I love this poster for Justin Trevor Winters’ new movie. It depicts Richard Dreyfuss’ character as a retired high school gym teacher willing to do whatever it takes to leave a legacy.
Oh, the indignant desperation.
This could also be a movie poster of a brand manager or content marketer ready to end it all.
Do you know that feeling? You dutifully write content, publish blogs and produce videos for the B2B marketing of your professional services firm, but no one seems to be tuning in to your messages?
Instead of taking a bath with your favorite electronic device, learn a thing or two about storytelling from Hollywood.
Justin Trevor Winters joins us on the latest episode of the Business of Story podcast. Justin is a Hollywood screenwriter who is about to premier his first movie, Killing Winston Jones. In addition to Dreyfuss, the movie co-stars Danny Masterson, Danny Glover and Jon Heder.
Justin is also a story coach, educator and TV writer with an abundance of insight into the business of storytelling. He points to FilmCourage.com as a “huge asset for anyone who wants to tell a story in any capacity.” Here is a segment with Justin on the perils of being a screenwriter:
“We’re not just screenwriters. We’re storytellers. We’re writing for the screen, but we’re writing for TVs, we’re writing for computers, we’re writing for digital, advertising, all that stuff,” Justin said.
If you’re a content marketer, then you’re a screenwriter. And stories have never been more important than now to cut through the clutter in our over-c0mmunicated world.
Here are three other screenwriting resources Justin recommends to hone your craft. I
Read Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need:
Great book by Blake Snyder who sold more screenplays in Hollywood in the 1980’s than any other writer. Snyder is famous for his Beat Sheet that outlines the 15 essential “beats” or plot points that all stories should contain. I’ve found that Snyder’s Beat Sheet is not only interesting to learn and then apply to movies as you watch them, but it is also valuable in content marketing. I’ve even used it to design and produce a two-hour product launch and business training for a multi-national company to rave reviews.- Keep handy, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies
Snyder’s second book is a resource guide for when you watch any of the 40 some movies he outlines in his book. You can follow along using his Beat Sheet to see how the movie was written and produced. It’s the best tutorial I’ve found that demonstrates the power of story structure as you watch the movie unfold. - Save the Cat! Strikes Back,
I have not yet read this one, but Justin highly recommends it for your writing library.
But before you do any of this, download Justin Trevor Winters on the latest episode of the Business of Story podcast. Learn from a Hollywood pro on what it takes to craft a great story. Apply his tips and techniques to your next content marketing project.
Compare your hits from your past post with your latest story, and see which seem to electrify your followers.
