It all starts with the script. Every screenwriter has a unique creative process, but shares tools from a common toolbox.
In this course we will screen and discuss excerpts from a variety of films, analyzing the essentials that make a great screen story. You will explore these fundamentals in weekly writing exercises and script assignments, applying techniques of visual storytelling and screenplay formatting, as well as the key elements of dramatic film structure, character development and dialogue. You will also learn how to pitch a script idea, a skill that is essential to succeed in the highly collaborative practice of filmmaking.
The structure of this course is online and asynchronous, with modules and exercises posted on Canvas for completion each week. There is also an optional one-hour Zoom drop-in session each week with bonus materials and a chance to ask questions and discuss the weekly assignments.
Your coursework will include completing weekly writing assignments (worth 15% of your final grade), writing a 4-page silent screenplay (25%), writing a 10-page screenplay with dialogue (35%), creating a written pitch for your dialogue screenplay (15%), and completing an open-book quiz on screenplay formatting (10%).
Please note that while we will discuss and screen a few feature-length films and excerpts of television series in this course, the majority of the coursework and course content will focus on short films. This is because short films are an excellent form in which to learn and apply fundamentals quickly. Short films are also one of the main starting points for building a career in screenwriting.