MasterClass provides in-depth and engaging classes taught by experts in various fields. The classes are designed to bring your favorite experts to your home in an engaging online experience, which includes state of the art pre-recorded videos, workbooks, and stimulating assignments. Your yearly Annual Membership gives you access to 85+ world-renowned instructors on Film and TV, Culinary Arts, Design, Photography, Fashion, Sports, Science and Technology and so much more. Instructors include world-famous chef Gordon Ramsay, bestselling author Margaret Atwood and many more. The classes have about 20 lectures, each about 10 minutes so you can watch and re-watch at anytime. Video lessons can easily be watched on the MasterClass mobile app, on your desktop, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Roku devices. Check out our MasterClass review to find out more details!
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This is a review of the Shonda Rhimes Teaches Writing for Television class from MasterClass!
The MasterClass Instructor – Shonda Rhimes
From the very first second of this class I was hooked! For television writing, Shonda Rhimes tells us it is all about the pilot episode, and her MasterClass is no exception. As someone who is very familiar with her television shows, especially Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, the introduction to this class pulled me in instantly. She begins with an introduction to herself, as if she were a character in one of her own television shows and then transitions to a montage of dialogue from some of the first lines in Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. This introduction then leads to a classic title scene that fans will surely recognize.
For those who are not familiar with Shonda Rhimes, she is the television writer of the hit series Grey’s Anatomy (2005 – Present), Private Practice (2007 – 2013), Scandal (2012 – 2018), and more recently she is an executive producer for How To Get Away With Murder (2014 – 2020).
Shonda Rhimes was born in 1970 and raised in Chicago, Illinois. The daughter of intellectual and supportive parents, Shonda grew up telling stories. She strove to become a novelist but turned her focus to film and television writing later in life. Shonda majored in English and film studies at Dartmouth College and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She wrote the HBO television movie, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), her first professional credit, and penned two feature films thereafter, including The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004).
Shonda Rhimes has created this class to share her process and the advice she wish she had throughout her entire career. This class explores the process of television writing as a whole, from developing an idea to working in a writers’ room. Shonda Rhimes has also taken the time to go through some of her own pilot shows, act by act, to provide great examples of the lessons she is teaching.
Writing for Television – Who is it for?
This class is for anyone who is interested in pursuing television writing. Shonda Rhimes has created this class to be a guide and a tool for anyone who has an idea. This class goes through the entire process, so no matter how much experience you may have, the class is easy to follow and provides great insights to the writing process and how to get your foot in the door in the television industry.
MasterClass Shonda Rhimes – Main Themes
- Know your television
- Must be original
- Have compassion for your characters
- Be open to all possibilities
- Treat the creative process like a muscle
MasterClass Workbook – Shonda Rhimes
This workbook is a great addition to this class. For viewers who are looking to develop their television writing skills, this workbook will be your key to lesson reviews, assignments, and opportunities to learn more. Shonda Rhimes has created a great reference tool for viewers to follow along with the lessons and provides numerous links and opportunities to explore more! She even has provided space for a note section to use while watching the lessons or to take notes on the assignments. What I found interesting was she also makes an effort to encourage viewers to engage in the MasterClass online community. She includes links to The Hub on MasterClass website, where viewers can answer Shonda’s prompts, share ideas and ask questions.
MasterClass Writing for Television Key Takeaways
Shonda Rhimes has created an in-depth class that really explores the process behind writing for television. This class focuses on how to develop and pitch an idea, create memorable characters, write a script with authentic dialogue, properly edit, and provides important insights to the television industry. Not only does she focus on the writing process, but she provides very detailed case studies of the pilot episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. She uses these case studies to demonstrate how she started analyzing other pilots in order to be able to create her own.
I have stories to tell. I’m a storyteller. As long as I’m telling stories, and as long as I think I’m telling them well, then I’m going to want to do this.
This class provides great advice about television writing. It is a unique style of writing and she really shines a light on this, while also sharing her own personal experiences and life lessons. This course really surprised me with how much detail and passion Shonda Rhimes has put into teaching the next generation of television writers. She even ends the course, saying by the time you complete the class she hopes you have a draft of your own!
Final Thoughts on Shonda Rhimes’ MasterClass
From the very first lesson I was hooked on this class! It truly is very informative and provides a great foundation for television writing. Whether you are just starting to develop an idea or are looking for insights on how to get into the industry, this class provides advice in all aspects of the process. If you are looking for a class that really engages viewers and provides an all encompassing view on television writing, or is just a Shonda fanatic, you need to watch this class!
What do you think of this MasterClass?
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