This is an introductory course in which you will learn basic principles of screenwriting, including how it differs from other forms of writing. The class will introduce you to the screenplay format, the terminology, the classical narrative structure, and tools and exercises for preparing to write a screenplay.
Over the course of the term we will use writing exercises to develop a script for an 8-to-12 minute short film. To be a writer, you have to write, and this is a writing-intensive class. In the second half of the term, you will workshop your short screenplays and rewrite and rewrite. Through the workshop we will learn to both receive and give feedback on screenplays written in the class.
We will watch several short films in class as examples of different kinds of short films that could inspire you as well as to investigate the underlying structure of short films. Several handouts will be provided in the class that you will be expected to read for homework
