Students must complete Screenwriting I and Screenwriting II, plus any two additional summer dramatic writing courses to earn this certificate.
Screenwriting I
A screenwriting workshop required of all Dramatic Writing majors and also designed for new screenwriters. Students are required to complete 50-70 pages of a full-length screenplay with an outline of the rest. The first third of the course focuses on exercises to help students develop five story ideas with the complexity and depth to sustain a full-length screenplay. One of these ideas will serve as the basis for the required work. The reading and analysis of four to six screenplays is required in conjunction with the student’s original work. Students must come to the first class with three ideas for full-length screenplays. Each idea can be described in one or two paragraphs.
Course dates and times to be announced.
* If you begin your certificate in Summer Session II, you need to continue with Screenwriting II in the summer of 2010.
Screenwriting II
The course covers the writing and completion of a full-length screenplay. Students must come to the first class with an outline or treatment for a full-length film. Certificate students will come with the outline and the first half of their written movie script. The instructor will ask all students to complete a first draft of a screenplay during the term, with particular emphasis on character and purpose and how this leads to conflict and the construction of plot.
Course dates and times to be announced.
Additional Courses To Complete Your Certificate
Please select two of the following courses to complete your certificate.
Playwriting I
A playwriting workshop required of all Dramatic Writing majors and designed for the beginning playwright. Students are required to complete 50-70 pages of a full-length stage play with an outline of the complete play. The first third of the course focuses on exercises to help students develop a story idea with the complexity and depth to sustain a full-length play. The reading and analysis of four to six dramatic texts is required in conjunction with the student’s original work. Students must come to the first class with two ideas for a full-length play. Each idea should be described in a one page summary.
Course dates and times to be announced.
Graphic Storytelling: Introduction to Comics Writing
In this class the student will examine the writing, structuring, and presentation of comics work, led by a teacher who's been continually working on some of the best-selling comics titles. Students will work from the ground up in the creation of story according to the idea that comics are a collaborative and visual medium. The writer must remember he is part of a team…The artist gets them in the seats, it's the writer's job to keep them there.
We will evaluate what makes a viable script that an artist can not only work from, but wants to draw. The student will be responsible for writing a 6-7 page comic story. And at the end of the term the students will have the tools to create their own comic story. The class will also cover topics such as: What is the best way to pitch, both verbally and in written form? How to create something with a theme and characters that your first audience will care about? The course will also include guest lecturers from the comics field.
Course dates and times to be announced.
Writing the Half-Hour Comedy
This intensive scriptwriting class answers the question, “What do I need to break into TV writing?” The student will be guided through the step-by-step development of an episode for an ongoing TV sitcom, from premise line to one-page outline, to pages and revisions. The course requires the completion of a polished draft while introducing students to the rigors of professional standards through weekly story goals. The course is taught by a professional television writer.
Course dates and times to be announced.
Writing the One-Hour Television Drama
A course for starting a one-hour dramatic script, OR for revising/completing a One-Hour script begun last year. (Students will arrive at this class at different levels of expertise.) For those students new to writing a One-Hour, this television workshop course takes the student step by step through writing their own script for an ongoing one-hour television dramatic series. The course will go from premise lines, through the outline, to writing a solid draft of the script. This is a high-level course that prepares students for the professional world.
Course dates and times to be announced.
