The Craft

Description

Starts March 11th | 7-9pm ET, 4-6pm PT

Meets Twice a Month on Wednesdays*

*Class meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month, with some exceptions for holidays and conflicts.

It’s Not Your Talent That Launches Your Career as a Screenwriter. It’s Your Craft.

Over the past two years, Steven’s students have…

…Sold screenplays to Imagine Entertainment and Fox Searchlight.

…Had bidding wars for their scripts lead to sales of over a quarter million dollars.

…Had scripts voted into the Top 10 on the prestigious annual “Black List” of best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood

…Won top screenwriting awards including at the Sundance Lab.

…Attracted Oscar-winning talent.

…Secured Ridley Scott and Ron Howard as producers.

…Had screenplays go into production with multi-million dollar budgets.

…Launched their careers, not only as writers but as first-time writer/directors.

In this class, you’ll learn how…

From the micro to the macro

Your writing is only as good as your craft.

We’re not chasing inspiration here — we’re chasing excellence. Screenwriting is architecture, rhythm, and verve. Uncover the magic of it all.

—Steven Bagatourian

Nobody – literally, nobody – is born a great screenwriter. Great screenwriters build themselves.

Cracking the code means studying scripts that are selling right now and mastering professional craft techniques – those thousands of micro-decisions that make the best modern scripts break out from the pack.

In The Craft, you’ll learn to work to elevate every moment, every beat, every line of dialogue or action, and the overall impact of your writing.

Most writers are still studying Casablanca while Hollywood is buying scripts that look nothing like the classic scripts from decades ago.

—Steven Bagatourian

You’re Reading The Wrong Screenplays​

Led by Steven’s expert analysis, you will learn the fascinating, hidden techniques used by today’s top screenwriters.

Brace yourself for in-depth studies of the action writing of George Miller & Ryan Coogler, character writing of Greta Gerwig & Quentin Tarantino, the dialogue of Aaron Sorkin & Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the Pixar-style stories of Pete Docter & Meg Lefauve, world-building from Taika Waititi & Nia DaCosta, sci-fi & fantasy from N.K. Jemisin & Rian Johnson, horror from Ari Aster & Jordan Peele, prestige films from Oscar winners like Chloé Zhao & Spike Lee, and indie film writing from Kelly Reichardt & Yorgos Lanthimos…

And that’s only scratching the surface of the wide range of sensational writers you’ll study in Year One of The Craft!

Steven will break down exactly how you write a highly sellable first script, by closely examining the hottest new screenplays by writers who are setting Hollywood ablaze today.
This isn’t just a class.

It’s a promise to yourself that you’re serious about screenwriting.

And the only way to achieve the success you deserve is to learn… The Craft.

Meet Steven Bagatourian

Steven isn’t your typical teacher — he’s a working screenwriter with over 20 years under his belt.

He co-wrote AMERICAN GUN (IFC), nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards including Best Picture, and ALL EYEZ ON ME (Lionsgate), the Tupac Shakur biopic that opened to $26 million.
He’s written for Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, Mandalay Entertainment, Echo Lake Productions, and more, collaborating with icons like Amanda Seyfried, Denzel Washington, and Forest Whitaker.

His philosophy? Screenwriting isn’t about talent. It’s about craft — and having the tools and discipline to make every word earn its place.

JUST SOME OF THE THINGS YOU’LL LEARN

THE SCALPEL: REVISION’S GREATEST TOOL

FINDING THE RIGHT DOOR FINDING THE TWIST

EXPLODING CLICHE GENRE SEQUENCES

CONTROLLING TONE ACTION FOR A POST DEADPOOL WORLD

BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL

WORLD BUILDING WRITING ELECTRIC CHARACTERS

WHAT TO LET GO OF AND WHAT TO PROTECT

NAVIGATING DRAFTS GETTING BEYOND BASIC DIALOGUE

CHASE & ACTION SEQUENCES HOW & WHEN TO BREAK THE RULES

When the writing feels effortless, it means the writer worked their ass off; easy writing is hard to read; hard writing is easy to read.

—Steven Bagatourian

Go beyond structure.

While our other classes focus on mastering screenwriting structure, The Craft shows you what to do when your structure is already in place, and your script is still falling flat.

It teaches you how to make your writing sing, how to help your audience fall in love with your character, and how to inspire readers to fight for your script. All because of Your Craft.

Write with intention.

Grow with discipline

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I attend The Craft?
There are two ways to attend The Craft. You can fully participate live online. Or you can watch unlimited video replays of every class on your own time and schedule. Both options are included with your subscription. You can attend any session in any format you’d like, and rewatch replays as many times as you’d like, for as long as you are subscribed to The Craft.

How do I attend live online?
Our live online format is a fully interactive class where you can ask questions, communicate with your teacher and other students via chat, and even connect outside of class through our online community. To attend a class live: just log into the class portal and click the “Join” button. The live class meets twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, 7-9pm ET/4pm-6pm PT. In rare cases such as holidays, exceptions to the normal schedule may be made. Such changes will be noted in the class calendar.

