Screenwriting 101

In this class, students will learn how screenplays are written, then get some practice in writing them. You’ll have a chance to write “minute movies” (just a page long), short screenplays (a few pages long), and scenes from full length movies. There will also be opportunities (for those who want to) to share your writing with the class and get some feedback.

We’ll Cover A Number Of Topics, Including:

• The STEPS most screenwriters go through when writing a screenplay (what most screenwriters do, in what order)
• How to FORMAT your screenplay (including indentation, font size and capitalization) (and common mistakes to avoid)
• How to write in the LEAN, FOCUSED style most screenwriters use, and break writing habits that don’t work.
• FORM AND STRUCTURE: We’ll talk about about some common story structures, and how using them may bring your story into clearer focus
• YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE – How to identify the target audience for the movie you’re writing, and why it matters
• TREATMENTS – What they are and how to use them in the screenwriting process
• WRITING LOG LINES and TAG LINES (very short descriptions or blurbs for your screenplay) You’ll get some practice writing both.
• WRITING SCENES  – We’ll look at what makes a scene, and get some practice in writing some complete short scenes.
• WRITING SOME SHORT SCRIPTS – we’ll talk about the elements of scriptwriting in detail, and will write at least two complete short scripts over the next five weeks.
• Plus, we’ll talk about scene length, getting an agent, pitching and selling your screenplays, and more.   
• By the end of the class, you should have a good working knowledge of how to write a  screenplay, how to approach marketing it, and have some solid writing experience under your belt.