7 Step Process To Writing A Screenplay - Brooks Elms

BUY THE BOOK - SAVE THE CAT: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

Brooks Elms is a screenwriter and independent filmmaker. His specialty is grounded personal characters and writing story tension so thick it knots up your stomach.

He's written 25+ screenplays, a dozen of them on assignment, and sold several scripts, including one this year with Brad Peyton as Executive Producer. Brooks was recently hired to rewrite a screenplay started by an Oscar-winning writer. Brooks began his career writing, directing, and producing two indie features (personal dramas) that he screened all over the world.

And Brooks also loves coaching fellow writers who have a burning ambition to deeply serve their audiences.

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[adrianmichaelkelly]

On a site stuffed with great interviews, this is one of the best. Thanks.

[HollywoodGatekeepers]

Loving this channel. So good. Brooks' approach is spot on and it's so cool that he is coaching writers to help them move forward!

[danbee]

TY for sharing your process with us. Very detailed. I took notes!

[rajkumarg.v]

Thank You Brook to Clear my Creative blocks with 7 simple steps while writing. Thank you Film Courage for countless Knowledge Sharing for aspiring filmmakers.

[shashanksheth]

Yeah, I am too from India. Day started with helpful tips and information! 🙌🏼

[abhisharma]

Thanks Film Courage and Brooks - always find myself taking notes while watching these masterclasses. Super informative, and most importantly, actionable!

[chrisddawson]

Helpful to hear how people interpret and modify the Blake system to suit their own needs. This is encouraging to hear. Thank you for posting these experiences and and interviews.

[brucenorris]

I like the idea of writing a treatment and using that for feedback. It also allows you to "shelve" a story and come back to it later without having to reconstruct it from random notes or struggle to recall important bits.

[jimmybalantyne]

Third interview I've watched featuring Brooke Elms. I really like the guy.

[trapdarby]

Karen's questions are great. She asks questions I thought of and haven't thought of. Wonderful interview! Thanks!!

[TruthWillOutAlways]

One of the best videos y’all have put up 👍🏻

[tiamthembu]

5:52 a.m in South Africa... Good morning film makers!

[filmcourage]

What is your reaction to this 7 step process?

[myNarrator]

On the surface, this feels like overkill, but after having written two features, a short, and a TV pilot, I've found my process organically gravitating toward this. I've wasted too much time filling plot holes and fleshing out characters after a few drafts of an entire screenplay, when a proper breakdown and treatment would've done more good and essentially saved me hours, if not days of work.

[tharunjetly]

Early morning vibes watching the vedio and enjoying the early morning deadly combination

[RottenDoctorGonzo]

I find appealing the idea of listing scenes and then writing a treatment.

[AllThingsFilm]

Blake Snyder's "Save The Cat" completely revitalized my DESIRE to write. Prior to reading STC, I was about to give up on the idea of writing. STC made writing fun and exciting again. I haven't referenced STC in a while. After watching this, I am going to read through it again. STC is actually the first book on writing that I've ever read from cover to cover. FIlm Courage is a priceless resource for inspiration.

[insummery]

I'm not sure if this is answered elsewhere, but can anyone tell me the "7 different ways the audience is craving answers about your story?"
Thanks for the content, very enjoyable and helpful too!

[waynesanders]

Just watching this video I realized something that had been nagging me slightly here and there that I didn't understand. I had a character in my short action series that fought against the main character and lost, that I was toying with the idea of having him back in a return fight (originally was just going to be someone else). I didn't think about it much until just now, and realized it would be far better to have him return and get the other side of his face permanently marked to complete my OCD and add some more comedy into the scene. In fight 1 in a kitchen a toaster pops off some hot burned toast, and the protagonist grabs it and holds it to his face after slamming a kitchen cabinet door on his face several times (the main character's signature move, happens a few times throughout the series). In the second fight the same guy can return, with the toast burned face, and get a "FINISHED" or "DENIED" large stamp punch onto the other side of the face in an office setting before he gets his head slammed in a fax/copier machine spitting out copies of his face smushed against the glass with "DENIED" imprinted on there, plus there are some other similarities in the way the fight ensues. Brilliant, glad this video was presented. Wayne Industries will be sure to put a thanks to Film Courage in the credits at the end of the series.

[paulpasadena]

Everybody says Mckee is great and they use the movie "Adaptation" as an example. But, what's funny is, that particular movie breaks a lot of the rules outlined in that book. There's even a running gag in the movie where Nicolas Cage says "McKee would not approve." I found the book "Story" a long and boring read and I've sold many screenplays.