David Mamet Masterclass Review 2024: worth it?

I have been in the writing industry for the past five years and have explored various genres, from content writing, ghostwriting, and novel writing to screenwriting.

However, one of the genres I have not explored is dramatic writing. Last week, I decided to explore the world of dramatic writing to understand how it works.

I searched the Internet for various resources to learn about dramatic writing, and that’s when I discovered the David Mamet Masterclass.

David Mamet Masterclass Review

As a masterclass subscriber, I immediately enrolled in David Mamet Masterclass to understand what it takes to become a dramatic writer.

In this David Mamet Masterclass Review, I have shared my personal experience and a detailed overview of this course, from its topic to its shortcomings. Lastly, this Review post also answers the question of whether it is worth buying David Mamet’s MasterClass.

Let’s see what this post covers about David Mamet Masterclass covers

• About David Mamet
• Overview of the David Mamet Masterclass
• Things covered in David Mamet Masterclass
• Who should consider David Mamet’s Masterclass?
• What did I like about David Mamet Masterclass?
• Pros and cons of the David Mamet Masterclass
• Is it worth buying the David Mamet Masterclass?

So let’s get started without further delay and explore David Mamet Masterclass.

About Instructor: Who is David Mamet?

David Mamet is a renowned American playwright, screenwriter, and film director who is regarded as one of the most influential personalities in contemporary American theatre and cinema.

He is known for his unique dialogue, style, and exploration of masculine themes. In his 15 years of experience as a director and a dramatic writer, he has also directed various films and won several awards, and here is a list of a few of them.

• Pulitzer Prize for Drama for “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1984).
• Acclaimed plays like “American Buffalo” and “Oleanna.”
• Screenwriting credits include “The Untouchables” and “The Verdict.”
• Recipient of the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award (2017).
• Inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame (2002).

His notable work in movies included Untouchables, The Verdict, Wag the Dog, and Glengarry Glen Ross, which also helped him win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Furthermore, he also received an Oscar nomination for his screenwriting work, which clearly shows that he has spent years in this field mastering the art of writing.

In this masterclass, he discussed his years of experience and what it takes to become a successful writer and dramatist. He also shared some of his secrets, which helped him become the most successful writer ever.

So, let’s move to the next section and examine the overview of David Mamet’s Masterclass and what it teaches about dramatic writing.

Overview of the David Mamet Masterclass

In this masterclass, Mamet shared his extensive knowledge and expertise on different components of dramatic writing, including structuring the plot, understanding the audience’s steps of narration and exposition, dramatic rules, and more. Here is a complete overview of the lessons covered in this course.

Additionally, he shares his wealth of knowledge on subjects such as playwriting, screenwriting, and directing and his personal approach to crafting a compelling story that will relate to the audience and keep them engaged.

• Introduction
• Purpose of Drama
• Purpose of Drama (contd)
• Dramatic rules & Dramatic rules (Cont’d)
• Character & Plot
• Structuring the plot & Structuring the plot (Cont’d)
• Case Study: Structuring the Plot – American Buffalo
• Case Study: Structuring the Plot – Glengarry Glen Ross
• Dialogue & Dialogue (Cont’d)
• Narration and exposition & Scenes
• Writing process & Writing Process (cont’d)
• The audience
• Lies and truth
• Lies and truth (Cont’d)
• Actors & Actors (Cont’d)
• Life of a dramatist (Cont’d)
• Closing

Furthermore, this master class also includes a practical and printable workbook to help you implement what you have learned in this course. Some of these things include practical assignment story ideas, dramatic rules, and tips for crafting a compelling story.

What does David Mamet Masterclass cover?

David Mamet Masterclass consists of 26 detailed lessons with a total duration of 5 hours only. Each lesson teaches you a specific thing about dramatic writing, helping you to set the right foundation from the start.

Here, I have shared an in-depth review of each lesson of this course to give you a complete idea about what value this master class actually provides to its learners.

So, let’s dive deep into this, understand each chapter in detail, and make an informed decision.

Introduction

In this first and intro lesson, David gives you an overview of his background, years of expertise in this industry, and how he found a passion for directing, writing, and filmmaking.

Furthermore, he explains what he will cover in this master class and gives you the mindset you need to learn how to write great dramas.

Lesson 2 & 3: The Purpose of Drama

In this lesson, David explains how dramas serve an important purpose. He uses sports as an analogy, as fans are united by the game’s rules.

Similarly, in drama, people are united through its engaging story and the things it offers to escape from their everyday worries and give them a sense of emotional relief.

