Workshops

Classes and Workshop

MORE FREE CLASSES FOR KANSAS CITY SCREENWRITERS!

6 Essential Story Development Questions
FREE at the Plaza Main Library
May 24, 2025 * 9:30 – 12:00PM
HOST: KC Screenwriters
Storytelling is all about asking–and answering–key structural questions at the heart of every well-executed tale in any medium. Whether you’re just getting started or deep into revisions, this workshop helps writers deconstruct and better understand their story and its themes. We’ll discuss developing the core concept, casting your characters, and even how to build exactly the right world for your story. Once you know these questions, all your future storytelling will be a snap!

BLOCKS BLOCKS AND MORE BLOCKS
FREE Class
4801 Main St. * Plaza Library
Saturday June 21 * 9:30AM – 12PM
Hosted by KC Screenwriters
Creative blocks, self-sabotage, limited thinking, imposter syndrome, scarcity mindset, risk mitigation, just plain Not Knowing How… There’s all kinds of reasons to not be amazing at all the things you want for yourself. As a writing teacher, I’ve worked with thousands of writers and I’ve seen a gazillion ways creatives interfere with their own progress. In this free class, we’ll discuss some of those issues, explore their universal origin stories, and then identify ways to remove them — or at least learn to work around them!

BONUS: you can use all of this when building your characters, too!

ONLINE CLASSES FOR ALL SCREENWRITERS!

Let’s Go to Sundance!
2.5 Hour ONLINE Class
Monday June 23 * 6PM MST / 7PM CST
Fee: $20
Register to get Zoom Link:
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/WTSKAESH5DRFQ
2027’s Sundance is moving to Boulder, CO, which makes it more accessible than ever – so let’s go! Sundance is more than a film festival – it’s a film market, and one of the liveliest places to expand your industry network, pitch your projects, and learn more about the business. But it can be wildly intimidating! Here’s a chance to look at the different ways to attend: film fan, party-goer, volunteer, filmmaker, and how to make the most of whatever level you’re shooting for. We’ll even talk about what it might take for a non-Hollywood film to win a place on the vaunted and exclusive schedule.

Build Your Own Digital Media Empire
6 Week Online Class
June 24 – July 29 * 6PM – 9PM MST
7PM – 10PM CST
Registration: $225: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/5UUH6ETHMN7UQ
$25 DISCOUNT for members of film organizations! (KCS, WIFMCO, KFMKC, IFCKC).
Email me for that link: trai.cartwright @ gmail.com
Movies are forever and TV is golden, but the real action is in the digital realm — and it’s so easy to break in! You’ve got lots to say, whether it’s for entertainment, education, or inspiration. Why not use the most direct path to an audience by saying it with a web series, a podcast, or short reels, TikToks, or any of the amazing short bursts of storytelling we’re all getting increasingly addicted to. In this 8 Week Class, you’ll learn the basic principles of content development for across multiple mediums and genres, how to produce them for very little money or experience, and of course how to launch and build an audience for your New Media Empire! Everyone has a short-form storytelling concept in them — learn how to make the most of yours, getting expert support every step of the way!

Filmmaking for Beyond the Heartland
8 Week Online Class – Starting in September
Registration: $275: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2PQLDVQESNG9U
$25 DISCOUNT for members of film organizations! (KCS, WIFMCO, KFMKC, IFCKC).
Email me for that link: trai.cartwright @ gmail.com
When we live in middle American, it’s easy to think that getting a feature made is impossible, or that we can only make features that are scaled to our resources (which are usually pretty meager). But it’s just not true. If we aspire to get to the next level, it’s time to deploy next level design! With the right developmental and marketplace awareness, we can build features that will entice financiers and producers well beyond our local communities. Bring your script or idea for a script and we’ll start at the beginning: the script. What makes for a finance-ready screenplay? How do you match your film to your potential financiers? Who will be your future producing partners, and how do you approach them? How does distribution play into your production design? Watch your film transform into a real contender!

Screenwriters Workshop – FILLED
Six total screenwriters are accepted to this high level workshop.
We meet twice a month, and each writer gets notes on 50 pages of their latest work + workshop,
and we read and give notes to the other writers.