How do I watch replays?
Your access to unlimited replays begins the day you join, and continues until the end of the calendar month in which you cancel. You can log into the class portal and watch each course session whenever you want, as many times as you’d like, for as long as you’re in the program. Regardless of what day you joined, you’ll have access to replays of all sessions that took place in that calendar month, so you’ll never have to worry about missing a class. Our system doesn’t currently allow us to offer replays of sessions completed prior to your sign up month, though it’s an option we’re hoping to add in the future.

What if I have questions for the teacher?
This class is designed to meet the specific needs of the students in the room, so you can elevate your craft and apply these lessons to the unique challenges of your writing. We’ll make sure you get answers to your questions, regardless of what format you’re attending in. If you’re participating live online: Just virtually raise your hand, or type your question into the chat. You’ll be able to fully participate and get answers to your questions, in real time, right there in the room. If you’re watching replays: Just ask your question on the class community page to get feedback from your fellow students. If your question isn’t fully answered in the community, your teacher will be happy to address it in the next class session. Just let us know.

Can I really start The Craft at any time?
Because The Craft analyzes a different screenplay and teaches new craft techniques every session, it’s uniquely designed so that you can join when you want. However, we ask that new students join before the first live session in a given month to allow better continuity for the class. This is reflected in the start date you’ll see when you sign up on our website. If you’d like to join at an earlier start date, just let us know, and we can manually enroll you. We just ask that you watch the first session of the month via replay before attending the second session, so that you can fully understand any concepts introduced in the first session that may be built upon in the second session.

What if I’m not good with tech?
If you can click a Zoom link, you can take this class. And if you’re not sure– we’ve got you covered. There will be a class concierge in every class to help you with any tech issues. So just let us know if you have tech concerns, by email, phone, or chat and we will help you out right away. *Chat support appears automatically on the page when cookies are enabled. If you don’t see the chat, it may be due to your browser’s cookie settings.

What’s the live class schedule?
The live class meets twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, 7-9pm ET/4pm-6pm PT. In rare cases, such as holidays, exceptions to the normal schedule may be made. Such changes will be noted in the class calendar. In the unlikely case that a future schedule change with less than a month’s notice affects your ability to attend the class live, just let us know. We will either make it right to your satisfaction or offer you a pro-rated credit for the missed class.

Will I make friends in an online class?
One of the best parts of our classes is the community. You’ll meet passionate writers from all over the world, and have access to a private online community just for members of The Craft where you can share work, ask for help, share stories, make friends or even find a movie or accountability buddy!

What if I have to miss a class?
One of the great perks of the online format is that you’ll never miss a class because of scheduling, traffic, or any other issue. You’ll have access to unlimited replays of every class session, including any sessions that have already been held during the calendar month in which you join. So you can watch when you want, as much as you want, from anywhere in the world. You’ll continue to have access as long as you remain subscribed to The Craft. And if you ever choose to leave, you’ll still have access until the last day of the calendar month in which you cancel.

Is this the right class for my level of experience?
One of the best things about The Craft is that you’ll study a different script from a true master of screenwriting every session, and leave each session with a practical, usable craft technique you can apply right now in your screenwriting, regardless of your level of experience. However, you will get more out of The Craft if you have some foundation in screenwriting. If you’ve never taken a screenwriting class or written a scene before, we recommend you start with one of our foundation classes: Write Your Screenplay or Write Your TV Series before signing up for The Craft. Otherwise, feel free to jump in. And if you’re not sure, come check it out, and if within 30 days, you’re not completely convinced that it’s perfect for you, just let us know, and we’ll either get you into the program that is right for you, or refund every penny.

Do we study both TV and Film?
Of course! Your agent is going to want you to be able to work in TV, film, streaming (and soon probably verticals!) So we’ll get you ready to take your work to a professional level in any format or genre, by looking at the true masters of the field.

What screenplays are studied?
Rather than following a fixed curriculum, Steve will be choosing a different script each class, based on the unique needs of the students in the room. You’ll be looking at films and shows in a vast range of genres, culling skills from the master writers of the scripts that are selling today. And of course if there’s ever a great script or show you’d like Steve to consider for discussion in The Craft, just let us know!

How does billing work?
Enrollment in the course is billed as a subscription that automatically renews for each calendar month for as long as you choose to remain in the class. Your first payment will be billed the day you sign up. Beginning in your second calendar month of active enrollment, you will be billed monthly on or around the same date. You can choose to cancel at any time. You can find details of the cancellation policy below.

Can I really cancel anytime?
Of course! If you choose to cancel, just let us know, and you will be withdrawn at the end of the calendar month in which you provide notice. You will retain access to the course and replays for the remainder of that month, after which your access to live sessions, replays, and class materials will end. Please note that all charges will be billed as scheduled until the end of the calendar month in which you withdraw. We cannot provide prorated or partial refunds.

What if I don’t like the class?
We want you to love this class. That’s why, like all of our programs, it comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you join the class and find that it’s anything less than perfect for you, just let us know within 30 days of signing up, and we’ll either get you into the program that is right for you or refund every penny. Please note that we cannot offer refunds beyond this 30 day period. However, you can cancel at any time as described below.