Additionally, he shared his expertise about dramas, mentioning that dramas are not always factually verifiable, but they should ultimately deeply resonate with the human experience.

In the end, drama writing is all about understanding people and their emotions and reflecting the complexities of human nature.
Overall, this lesson gives a deep understanding of the drama process and builds the mindset that you need through this course.

Lesson 4 & 5: Dramatic Rules

As a dramatist, your main job is to tell the story, and David has shared that in this lesson. He stresses the importance of a killer story structure with the proper beginning, middle, and end, all focused on the hero’s journey.

Additionally, he also mentioned that every element in the story should advance the plot, and if there is anything that does not serve the progression of this story, then it should be discarded no matter how interesting it looks; here are some of the other lessons cover this masterclass includes

• How to create a compelling story that grabs the attention of the audience
• Aristotle rules for drama and plotting the structure
• What are the things writers need to keep in mind while writing drama?

After all, emotional engagement is a crucial factor in a story, as the audience needs to relate to the picture of a hero and be surprised by the twist and terms of the story. As a storyteller, you need to avoid distractions and stay focused on the main storyline, which creates a compelling narrative.

Furthermore, David also explained various concepts related to understanding the rules of a drama and a story.

He also uses examples from other people’s work to make the dramatic rules interesting and easier to understand.

On the other hand, you will also learn how to use the ancient drama rule to create a story. It also includes some quick tips that will help you implement the concept easily.

Lesson 5 & 6 : Story Ideas and Inspiration

In this lesson, David Shared his own process of finding ideas and inspiration. He mentioned that you can get ideas from everywhere and from your everyday life. You can get ideas from the people you talk to, the people you watch, or anyone around you.

He also mentioned that our minds are full of ideas. It’s like fire always burning; the more you imagine and daydream, the more ideas will come to your mind.

However, he mentioned that it is sad that people are now spending more time on their devices and less time daydreaming, and that’s why they end up having no ideas for their stories. To make our story even more interesting for the audience.

Furthermore, he also mentioned how we can use our life experiences and the incident to make the story even more interesting to the audience.

To explain this, he uses his example of playing poker with thieves to describe how his experience helped him generate ideas and made his story more relatable.

In essence, finding ideas is not a problem, as ideas are everywhere. You just need to open your mind and invest your time in daydreaming and thinking about how you can use your life experience to make your story more relevant to the people.

Lesson 7: The Truth About Character

In this lesson, David shared the truth about character and his approach, which is different from what you learn in the writing master class; he discusses the character with the relation of action and dialogue and suggests at what point a character exists and how it is defined through a story.

One thing I can confidently say is that by the end of this lesson, your perspective on how characters work within a story or a plot will change, and you will learn the truth about character.

Additionally, David has shared her extensive expertise and the courts of other successful playwrights, which will help you understand each concept of this lesson.

Lastly, he explains Aristotle’s definition of a character and the breakdown of character rules in light of our contemporary age overall. I found this lesson helpful in teaching you about simple screenwriting and narratives.

Lessons 8-10: Plot Is All That There Is

This section combines the three lessons, where David Mamet teaches you the method he used to create a good story plot and shows you how plot structure plays a vital role in the backbone of the whole story, keeping the story moving forward.

Additionally, David compares the plot writing to a joke telly where he highlights the importance of a strong punchline that is simple yet inevitable.

Here are some of the other points that he addresses in these lessons, inludes

• How do we connect the plot point?
• What makes a successful plot?
• How do you make your plot engaging with the main problems?

Besides that, he explained the basic building block of a plot, mentioning that first, you need to set up the story and introduce the main character and the situation where the tension arises.

The character’s problem gets bigger and bigger, and you keep adding teh complications and issues to the character scene.

As a result, it will help you hook the audience, and they will stick around until the end to see what happens next. He also shared some tips on connecting the plot, which will help you craft the perfect plot for your story.

I liked this lesson because David Mamet explained this concept using his notebook with pen in hand he gives you the structure Plots template.

Lesson 11 & 12: Case Studies

In this lesson, David Mamet uses one of his most famous plays as an example to explain what it takes to make a successful plot and the components of effective plot structure that he uses.

First, he used the example of American Buffalo and Glengarry Glen Ross, where he breaks down scene by scene and teaches you how he has built the plot of this movie, which made it successful and kept the audience hooked throughout the entire story plot.

With the help of these case studies, Mamet gives you a clear path to plotting a successful story.

He teaches you his own technique in action and demonstrates how you can set up personal obstacles using complex characters and layer the foreshadowing that builds the plot more realistic and compelling.

