Imagination. Passion.
Process. Craft.
However it is that you found me, luck, word of mouth, or just the endless search, what you are looking for is the nuts and bolts to writing a screenplay and you’ve come to the right place. So. Sit back and breathe a sigh of relief. But only for a second because now is when you lean in.
Writing for film is one of the most satisfying and most fun ways to make a living. It is also one of the most difficult ways to make a living. Passion and hard work will make the difference, and, as the saying goes, “great art is in the details.” So the first thing you the screenwriter needs to be sure of is that you know what you are doing, before you embark on the long journey, you take alone, that starts with a blank page.
“From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow.”
As writers we have to find a way to counter all the mental clutter of daily life so we can enter the fertile playground of our imagination. Some people like to write surrounded by strangers in a cafe. Myself, I need to be at home in my quiet workspace. Whatever the environment, it is the mental environment that matters most. Combine that with the confidence that comes from having a craft, the ability to turn a raw idea into a compelling story on the page. You need the craft and a clear process to work with, so you’re not dangling from a cloud every time you sit down to write. Fortunately there are basic key elements to the craft that are an absolute must for the aspiring screenwriter to learn, and to become sure of, because craft is what you will lean on throughout your career.
“You couldn’t ask for a more passionate writing coach than Vimi Bauer. Her vast knowledge of cinema and her inspired understanding of the craft of screenwriting will greatly benefit any student of film.”
I love teaching and my mission is to draw out the best of your talent. The rest is for you to give: your commitment, your diligence, and your passion, your imagination, your voice, your sensibility, your humor, your own delicacy, your humanity, your struggle, your own gut, everything that makes you...YOU. The stories YOU choose to tell. YOU as expressed through the characters YOU create. The dilemmas YOU give them. The resolution YOU find. Never forget, every story has been told before but never the way YOU will tell it. If you have the skills to tell your story well you will most certainly find an audience.
My fee is a nominal $300 (contact me for more information).
Read my blog for more insights into the world of screenwriting
TUTORING and Mentoring
I teach the essential key elements of the craft of screenwriting online in ten 1-on-1 sessions, to be completed over a three month period. I also offer mentoring - coaching, guiding you with suggestions and choices through a script you have been trying to write but you know doesn’t work - some conditions apply . Read More
CONSULTING
A detailed one time script analysis with a written point-by-point, minimum three-page breakdown of areas in your script that need reworking. I will give you suggestions and choices that will strengthen those areas. I email my notes to you and schedule a phone, Skype or WhatsApp call to expand on or clarify anything that is not clear to you. Read More
ABOUT
From a background in theater and broadcasting, I turned to screenwriting. My first film was a short, The Count and the Corkscrew. Then I was a writer on the animated series, Hey Diddle Diddle. Later I collaborated on The Captain of Paradise with my husband Irv Bauer and eventually partnered with him in teaching the classes. Read More
blog
A new blog is published every third Friday of the month. See you there. Read More
BOOK
Screenwriting Fundamentals: The Art and Craft of Visual Writing has insights into the craft and a step-by-step process for the aspiring screenwriter. The book also has enormous value for writers at all levels, as a guide and accessible reinforcement and reminder, of the craft and yes, the art, of writing the screenplay. Read More
contact
Let’s Get Started. Tell me a bit about yourself, your interest in writing and how I can help you. Read More
Let’s Get Started.
Tell me a bit about yourself, your interest in writing and how I can help you. As with anything worth doing, knowing how to do it combined with hard work, is the path to success.