10 Screenwriting Tips from James Cameron Masterclass on how he wrote Titanic and Avatar

James Cameron’s MasterClass - A Screenwriting MasterClass. James Cameron Teaches Screenwriting and Filmmaking. Learn from the Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter about his screenwriting and filmmaking techniques.
Screenplay competitions👇 📝🏆 Now OPEN for submissions‼️
👉 ✅ linktr.ee/outstanding.screenplays/ ✅👈
Submit your TV PILOT 📺 👆or your SHORT script ✍️📝
James Cameron is a Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for making science fiction and epic films. Cameron first gained recognition for directing The Terminator (1984). He found further critical and commercial success with Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and the comedy thriller True Lies (1994). His other big-budget productions include Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009), with Titanic earning him Academy Awards in Best Picture, Best Director and Best Film Editing. Avatar, filmed in 3D technology, also garnered him nominations in the same categories.
Cameron's films have grossed approximately US$2 billion in North America and US$6 billion worldwide. Avatar and Titanic are the highest and third highest-grossing films of all time, earning $2.85 billion and $2.19 billion, respectively.
1. Directing is a state of mind, so put yourself all in. Do anything you can, no matter how small, to make yourself a director. Then it’s just a matter of scale and dedication.
2. To get the audience over the hump of watching something that might be considered boring (like a period film), make them fall in love with your characters first.
3. Make your film an extension of you. When thinking of ideas, think about your interests, your inner truth. Even to smaller details like dreams, or hobbies, that you can further draw from.
4. Inspiration, and opportunity, can come from anywhere. Take the chance, be brave, follow the idea and see if you can catch lightning in a bottle.
5. When creating a sequel just try to make the stand alone film you envision. While you have basic rules to stick to, characters to use, don't lose sight of your talent and your unique vision for what the project should be.
6. Cinema is a mixture of transporting your audience into another spectacular world, while also being able to make that story, those emotions, relatable. Create a journey, in every sense.
7. Make your own luck. As a new director, working on other projects is not only more difficult, but ripe for mistakes and issues. So, write your own material and create your own films to more effectively build up your career and name in the industry.
8. It’s never too late to create. You need to have the passion, and dedication to start learning some of the basics of film, and also the passion to truly follow your dream. But it can always be started, or picked back up.
9. Directing requires stamina to power through it. Allow your crew to help you to create great work, don't think you have to do it all alone. Especially when it gets difficult as a new filmmaker.
10. Rule for pitching: A script or proof of concept is a great way to show not only that you’re serious, but also to get across larger more complex ideas. Pitching without those is a very difficult, often unsuccessful method.
Follow us on our main Instagram: outstanding.screenplays
Follow us on our video Instagram: outstandingscreenplays
Follow us on Twitter: outscreenplays
Follow us on Facebook: outstandingscreenplays
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/outstandingscreenplays
#jamescameron #screenwriter #titanicmovie #avatarmovie #screenwriting #screenplay #screenwritingtips

[@ThomasLuca]

STAR WARS (1977) got Jim into filmmaking. Jim was a truck driver when he was in a movie theater and while he was watching STAR WARS (1977) he said to himself, "Well, if I'm going to do this I've better get going." Next he found the school of Roger Corman and started as a Model Maker in the Art Department. Then his big time came with making TERMINATOR (1984).

[@anthonydavis4829]

We desperately need more people like you Cameron to inspire all other fields of life.

[@garyleeheard3434]

50% of my screenplays or short films came from realistic dreams and woke up and wrote them down .. the mind is amazing.

[@filmmaker610]

Great video. Cameron is actually a great script writer just as much a director.

[@theexpresidents]

I agree. He isn’t someone who rested on his laurels, like George Lucas.

[@filmmaker610]

@@theexpresidents Always salty about George’s writing success eh? 😄

[@theexpresidents]

@@filmmaker610 Lol!

[@michelebaratt8403]

fuck you! he is a terrible scriptwriter

[@filmmaker610]

@@michelebaratt8403 Charming! Go watch more Ferngully kid.

[@bapjoe9694]

He went to my school and is from my hometown!!!

[@squatch545]

Stamford Collegiate and Kapuskasing?

[@soorajunnithan8424]

You are so Lucky guy🔥🔥🤗🤗💞💞😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@purefoldnz3070]

and now lives in my hometown

[@lets.summarize]

Haa, so what should I do?😂

[@predator3539]

What the heck are u doing

[@PernetiBR53]

James Cameron ❤️

[@NileStudios]

how amazing!!! what a great piece of knowledge from the man who went against all odds! Thank you for sharing this video with all of us. It came at the right time for me. I really needed this today.

