learn how the density and flow of your stage directions affect read speed, how to write character descriptions that pop, and how to break the rules of screenplay formatting effectively — in ways that earn a "wow" rather than an "ugh." The session concludes with a detailed analysis of real scripts, both exemplary and instructive, and an open Q&A with Heidi.

This is a lecture-format seminar with copious examples throughout, designed to give writers the foundational knowledge and "secret sauce" they need to feel fully in command of their craft. With a maximum of 25 participants, there's ample opportunity to ask the questions you've always been too afraid to raise.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will develop a confident, working command of screenplay formatting — both its technical rules and the creative potential beneath them. Rather than producing written work during the session, students will leave equipped with the knowledge and mindset to immediately apply what they've learned to projects in progress. The session includes a lecture with extensive script examples and a closing Q&A segment so every student's questions get addressed.

COURSE OUTLINE:

This one-day seminar covers the following topics in sequence:

The Purposes of Formatting: Why script formatting is the way it is / How a script functions as a collaborative document / What your formatting signals to executives about you as a writer / The one key rule that unlocks the rest.

Understanding the Thought Process of the Reader.

An Overview of Standard Formatting: A breakdown of the technical fundamentals — slug lines, dialogue, camera directions, transitions, VO vs. OS / How to format sequences: flashbacks, montages, and dreams / Single-cam vs. multi-cam vs. animation formatting.

How to Use Formatting for Impact: Read speed and why it matters / Description and detail — how to get more with less / Writing stage directions for emotional impact / Bringing voice into a scene / Writing character descriptions that pop / The difference between showing and telling / How to break the rules effectively.

Analysis of Examples: Breakdown of scripts with great formatting and why they work / Breakdown of scripts with poor formatting and how to fix them.

Q&A with Heidi Lux.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• A solid, working understanding of screenplay formatting conventions — including the technical details most books gloss over
• Clarity on why formatting works the way it does, giving you a principled basis for every formatting decision
• The tools to use formatting as an expression of voice and a source of emotional impact
• A framework for understanding reader psychology and how to use it to your advantage
• The confidence to break formatting rules intentionally and effectively — and know the difference between a bold choice and a mistake

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $99 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

• Instructor: Heidi Lux
• Saturday, August 15, 2026
• One-day seminar via Zoom, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM PDT (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT)
• Tuition is $99 USD.