Screenwriting : Aaron Sorkin masterclass. Has anyone taken it??? by Don Zorbas

Plan to. For only $90 and 35 one hour classes it really is a deal. The man has a pedigree of excellence. Any screenwriter that holds Aristole's Poetics on an altar as a tribute to great story telling has my admiration. I mean he feels there are (2) essential elements before you start a script. Intent and obstacle. He says if you don't have that you are just left with some snappy dialogue with no place to go. Yeah, I am taking the class.

yes, I am. I'm 8 lessons/videos in. nothing that NEW but then again, I've been doing this a long time. but I just like his POV on things and ya gotta respect a master!

Great. Do you have access to the videos at all times?

Yes, Don you should have permanent access to the videos.

Hi Steve. Great classes, but I've got to give you a heads-up. They're not 1 hour classes. Each class runs about 12 minutes or so. But it's good stuff.

I plan to do the Herzog class

It is enjoyable, but broad brush strokes only. Great for acolytes.

No more classes. Go and write and make movies.

Yourselfs are your greater teachers, and if you chose a mentor, he/she has to be at least like your father, mother, brother or best teacher at school. And it has to be personal. I hate unpersonal relationships.

Not plugging the class here but just as an FYI for anyone on the fence, you'll get a student discount for Final Draft ($129.99).

Abraham, I disagree. While a mentorship will naturally become a personal relationship over time, in terms of screenwriting it should always be an unrelated non-friend who can be unbiased.

As a fan of The West Wing and (some) other things Sorkin, I was really looking forward to this. Put me to sleep. Little knowledge. Lots of storytelling.

I have developed a friendship of sorts with my mentor over the years, but it is still a very professional relationship. There is a line that needs to exist in order for him to give me his best, unbiased opinions and to steer me in the right direction. He reads my scripts with a critics eye and is never afraid to tell me what needs improvement. And I am very grateful for that. I certainly couldn't have a mentor who was a family member or even like a family member, seems like that would be unhelpful.

My sister actually bought this masterclass for me - I'm only a week through at the moment because I'm trying to make it last (LOVE Aaron Sorkin's work) but so far I really like it. To be honest, I get the feeling that it's not meant to be for someone already in the business, I think it's more aimed at students and people that want to go from another form of story telling to screenwriting. But I'm having a lovely time with it so far...

I JUST finished it yesterday. It's great, especially if you're in need for another, refreshing take on the craft from a pro. However, when you round towards the end of the lessons (I think lesson's twenty-four through thirty-three) there's a writer's workshop exclusively for the West Wing. Now, I've never watched the WW. Heard of it, but I was a kid when it was on the air, and I gave a fuck-all about politics at the time. Other than that, though, the program was fantastic. Affordable, genuine, and beneficial to any screenwriting/TV hopeful who want a little polish on their craft.

Thanks peeps.

I binged the whole MasterClass a couple of weeks ago... it's totally fascinating how his mind works... some great anecdotes... liked the apology right off the bat... his mind does skip around... it's constantly racing. Worth every penny... Then I went back with pad & pen to take Notes... watching again... his process is so unique to him. I discovered that James Patterson did a MasterClass as well. Don't know how I missed that one. When I'm done with Aaron's class... I just might take James' class. This is such a great opportunity for all of us. Virtual MasterClasses... how great is that?

Mentioned above, I didn't get much out of it. Seemed like a decent edition of Inside the Acting Studio Screenwriting edition, but that's just me. Related - nice to see Stephanie Palmer posting here. Saw you at AFM a couple of years ago, Stephanie. Enjoyed it.

Thank you. I think the class is great.

@Stephanie... so great to see you here on this thread. Happy Summer. I've kinda taken July & August off from writing... friends/house guests keep me busy during the summer. And that's okay with me... family & friends are very important in my life. We laugh a lot. xo

Can you watch the class more then once??

Yes @Don... you can... I'm on my second time through it all. Don't delete your link.

Thank you Sylvia.