[@soorajunnithan8424]

Exactly man

[@Ryan-the-Rocketeer]

Avatar came from a dream and TERMINATOR came from a nightmare. Maybe i got start trying to remember what happens when i sleep.

[@canaisyoung3601]

Dream journals and books on how to interpret dreams and nightmares are a thing. I should know; I have both.

[@stu9000]

This series is brilliant. Thank you

[@dex5934]

Probably best director ever

[@stanimirgeorgiev.87]

Again, it's great to see another my favorite director on your channel. James it's one of my patron in the field of inspiration even only by listening him. i watching interviews from very soon and i had not watched any of these interviews with him. It's nice to see i have some similar thinking and points of view with him. Once again admiration to you bringing him on board. For me best of him: "Aliens" 2 and "Terminator judgment day". But i give him full credits for ambitious "Avatar" project. ps. I when i think of he took inspiration for Terminator from John Carpenter "Halloween"... it's kind of strange how one idea transform in to another. :)

[@user-go2yu4hq5p]

I think the writer of any movie should be the one in charge . But if the writer is also the director then the story won't change at all and the audience would get a pure film and that would be the best in my opinion I am a beginner writer and I wish to study directing too ❤️🧡

[@sandipbadad4685]

most of the directors are writers so yeh...

[@chandermotwani3493]

Brilliant Filmmaker 👌🎞🎥🎬🤘🏻

[@mickkollins]

WHAT A GREAT CHANNEL. THANK YOU....PRETTY INEXPENSIVE MASTER CLASSES

[@homemadeentertainments3935]

Master

[@homemadeentertainments3935]

“There are many talented people who haven’t fulfilled their dreams because they over thought it, or they were too cautious, and were unwilling to make the leap of faith.” James cameron

[@rboddington]

#7...Yes Mr. Cameron, I have made 6 feature films and heading into number 7 in two months.

[@TheAnnoon]

I see you are already working on number 8 "Wickenburg". Congrats to you!!!! I'm working on my first screenplay at the moment and I'm loving it. Time seems to stop when I write and I like writing more than anything else. I'll make my own luck and make writing my way to earn a living. ✌️

[@planetlok]

Thank you for this!! Great advice.

[@lkmishra8420]

Thank you 🙏

[@Studeb]

It's so weird to imagine somebody as talented and confident as him ever becoming a truck driver. You'd expect him to be more like Spielberg, sneaking onto Hollywood sets in his teenage years.

[@Robertsmith-un5cu]

T1, T2 both had some major sequences with big rigs. Its a nod to his previous job

[@TheRubberStudiosASMR]

People have bills to pay.

[@user-nr5tj4iv8l]

Спасибо Джеймс, я закончил, буду только добавлять)) Люблю твое творчество

[@akirafella]

Приятно видеть соотечественников под такими видео) Удачи вам!

[@marieschubert869]

I love your channel! You should do a video with tips from orson welles :)

[@crazyfilmmakers7045]

This chennal is one of best chennal right now. really you guys doing great work for us.

[@oobrocks]

This got 3.5k views in 1 day: impressive!

[@randyjackson7439]

Tip #11: put actors in real life and death situations on set so they really feel the drama.

[@Anonymous18531]

James Cameron: You have to forswear all other paths….You can’t keep a foot in one job… Also James Cameron: Dives to the bottom of the ocean in-between films.

[@harryom3497]

3:31 that guy didn't want to hear. Giving badman look.

[@R.A.A.]

James Cameron: a lot of people ask me what’s the best advice to someone who wants to be a Director ? And the answer I give is very simple... Be a Director, pick up a camera, shoot something, put your name on it as a Director. Me: Have a vision, be a visionary & everyone will recognize you from your Camera without seeing your name. (Notice how the first thing he talked about is his “DREAM”, it’s a vision but he need to dramatize it for the camera)

[@claduke]

Never been a big Cameron fan. The first Terminator is really the only film of his I genuinely like. That said, this was really cool to hear about how he started as a truck driver and just, you know, did it.

[@devakrishna1209]

can you do Barry Jenkins please🥺

[@OutstandingScreenplays]

Coming soon!