Overall, I will say that this section is mostly suited for people who are interested in playwriting. David has shown you the exact method of writing a plot and shared some applicable theories that anyone can implement.

The good things about this section are that David not only shows you how the plot works from a dramatic writing perspective but also shares the perspective from the audience’s point of view and demonstrates how the audience relates to your plot, which brings more clarity to the concept.

Lesson 13 & 14: Dialogue and Dialogue (Cont’d)

He began this lesson by highlighting the importance of using rhythmic writing to connect more with people. To explain this, he referenced a Shakespeare pair who is one of the greatest poets of all time.

He also mentioned that human speech is rhythmic. This means that when you listen to people having a conversation, you will see that they create rhythmic poetry. They use feelings, pauses, and caps within the speech to make it rhythmic.

With this lesson, he teaches you how to use rhythmic writing for dialogue and make it more relatable to the audience; he also shares some examples of good and bad dialogue.

In the other part of this lesson, David mentioned that writing a play is more like writing a poem. You need to use multiple voices, and each line should be read to convey the information beautifully and make people feel more connected.

For instance, he uses the example of Winston Churchill’s speeches That inspired people because of their poetic nature.

He teaches you how poetic rhythm creates emotion in a listener’s mind and how it is stuck in our mind at the end.

So, this lesson is about writing a rhythmic dialogue and understanding the similarity between writing a poem and a play.

Lesson 15: Narrative & Exposition

In this lesson on narrative and composition, David discussed the difference between writing a drama and conveying the information. He mentioned that drama has nothing to do with conveying the information.

He mentioned that drama is all about storytelling, bringing people together and connecting them with your Story.

It has nothing to do with providing information. However, information also plays a vital role in collecting facts that might not always be true and useful; some important lessons you will learn in the chapters include.

• How to write a compelling narrative?
• What is the difference between conveying information and Story?
• What is the importance of the editing process?
• How do you grab the attention of the audience with your Story?

So, as a dramatic writer, your job is to make your drama enjoyable and Have a compelling story, not just inform like a newspaper that only spreads the missing formations. Your drama should be entertaining.

To summarise this lesson will teach you that drama is inclined mainly towards the storytelling rather than just conveying the information, you should focus on making your drama exciting and engaging that grab attention of the people.

Lesson 16: Scenes as Incidents

Creating a scene in drama is a skill you can master if you follow the right essential principle that goes into creating an exceptional scene, and that’s what David has shared in this chapter; here is the principle you need to follow.

1) Hero’s Goals – Everything must involve the hero trying to achieve some goal and the part of the structured journey from point A to point.

2) Conflict and obstacle – Every story has a hero who faces the problem, and that’s what you need to do. You need to add the conflict and the obstacle in the hero’s journey to achieve his goal as it hooks the audience.

3) Uegency – You need to be clear on this point And make the audience feel like what happens if the hero fails ? the more urgency you can write, the more compelling your scene becomes.

He has also shared some of the other points you need to consider while creating a scene for the story, which includes your plot, which must be structured and understand the story.

Overall, this lesson will give you a clear idea of what it takes to create an exceptional scene that helps the audience connect with the hero’s journey and keeps them engaged until the end.

Lessons 17 & 18: Writing Process

In this chapter on the writing process, David discusses how he began writing, the environment in which he likes to write how he deals with the writer’s Block and the from where hr took inspiration before beginning his writing.

Additionally, he shares his own experience as a writer for more than 15 years and discusses some of the important lessons and theories that will enhance your writing and help you streamline your writing processes.

Furthermore, he has shared his approach to how he overcomes writer’s Block and gets out the bad ideas. for me, this lesson is one of the important lessons that contains practical tips that you can apply easily.

Lesson 19: The Audience

In this lesson, David teaches you about understanding the audience’s perspective before writing a drama. He says that at the end, you are writing your story or structuring the plot for the audience, so it’s vital to consider them before you begin your writing.

Additionally, he mentioned the difference between an individual and a collective audience and explained what you should and should not give to your audience.

In the end, he also shared some of the summarised tips and his antidotes, which will help you to create a mutual bond of respect with your audience and encourage them to change their belief.

Lesson 20 &21: Lies & Truth

From my experience, this lesson is very hard to follow. David has his theory on the truth and lies of drama and teaches you how you can best serve your audience. He mentioned that telling the truth is vital for a drama, and that’s what the audience comes to hear.

