Professor Williams explains exactly what makes movies magic for him; a brief history of movies; foreshadowing elements such as music, framing and the three-act structure; familiarizing oneself with tension, one of the most important movie elements.

Professor Williams introduces the story of a young hero whisked off on a journey through new lands and introduced to a dangerous foe; uncovering the foundation of Joseph Campbell's "hero's journey"; how it shows up in unrelated films and genres.

Professor Williams introduces the definitive list of genres based on films; diving into the meanings and examples of movie genres; better defining what one looks for and loves; the actual number of film genres Professor Williams has established.

Looking at three simple variations of film genre; their three important variables; discerning the difference between a heist film and an escape film; how characters often define a genre; how one movie can encapsulate multiple macro- and microgenres.

The relationship between story shape and story rhythm; seeing the rhythm of a story by examining the shape for several genres; filmmakers sometimes break the rhythm; characters, dialogue and plot all play a part; building tension.

Examining the concept of theme through approaches from various filmmakers; creating a matrix upon which to plot several movies to help illustrate what the theme is; determining when and how the theme will make its way into the film.