Professional and Lifelong Learning

Course description

This is a workshop for those who wish to learn the foundations and processes for writing feature-length motion picture screenplays. Adaptations, documentary, and television scripts may be written with the instructor's permission. Topics covered include concept and theme development, dramatic structure, plot, character arc, dialogue writing, the use of visual language, and writing in format. By the semester's end, students produce a full feature film treatment and complete act one of their film in script format. Class meetings consist of presentation and discussion of work, writing exercises, brief lectures, film, and script analyses. At the semester's end, actors do readings of script segments.