Additionally, he also dives deeper into the ethical consideration of drama writing and Highlights the importance and responsibility of a writer for shaping the narrative and influencing societal perspectives; some of the other points this chapter includes are

• Conveying the truth in your drama writing
• How does drama shape societal perspectives?
• What is the difference between lies and truth of drama?

In essence, from this lesson, you will learn various valuable lessons on the truth and lies of drama, which will help you improve your drama writing. You will also learn how to write the drama keeping the persona of the audience in mind.

Lessons 22 & 23: Actors and Acting Techniques

As mentioned above, David has been in this industry for the past 15 years, directed many movies, and has closely observed what makes a good actor different from a bad actor.

From this lesson, David has laid down the important concepts and acting techniques and taught you how to cast the right actor for your film or story.

Additionally, he also shared his philosophies and the experience of what he believes great actors would have and should not have to give their best for the performance.

At the end of this lesson, David addresses the relationship between an actor and a dramatist and how to build a relationship and trust to achieve the best and perfect final result.

He also gives the examples of some of the actors who succeeded particularly at this and worked with him.

Lessons 24 – 26: Life of a Dramatist

Now we are moving towards the end of this course, and David has here the life of a dramatist, which he mentioned is filled with uncertainty. But your dedication and passion towards your craft can lead you beyond your consciousness.

Moreover, he also shared some helpful advice on how you can achieve your goal as a dramatist, including overcoming your bad writing and focusing on improving your personality and writing skills, which will make you stand out from others and make a name for yourself.

Some of the important lessons I have learned from this chapter include.

• Uncertainty is part of a dramatist’s life
• How to become dedicated towards your craft
• How you can improve your writing as a dramatist
• How you can achieve your goal as a dramatist

Lastly, he indeed this master class with some of the motivational lines and his life advice for his learners and shows you how you can create a positive work environment

Who Should Consider David Mamet Masterclass?

Until now, you understood what David Mamet teaches you in his master class and how he has broken down the important concepts related to dramatic writing.

Hee also shares his journey of how he got into the field of dramatic writing and became one of the most successful dramatists and a filmmaker of this generation who has contributed to the filmmaking industry.

His masterclass is perfect for anyone with prior writing knowledge who wants to explore dramatic writing more deeply. Here is the list of people who should consider David Mamet’s master class.

• Aspiring Playwrights and screenwriters who want to sharpen their skills and master the art of dramatic writing.

• Writers who have some experience in writing and want to gain a unique perspective on the writing process.

• Fans of David Mamet admire his work and want to discover his secrets.

Overall, this course is for anyone who has prior knowledge of writing and wants to explore the genre of dramatic writing and improve their overall writing process.

What did I like about David Mamet’s Masterclass?

My experience with this masterclass was great, and I genuinely enjoyed every section of this course; this course is Interesting, well-structured, structured, and full of kn. Itdge and covers the various concepts of dramatic writing that you learn as as a dramatic writer.

Therefore, I recommend this course to anyone with prior writing knowledge who wants to dive deep into dramatic writing.

Here are some of the reasons why you should consider David Mamet Masterclass.

Learn from an experienced playwright and Dramatist

As mentioned before, David Mamet is one of the most experienced and award-winning directors, known for his notable work on various films as a dramatic writer.

Over the past few years, he has become a household name for people who love his work and his passion for writing and filmmaking.

In this masterclass, David Mamet has his journey, years of experience, and lessons he has learned to become one of this generation’s successful dramatists and filmmakers.

The best part of the course is that he has broken down complex concepts that anyone can understand without any hurdles. Another thing that impressed me about this course is the production quality, which makes the learning experience even more interactive for the learners.

In-depth teaching and Engaging Delivery Style

David has also stood out as one of the teachers with a simple and engaging teaching style who demonstrates complicated theory in an easy-to-understand manner using various analogies and stories.

He has covered every topic from basic to advanced, including understanding the purpose of drama, finding the ideas, and crafting a compelling narrative and story.

Another thing I learned from his masterclass is that David has a good sense of humor, and you will see this in the various lessons of this masterclass.

Overall, David has laid down aa good combination of practical and theoretical concepts and historical rules and methods of drama writing, which will really change your perspective on writing a drama.

Well-organized and easy to understand

Unlike other courses in the master class, this course is also very well structured, which anyone can follow easily without any trouble. Most of the lessons in this master class are around 10 minutes long, making them easy to consume.

But it’s also worth noting that this master class is around five hours, which is a bit lengthy for many people.

However, if you are serious about learning drama writing, these five hours can change your whole writing game and show you the exact path you need to follow to become a successful dramatic writer.

