Writing the Screenplay

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the industry standard elements of screenwriting. Through readings, film viewings, written analyses, online discussions, and creative exercises, students will learn how to write original stories for a visual medium, use prescriptive filmic story structure (“screenplay formatting”), and identify key elements that make a script successful. With these tools in hand, students will create the first act of an original feature-length screenplay, develop an outline ("script treatment") for the entire film, and finish the course prepared to complete the project and present it to the film-making industry.