Summary
Learn from Cliff Dorfman, a WGA screenwriter who’s worked on nearly two dozen film and TV shows for HBO, NBC, FOX, USA, and more!
Receive exclusive handouts to sharpen your opening pages: Hook Map Breakdown, First 10 Checklist, Anatomy of a Killer First Page, and Annotated Sample Pages!
In today’s hyper-competitive marketplace, your script has ten pages—if that—to grab attention. Those pages are your audition, your handshake, your elevator pitch, and your make-or-break moment. Whether you’re pitching to a contest, a rep, or a showrunner, knowing how to open strong and hold attention is essential to getting your work read all the way through. This exclusive Stage 32 class will give you the professional’s toolkit to weaponize your first ten pages and make your voice undeniable!
Most writers don’t lose interest—they lose the reader. They bury their hook, delay their premise, and save their best for later, forgetting the reader might never get there. The first ten pages are where many scripts falter: weak openings, slow pacing, overexposition, or confusing tone. In this class, Cliff Dorfman will show you how to create tension without chaos, character without overexplaining, and how to design a first ten that compels readers to keep turning pages.
Your Stage 32 educator, Cliff Dorfman, is a seasoned WGA screenwriter with credits on nearly two dozen film and TV projects, including HBO, NBC, FOX, USA, and more. He has helped countless writers land representation, get their projects greenlit, and sharpen their scripts to meet the exacting standards of Hollywood gatekeepers. With his keen storytelling insight and genuine passion for mentoring, Cliff is the ideal guide to transform your first ten pages into an irresistible page-turner.
In this 2-part, interactive Stage 32 class, you’ll learn how to think like a reader under pressure, identify silent red flags, map your hook, and master the invisible craft that gets scripts read cover-to-cover. Whether you’re writing a feature, pilot, or short, you’ll leave with tools, strategies, and confidence to make your first ten pages stand out in any submission pile.
This interactive Stage 32 class is held on Zoom and goes substantially more in depth than a Stage 32 webinar. Best of all? As soon as you sign up you will be linked on email with your Stage 32 Educator and given a questionnaire to fill out and send back to them. You will have access to your Educator for the duration of your class by email to ask them any questions you have about your craft or career - it’s like having a mentor on demand! And, if you can't make a live session, don't worry! All class recordings will be available 48 hours after each session and you will be able to view them in your Library on your Stage 32 profile. Finally, you can expand your network with like-minded creatives - you'll have a dedicated lounge for interactive support and discussions with your fellow classmates!
PLUS! You will receive the following handouts to help you:
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Hook Map Breakdown
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First 10 Checklist – A Reader’s POV
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Anatomy of a Killer First Page
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Annotated Sample Pages
What You'll Learn
SESSION 1: The Basics – What Makes A First 10 Great (Or Dead On Arrival)
Our first lesson takes you through the real-world expectations of readers, reps, and execs when they crack page one — and how quickly they decide whether you’re the real deal.
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Breaking Down The Hidden Architecture of a killer first page
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Identify The Most Common Mistakes that make readers stop reading
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The 5 Core Functions your First 10 must achieve — and how to make sure yours does
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Identifying The “Silent No”: subtle red flags that make readers check out, even when they don’t consciously know why
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Q&A With Cliff
Assignment: Complete the First 10 Analysis Worksheet for your current project
Handout: The First 10 Checklist – A Reader’s POV
SESSION 2: Craft, Command, And Conversion – How To Rewrite Your First 10 To Win
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Learn How To Diagnose what’s not working — and rewrite with intention instead of guessing
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Review Annotated Examples of page ones that hook hard and why they work
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Explore “The Hook Map”: a tool Cliff created to help you track suspense, tone, and thematic grip from line one to page ten
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Understand The Difference Between Tension And Confusion — and how to use stakes, character movement, and emotional consequence to compel a reader forward
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Q&A With Cliff
Assignment: Rewrite your first 10 pages using the Hook Map and submit for feedback
Handouts: Anatomy of a Killer First Page + Hook Map Template
Who Should Attend
- Screenwriters of any level who want their work to make an instant impression on reps, producers, and showrunners
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Writers preparing scripts for contests, fellowships, or industry submission
Executive
Cliff Dorfman is a seasoned WGA screenwriter with credits on nearly two dozen film and TV projects, including HBO, NBC, FOX, USA, and more. He is best known for his work on HBO’s Entourage and the Academy Award–nominated film Warrior (starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte).
He began as an actor (7th Heaven, 90210) before transitioning behind the camera, where his voice as a writer and filmmaker took center stage. His credits include scripting Full Auto 2 for Sega, consulting on EA’s Deadspace, and writing for DC Comics and Heavy Metal Magazine. His feature debut as writer-director, 86—a real-time, single-take thriller—is currently preparing for its festival run.
Cliff’s experience runs deep both in the industry and the classroom. He has taught screenwriting at UCLA Extension and served as on-camera talent and writing mentor on the Sundance Channel series Dream School (executive produced by 50 Cent and Jamie Oliver), where he worked alongside Oliver Stone and David Arquette to teach storytelling to at-risk teens.
Schedule
Monday, September 8th, 3pm-5pm PT
Monday, September 15th, 3pm-5pm PT
Credits