Community Hub and helpful Workbook

I mentioned several times in the other Master Class course review posts that Master Class does not offer community support in every course that it offers to its learners.

Fortunately, in this David Mamet Master Class, you will also get community support, which means that you can discuss the lesson with other people and get the best out of this course material.

This community forum also allows the user to submit their assignment and get feedback for their work, which helps them to improve their skill. They will also get an opportunity to network with like-minded people.

What can be improved in David Mamet Masterclass?

Overall, my experience with this course was really enjoyable. I have learned various things from this master class, including finding ideas, understanding the purpose of drama, creating the plot, and telling a compelling story. Most importantly, I have learned what it takes to become a successful dramatic writer.

Still, there is room for improvement, which can make this master class even more helpful and interactive for the learners. Here are some of the things that can be improved.

Aligned Mostly Towards Plays

If you are a writer, you probably know that writing has a wider spectrum and various genres. In this master class, David mainly teaches concepts geared toward playwriting and screenwriting.

Although he has covered some of the concepts of filmmaking and directing, such as the rule for drama, his work is mostly oriented toward playwriting and screenwriting.

Fewer Visual Examples

There is no doubt that David Mamet’s Masterclass covers every vital aspect of dramatic writing. It also includes various examples and case studies, and most importantly, he has demonstrated every concept very well with his sense of humor.

However, in my experience, adding more visual examples, especially the David’s Work clip, will help me understand the concept more precisely.

It’s also worth noting that his course has a hefty amount of theory concepts with a combination of practical examples, but it can also be improved.

Lack of Depth of Certain Topics

Another complaint I have about this master class is that David has not explained some concepts in detail, especially the concept of character and dialogue writing.

From my experience, some of the things that he can improve and get more details about include the topic related to character and dialogue writing, as he had just shared the basic knowledge about this concept.

David Mamet Masterclass: Pros and Cons

I enjoyed this course and really found it helpful. Of course, I have also gathered some valuable lessons about dramatic writing, such as finding ideas and inspiration, framing the narrative, and creating a compelling story. Most importantly, I have discovered what it takes to become a successful dramatic writer.

In essence, this masterclass changed my perspective on writing in general, taught me some tips to enhance my writing skills, and streamlined my writing processes.

However, like any other course, I still have its pros and cons that one needs to consider before enrolling in this course.

Pros of David Mamet Masterclass

• Learn from experienced and renowned writer
• Real-time examples and case studies
• Helpful Workbook and Community Support
• Engaging and interesting teaching style.

Cons of David Mamet Masterclass

• Certain concepts are not explained in detail
• Mostly aligned towards Playwrighting
• Fewer visual examples of Davet Mamet’s Work

How much does David Mamet Masterclass Cost?

As mentioned before, this course is hosted on the Masterclass platform, which is known for offering high-quality courses. You need to buy a subscription to this platform to get access to this David Mamet Masterclass.

Currently, this platform offers customers three types of subscription options that you can consider based on your requirements and budget.

• Standard Plan: $120 Per Year ( Access to 1 Device and No offline Mode)
• Plus: $180 Per year (access to 2 Devices and Offline Mode)
• Premium: $240 Per Year (access to 6 Devices and Offline mode)

Each of the plans has its specifications. To get more idea about the pricing of the masterclass, you can check out the complete guide on the masterclass review.

Is it worth buying David Mamet Masterclass?

From my overall experience, I would say yes, this course is absolutely worth considering, especially if you are an aspiring playwright looking to enhance your skills and understand what it takes to become a successful dramatic writer.

There are also various reasons for considering this course, such as the in-depth explanation of real-life examples, helpful case studies, practical exercises in the workbook, and more.

In essence, taking David Mamet’s Master Class was a good decision for me as it has helped me sharpen my writing skills and taught me some lessons that have streamlined line my writing process of playwrighting.

However, it’s also worth noting that some concepts covered in this master class are not detailed and contain fewer visual examples. Ultimately, the experience and way of explaining David Mamet’s Master Class are worth it all.

Therefore, if you have prior writing knowledge and want to explore the dramatic genre, then there is no better course than David Mamet’s Masterclass.

Conclusion

So, this is my honest and complete review of David Mamet’s Masterclass. I have shared everything that this course covers and teaches you about dramatic writing. This review also shares its drawbacks and what it lacks in terms of content and value.

Now, you understand everything you need to know to make an informed decision from your side.

But from my experience, this course is absolutely worth buying if you are serious about learning dramatic writing and making a career. It has covered the essential aspects and concepts you need to know to become a successful dramatist.