Media Communications Instructor chronicles the scripts of society
By: CHRISTIAN HARGAS
Staff Writer
STLCC Media Communications and Scriptwriting Instructor Clint Green, has another career other than the one on a college campus. Green said as a hobby, he has been writing film scripts since he started college at Meramec. He said he began to educate himself in the art of scriptwriting when he received his bachelor’s degree in media communications at Webster University.
Writing Style
“I chose to become a scriptwriter because I have always had an interest in storytelling. Even as a young boy, I would script out scenes with my action figures as I played with them. That passion combined with my love for film has really resulted in my educational study in scriptwriting,” Green said.
Green said even though he has written scripts for different genres, he prefers drama over the others.
“I have written drama, action and comedy. Drama is my genre of choice when it comes to writing because it allows for much more character depth and exposition than others. It provides the opportunity to focus on the lives of your characters in a realistic fashion that really connects with the audience. Other genres, such as action and horror, rely more on scare tactics and action sequences,” Green said.
Green said his favorite screenwriters are Christopher Nolan and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu because of their strong writing styles. He said Nolan does a great job of creating dark realities and exploiting character flaws, driving motivation and emotion. He said Inarritu does an “excellent job” of constructing ways to tell his stories. Green said he does this using a structure that connects multiple storylines and characters.
“As far as my work goes, there is not one specific style I implement, but rather a combination of elements I have found engaging when viewing these movies. For example, I like to start my scripts in the middle of some kind of situation or action. This engages the audience immediately and also reveals a lot about the characters in the scene right away. I like to establish my characters quickly. Also, I typically will not follow a linear structure. This allows for more consistent pacing,” Green said.
Teaching Style
Green currently teaches Scriptwriting for Television and Film and Introduction to Mass Communications courses at Meramec. He said for the Mass Communications class he provides students with an overall analysis of different media types including print, film, television, Internet, advertising and public relations.
“My hope is that students will walk away from this class aware of the surrounding media they encounter on a daily basis and the significant role media plays in our society,” Green said.
For Scriptwriting, he teaches the fundamentals to writing an effective script. He said this includes everything from format and presentation to storytelling tools. He hopes that learning the material will give students the confidence and education necessary to “explore their creative talent,” he said.
Green said he sees himself working in the scriptwriting industry in the future while continuing his career as a film and communications instructor at Meramec. He plans on collaborating on a drama project with a friend. He said he is developing a supernatural drama — a first for him.
“I have always envisioned myself working in the industry, no matter the location. However, I also have a passion for teaching. So, my ultimate goal is to do both,” Green said.