[@brainxtc2171]

@@OutstandingScreenplays Wonderful

[@user-go2yu4hq5p]

❤️❤️

[@KyloRen4238]

Happy Birthday James Cameron. Your a great director. I'm glad u made The Terminator. Terminator 2 Judgement Day. 5 Genisys. 6 Dark Fate. Avatar. True Lies. Alita Battle Angel and Aliens. I love Aliens. That movie remind of Resident Evil and Dead Space. Dead Space, a game, dead alien zombies, Necromorphs. Aliens r the Xenomorphs. Xenomorphs, Necromorphs. Sounds the same. They're the same, but different. Still. I seriously all Terminator and Alien movies. True Lies. Avatar and Alita Battle Angel is awesome. Your work is impressive. Watching all Alien movies. In space no one can hear u scream. May the Peace be with u James Cameron. From Harlingen Texas. August 16, 1954 August 16, 2022 through August 16, 3022

[@KyloRen4238]

James Cameron Show & Movies & Game 1. Writer, Producer, Director, Editor - Avatar 1, 2 The Way of Water 2009 - 2022 2. Writer, Producer, Director, Additional Crew - Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series, The Terminator 1, 2 Judgement Day, 5 Genisys, 6 Dark Fate 1984 - 1991 - 2009 - 2015 - 2019 3. Writer, Producer - Alita: Battle Angel 2019 4. Writers, Director, Additional Crew - Aliens 2 4, Colonial Marines 1986 - 2013 5. Writer, Producer, Director, Steerage Dancer, Editor, Art Department, Camera Department - Titanic 1997 6. Writer, Producer, Director, Editor - True Lies 1994

[@Kurosawa3]

@13:43 😭 #bustamove

[@bighuge1060]

Excellent channel. James Cameron knows structure but he could use a lot more practice fleshing out his characters and that's always been his weakness; his screenplays are populated by characters with the depth of a cartoon short. It's one of the main reasons I enjoy Alien and can't stand Cameron's sequel, Aliens. However, he's been successful as he is so there's no reason for him to diddle with that success.

[@kdscool1536]

Emmm... what? Aliens actually had better written characters than Alien. Alien is definitely not a good example of richly written characters. Character writing is one of Cameron's biggest strengthes, he wrote some of the most iconic characters in film history.

[@peterlenham6904]

Here's a good tip. Don't kill off a beloved character in a Terminator film.

[@mattwardpictures]

Like Kyle Reese?

[@peterlenham6904]

@@mattwardpictures You mean Hicks in Alien 3? Yes.

[@alexrechkin7]

there is a lot about directing in video, should channel name be changed? "Outstanding filmaking" "Filmstation" "Storydrill" idk

[@eastern2western]

Titanic is basically Romeo and juliet and avatar is dance with wolves.

[@BassedInVegas]

Best screenwriting tips !!! Don’t kill off your main character that helped stop judgment day. Don’t completely destroy a movie franchise that made your career so successful by killing off a much loved main character in the opening moments of a movie sequel. Don’t piss off the movie going audience in the opening moments of a sequel to a movie that made your career. Don’t include ridiculous line’s in a screenplay or movie like “She’s John”, the pissed off audience is not going to buy into it. Cheers, Davyo

[@perrypereyra6671]

I can't believe he used to be a truck driver, damn.

[@ThomasLuca]

Not me Jim. Film or CINEMA has always been a Special place to go to escape the BS of the world. Film for me is Escapism, a popcorn picturesq dimension we can leave our woes behind but for a few hours. But those few hours are wonderful.

[@theexpresidents]

The best part about James Cameron is Kathryn Bigelow.

[@magpiemania023]

Release true lies on blu ray!!!!

[@southlondon86]

I want to know how he wrote Terminator 1 & 2 and Aliens. Not these crappy films.

[@JimmyKlef]

The Abyss shouldnt be forgotten. That movie was a game changer and is still beautiful and interesting. Titanic as well is a fantastic film and im not sure how anyone could say otherwise unless they are trying to be edgy.

[@JimmyKlef]

And “how” anyone does anything is not really explainable. They do exactly what they need to do. Some people need one thing. Other people need other things. James Cameron needed to make movies. He needed to write what was in his head. He had a vision and impulse and just went and did it.

[@jeyfomson6364]

@@JimmyKlef period!!

[@predator3539]

Goo take camera and shoot

[@StreetSmrtNtrmt]

anyone waiting for avatar 2

[@DialloMoore503]

All we can do is wait. LOL!!

[@KyloRen4238]

It's coming on December. I can't wait, I'm excited.

[@StreetSmrtNtrmt]

@@KyloRen4238 ❤️🔥

[@adamtoofarwest9104]

1. Write half a script, then let studio executives and army of CGI special effects artist finish the rest. 2. Smoke a cig, and shoot for 2 days no reshoots are necessary, special effects will fix everything is post. 3. Sign a new contract, collect a check.

