Question by Melissa la Artista: Screenwriters and Filmmakers – Any validity to the McKee “Story” Seminars?
Have you taken his seminar or know folks who have? Is it complete BS, hype, a good starting point, and/or the real deal?
$ 745 for the Seminar; $ 895 for the Seminar plus Final Draft software vs. film school tuition vs. other seminars/instruction you would take?
Best answer:
Answer by Film Guy ™
Don’t take it. You don’t need all those things to become a filmmaker!!
I have final draft. You can download it for free. I paid 150.00 for my final draft software, but I was also able to download it free.
You don’t need all of these seminars to become a filmmaker, especially if you are a screenwriter. Sometimes it’s more helpful to just study yourself, read books and stuff like that. It’s all about creativity. Write a script, send it off to companies.. There’s nothing they can teach that you can’t learn from a book. It’s about your personal creativity, not about a seminar.
Filmmaking is inate and comes from the inside.. I don’t believe in being taught to make a film. Yes, there is valuable information to know about the industry, to get insight on how to do certain things, how to go about your craft and how to do things at the best of your ability, but filmmaking is a creative medium and and no one can teach you how to be creative. It comes from within yourself. All of that money you will be spending on seminars, save it for your work. Don’t blow such money on seminars. Not worth it.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!