Screenwriting: The Art of the First Draft with Hal Ackerman

Excellent course by Hal Ackerman. It is one of the best courses on screenwriting i have came across. Thank you Hal Ackerman.

This course is very valuable! I'm an independent filmmaker and the script for my first movie 'Loners' (available on Amazon Prime) was written on the fly. That means I knew all the beats, but were writing the scenes while we were already shooting the film. With this course I found the right structure and workflow to write the script for my next movie. Thank you Hal!

Excellent course and excellent value. Taking a course from a UCLA legend screenwriting professor is a rare treat. Hal gives excellent advice in a clear and enthusiastic manner. Take notes and start writing!

Hal Ackerman is the Man!!! Loved this course and will be watching it again. Mr. Ackerman is one of those people who truly wants to help you get better at your craft. He's encouraging yet realistic about what it takes to write a great screenplay. I highly recommend this interesting and helpful class.

Great course. Would recommend it to creators that want help with creating and structuring a screenplay.

Genial, super útil me sentí muy cómoda , casi como estar en clase con él, exclentes tips, muy prácticos. Hace sentir que escribir un guion no es itan difícil como uno se imagina Super recomendable el curso, gracias Hal.

Awesome course I am very new to all of this although I have tried writing since I was 7...I have just read the first chapter ..and I am so excited..and the liitle critical person went to Florida for an extended vacation..thank you so much..it was worth the price to learn that ..thank you so much...

Excellent course. I'm working on my first script and found the discussions on character development and scene purpose extremely helpful. Good, concise class that gets right to the point.

Powerful, Clear Presentation, with Common-Sensical Steps on the path to success as a Screenwriter. Thank You!

Great course! Thank you Hal for everything- I really enjoyed it! Colleagues, feel free to watch my last short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VXaiJAJC_s&t=15s Would be happy for feadback!

I found this course to very helpful in my studies. I am currently pursuing my MFA in Screenwriting and have read Hal's book "Write Screenplays that Sell: The Ackerman Way." I had issues with solidifying a couple concepts from his book. However, coupling it with the video series helped me grasp what I had missed. As a visual learner, it was extremely helpful for me to have him breakdown specific movies that I had seen (specifically Juno). I have taken other screenwriting courses online and in terms of bang for my buck, I feel this is one of the best options out there. Thanks Hal for a very helpful addition to my education.

Excellent cours donné par un professeur de talent. On ne s'ennuie pas une seconde. Précis et captivant, Hal Ackerman va droit au but ! Merci !

This was an excellent class! I'm a novelist with an eye toward screenwriting. One thing I notice is that there are foundational elements to storytelling that apply no matter what you write. For me, this class served as a great refresher and it really helped energize me as I begin my next project. The lessons on conflict and the three act structure were phenomenal and I LOVE Mr. Ackerman's teaching style. Excellent class. Well worth the fee. I'll watch this again and again.

I started my journey into screenwriting in 2002, when I had read a book that just had to be put on the big screen. I thought I knew how to write a screenplay, I mean, how hard could adapting a book really be? I was so proud of my work once the first draft was finished, I just beamed! Then I had an actual screenwriter read it. He got halfway through page one and tossed it in the trash. I tell you this because what that writer did next changed my life completely. He wrote down the titles of two books, "The Screenwriter's Bible" by Dave Trottier, and the other "Write Sceenplays That Sell, the Ackerman Way" by Hal Ackerman. Since 2002 I have read Hal's book at least 20 times. It has never gotten stale and I learn something new each and every time I read it. His course "Screenwriting: The Art of the First Draft" is as his book, a tool EVERY screenwriter needs to have in their toolbox! This lecture series is intimate, casual, touching, and easy to implement in your own personal style. I have watched and participated in several different screenwriting seminars and can honestly say this is THE BEST lecture series to cover writing the first draft from a novice point-of-view. Hal Ackerman you are the man!

After taking a number of other screenwriting courses, I can tell you that Hal Ackerman's course, The Art of the First Draft, is the BEST EVER!! His methodology of teaching is fantastic. He takes you on this journey from start to finish in a way that you WILL KNOW how to write a script by the time you finish this course. I liked how he used examples throughout his training to help you better understand screenwriting. If you really want to learn how to be a good screenwriter, then I would highly recommend taking Hal's course. You won't be disappointed.

I'm halfway through the course and have found Hal's information and insights extremely helpful. Thank you for this reasonably priced and informative course it will absolutely help me improve my skills in writing screenplays.

I've read a lot of books on the subject and I've been to a few seminars. Hal Ackerman's class is genuinely one of the best and the most helpful classes I have experienced. What makes the class so great is that every concept has you putting pen to paper or fingers on keyboard right away. Ackerman really has tools that are called to be used. Thanks for the wonderful resource.

This was an awesome class. It was intimate and extremely effective. Thanks Hal and crew!