[@pointuout2020]

I have only 3 movies I would want to make. All horror / action movies! Here in Austin, Texas!

[@mikearchibald744]

Todays update, call up disney and say 'I can direct".

[@YousufAli-gs9fb]

Hi,,,,James cameron,, Sir,,,,I am form Bangladesh.My birth day at Savar in bangladesh. I have a idea in my brain,I want to tell that some information to you about film make & director.tow days ago I saw a some dreams idea.This movie (Fire Mother & 9 brother) .But it long time movie,this movie part (1 - 9) number.

[@ZombieJohn]

Great filmmaking tips-but only two of them had anything to do with Screenwriting

[@GregVD]

The man who wrote Rambo: First Blood Part II...ohh yeahh FYI, Cameron recently talk about his hard, angry kind of expose their actors.

[@kdscool1536]

Cameron wrote the initial script for Rambo 2, which by all acounts was much better than the final film. The final script was written by Stallone.

[@thetiktokman]

Poorly edited; too many repeated sequences.

[@jothishprabu8]

Avatar just copies Dances with wolves

[@lye27]

Isn't he is the same guy whole destroy the Terminator franchise?

[@RuzoOwzy]

How did he do that?

[@ethanmauser4861]

He invented the Terminator franchise

[@nikolarajkovic4595]

nope, he only directed first 2

[@VivekKumar-rx3ss]

Ab ki karae chiyae. Aae Yau. Guys to suru kiya jaaye na. Yahi .

[@kingofswing3000]

Even more was against the success of Titanic. Cameron was talented, yes. But he only had a few films under his belt. T, T2, Aliens, Abyss and True Lies. And Abyss broke even and TL bombed. And now he wanted to make the most expensive movie ever.

[@charliepiston3169]

You watched "Fern Gully" and then forgot that you had watched it.

[@Bibbi-ey8jh]

Aaand no..... You have to also have ppl around you that know what they are doing. And also in todays world the studio and the producers are going to meddle. James Cameron would make Titanic today, it would be no where near the "epic" he made back in 1997. First of all Titanic was produced by James Cameron, Written by James Cameron, and directed by James Cameron. He had full control and blessing from the studio because why... They trusted him from his earlier work. Back in the day! Today directors does not have this freedom. Heh.. First of all you will have 4 - 5 people who have "written it" they want their names on it... 4 -5 producers.... 10 executive producers.. And it all turns into a mess. And this is why we have the films we have today. A bunch of reboots and remakes and nothing original. So go ahead be a director or a screenwriter or a producer for that matter... They do not care about making movies anymore. It is all about money now. Oops gotta stop... here comes another remake/reboot i gotta pay to see yet its the same sh*t

[@CircleofShit]

LOL spot on.

[@stevesorensen5509]

lol, avatar was just fern gully with amazing animation/cgi for the time -

[@thereccher8746]

But why are we taking screenplay lessons from Avatar? That movie's script was terrible.

[@krishshautriya5170]

I loved the script.

[@RuzoOwzy]

I wish to know why you call a terrible script on Avatar!!! Highly grossing movie

[@kalyan6045]

He said he got Terminator story idea from a dream but it was copied from an episode from The outer limits

[@DialloMoore503]

I’ve heard that accusation before, but I don’t believe it. Cameron said he had a nightmare while very sick with a fever about a killer machine emerging from flames. The time traveling part was probably influenced by “Outer Limits” but I think the overall idea was his.

[@jesperquistgaard]

I was disappointed about what this video actually was. Just anecdotes, no real screenwriting tips. Maybe one or two.

[@bendoon7010]

Oh he also forgot to mention about being a director.....be a total barsteward to your staff, shout and belittle them in front of the crew get a rep of being a complete angry knob and you’ll be grand!

[@DialloMoore503]

Give me a break. It’s a job that has to be done RIGHT. www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/james-cameron-avatar-2-b1871962.html?amp

[@shredd5705]

He is in charge, and filming costs a fortune every day. It's like "this surgeon is being a dick, he doesn't allow the nurses to relax during brain operation". If he was less of a dick, the movies wouldn't be as perfect as they are

[@dandelion1469]

I'm gonna be honest I find his movies very boring both avatar and titanic a pretty boring and I find both romances lack luster the only thing he has going for him is visual affects

[@pinakichakraborty8759]

❤❤❤❤