Begins Saturday, May 16, 2026

Class will meet for two sessions via Zoom on Saturday & Sunday, May 16–17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET

🌍 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

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

Instructor Dan Robert is an Emmy Award-winning writer/director/actor who grew up in western Massachusetts “where the coffee is strong, the women are stronger, and the first hour of parking is always free.” He started his career as a child actor in local professional theater, for which therapy has been very helpful. After graduating from Emerson College, he began working at Shondaland, where he served as the executive assistant to Debbie Allen on “Grey’s Anatomy” before becoming the creative assistant to Shonda Rhimes. With his high school best friend and writing partner, Lisha Brooks, he wrote on both seasons of “The Baby-Sitter’s Club” for Netflix, which won the 2022 Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Live Action Preschool or Children’s Program. They were co-producers and writers on the forthcoming second installment of “Nine Perfect Strangers” starring Nicole Kidman for Hulu. Dan is the creator and director of the Broadway Video (SNL) produced Audible original scripted podcast “Excessive” starring Chloe Fineman and Joshua Jackson. With Lisha, he co-created and stars in the web series “Beards” which has played in festivals around the world and the short film “I Love Lisha” which was optioned by 20th Television. They have various forthcoming projects in development in both television and film with studios like Fifth Season and production companies like Playtone. As an actor, Dan has appeared on “Search Party” and “Made for Love.” He is repped by 3Arts. 

Who is this class for?

This weekend intensive is for writers of all genres and mediums who want to explore adapting stories for the screen. Whether you're an author interested in how your novel or short story might be translated for film and television, or a screenwriter looking to find and adapt source material, this online writing class welcomes writers at all levels.

What to expect:

This weekend intensive is an exciting opportunity to gather, discuss, and interact with all things adaptation. Over two days in this online writing workshop, you'll explore how to take existing stories and reimagine them for film and television — whether you're working with your own original material or discovering inspiration in unexpected places.

You'll cover elements of process: How do I break an existing story into beats? How do I use those beats to rebuild a story specifically for the screen? How do I know if my material is best suited for a feature film, ongoing TV show, limited series, or something else? What is a "take" and how do I ensure I've crafted one that honors the source material while also speaking to the specific needs of a new audience?

In addition to discussing craft — the cross-medium similarities and differences in structure, world and scene building, and character arcs — you'll also look closely at practical questions of the business and marketplace. What assets are needed to set up or sell adaptation projects? How do I get started or strengthen my stance in this competitive, ever-changing industry? Part craft talk and part pep talk, Dan is incredibly passionate about empowering authors to work with their own materials and emboldening screenwriters to find inspiration in unexpected places: myths or fairy tales, titles in public domain, headlines, historical figures, even the pages of their own diaries.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the adaptation process for film and television. Participants will have ample time to ask questions and discuss their specific goals with Dan and the group.

COURSE OUTLINE

Day 1 (Saturday, May 16): A bird's eye view — finding and following your adaptation material, identifying themes and crafting a "take," breaking and building the story, what to keep and what to compost.

Day 2 (Sunday, May 17): Working with scene, building out the world, locating the story engine and putting it to work — with ample time for industry discussion and Q&A around specific projects and goals.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• A stronger sense of understanding and confidence in adaptation for film and television
• Solid and actionable next steps for tackling a project of adaptation, from conception to pitch to script
• A roadmap to creating the assets needed to bring a project to life and to market, with lots of tips and tricks for when you get stuck or lost along the way

TEACHING/WORKSHOP TESTIMONIALS: 

"I knew I wanted to take this workshop with Dan but I didn't even realize how much I NEEDED to. Not only did he break down the elements of script writing for me in such an un-intimidating way, he fostered my confidence, assisted in nurturing the story I had been trying to birth for years, and gave me every ounce of motivation I needed to complete this pilot. I would take this workshop a hundred times, and never stop learning something new." — Former Student

"I knew I wanted to take this workshop with Dan but I didn't even realize how much I NEEDED to. Not only did he break down the elements of script writing for me in such an un-intimidating way, he fostered my confidence, assisted in nurturing the story I had been trying to birth for years, and gave me every ounce of motivation I needed to complete this pilot. I would take this workshop a hundred times, and never stop learning something new. Dan is the perfect teacher because he feels like your writing partner, it's quite a brilliant trick."

“Dan’s demeanor as a teacher is warm and personable, and he presents TV structure in a clear and understandable manner, while citing a wide array of different types of television across multiple platforms, so that you don't feel heavily boxed in by structure. Each one of us wrote a unique pilot in Dan's class, and his notes were thorough, encouraging and helpful!”

"I couldn't have written a pilot, let alone one I'm so happy about, without this workshop with Dan. He is so thoughtful, thorough, smart and considerate, I felt so taken care of throughout! This is such a valuable workshop for a writer, particularly if you could use amazingly positive encouragement alongside your script work."

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $225 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: Dan Robert
• Begins Saturday, May 16, 2026
• Class will meet for two sessions via Zoom on Saturday & Sunday, May 16–17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $225 USD.