Screenwriting Courses

SCWR 120 – STORYTELLING FOR THE SCREEN

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The elements of storytelling as applied to the screen includes an examination of ethics and learning screenwriting basics by writing a short film script.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will value diverse stories that explore social justice issues and humanistic themes
• Students will examine the ethical issues around storytelling for the screen
• Students will learn how to find ideas
• Students will learn how to develop these ideas into stories appropriate for the screen
through outline and treatment
• Students will understand the principles of character and the role character plays in story development
• Students will recognize the importance of visual writing and cinematic dialogue
• Students will understand scene construction into a narrative with a beginning, middle
and end
• Students will acquire basic knowledge of classic three-act structure and adapt that to a short film
• Students will execute dramatic storytelling using conflict and plot complications
• Students will utilize standard screenplay format
• Students will learn the value of the collaborative process functioning as a ‘writers’
group’ for constructive criticism

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will complete exercises on:
• Developing character biographies
• Writing visual scenes without dialogue
• Writing cinematic scenes with effective dialogue

Signature Project: Students will develop an idea for a 5 – 7 minute short film (no longer than 10 pages). Development of this project will include the following:
• Character biographies for the major roles
• Treatment for the project
• Step Outline for the project
• A written script in proper industry standard format and proofread for spelling and grammar

This script must be rewritten at least twice based on notes from the writer’s workshop. The rewritten scripts will be submitted as the ‘Signature Project’ via digital folder which should include all the project’s development documents.

SCWR 220 – FEATURE STORY DEVELOPMENT

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practicum in the basics of screenwriting: idea, outline, plot,
characterization, etc. Analysis of scripts.

COURSE GOAL
To understand what a viable long-form screen premise is and be able to build the story,
characters, world, plot and structure.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will analyze produced films and screenplays to deepen understanding of
screenwriting principles and techniques
• Students will generate story-worthy ideas and pitch in class
• Students will design compelling stories that illustrate a deepening understanding of:
- Character building, with a discussion of character ethics and their moral code
- World building
- Dramatic conflict, story and plot complications
- Structure
- Creating Tension
- Theme as a unifying element
- Cinematic language
• Students will embrace the value of the collaborative process by workshopping with their classmates as a "writers’ room"
• Students will develop analytical skills by critiquing others' work

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Write three long-form story treatments (10-20 pages double-spaced)
• Make substantial revisions of two of these treatments, one of which will move forward
into SCWR 320 as their first feature screenplay

Learning to be a producer starts with a journey of self-discovery. Why do you want to tell stories, what kind of stories do you want to tell and how do you pitch those stories. In this class, we will begin with the passion: where ideas come from and the Who, Where, What, When and Why Now...Why You. Why are you the one who must tell this story. We will then proceed to the art of pitching: knowing how to sell your show is fundamental to getting your film/TV show produced. We will then focus on sales tools from creative show bibles to tone reels.

We then move onto the creative aspects of production. This will include your personal research as you will be required to watch every week a film or television show with produciary eye. You will be watching for production look and elements, watching for elements: DPs, writers, costumers, actors, executive producers, production designers, editors, casting directors, sound engineers, etc. We will have guest casting directors, writers, editors, directors, etc. visiting our class.

SCWR 320 – FEATURE SCREENPLAY: WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience in writing feature film scripts with analysis of plot, character, development and structure.

COURSE GOAL: Building on the skills developed in SCWR 220, students will take one of the treatments from 220 and turn it into a completed rough first draft.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will understand and utilize the principles of character and ethics in terms of
dramatic roles and plot progression.
• Students will refine their knowledge of screenplay structure as it applies to acts,
sequences, and scenes.
• Students will practice visual storytelling techniques.
• Students will expand their knowledge of scene writing and construction, including
action, atmosphere, and dialogue.
• Students will review and increase their ability to use standard screenplay format.
• Students will refine the practice of giving and receiving notes from the professor and
classmates, as well as incorporating them into their work.
• Students will value a diverse range of stories that explore ethics and humanism.

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Develop and draft a long form screenplay based on a treatment from SCWR 220,
including a beat sheet/outline
• Submit weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects

Signature Project: Students will draft a complete longform screenplay, in proper format. A passing grade, which is based on a full draft screenplay, is required to move forward into SCWR 321. Industry standard for a feature-length screenplay is currently 85 – 110 pages

SCWR 321 – REWRITNG THE FEATURE SCREENPLAY

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience in rewriting a feature-length screenplay

COURSE GOAL: Students will gain practical experience rewriting the feature film screenplay drafted in SCWR 320.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• Students will challenge a completed draft by revisiting and refining its basic concept and outline
• Students will deepen their knowledge of classic screenplay structure
• Students will strengthen, clarify and add dimension to character, ethics, action and
dialogue
• Students will improve existing scenes and sequences, adding, deleting and restructuring scenes as needed
• Students will optimize dramatic storytelling by enhancing conflict, stakes, tension and
complications
• Students will elevate their cinematic writing, including action and description, from
serviceable to cinematic
• Students will demonstrate mastery of standard screenplay format
• Students will deepen their understanding of professional standards including analytic
skills for critiquing others’ work and learning how to receive professional criticism

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Rewrite the screenplay completed in SCWR 320, including further development and re- outlining
• Submit weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects

Signature Project: Students will fully rewrite the feature screenplay drafted in SCWR 320, in proper format, and will submit a logline with the project. Industry standard for a feature-length screenplay is currently 85 – 110 pages.

SCWR 325 – WRITING THE COMEDY TV SERIES SPEC

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience in writing in various comic forms with emphasis on television situation comedy.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will learn the principles of character and the role character plays in half-hour comedy for television
• Students will expand their knowledge of scene writing and construction specifically for the half-hour television comedy
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of classic screenplay structure as it applies to half- hour comedy for television
• Students will execute dramatic storytelling using conflict and plot complications
• Students will demonstrate skills in visual writing and cinematic dialogue
• Students will utilize standard screenplay format in narrative style for half-hour television
• Students will demonstrate the collaborative process, functioning as writing teams and as a ‘Writers’ Room’
• Students will refine the practice of giving and receiving notes from the professor and
classmates, as well as incorporating them into their work
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in working in various positions in the Writers’ Room
• Students will gain experience ‘Pitching’ jokes, stories and other concepts in the Writers’ Room
• Students will value a diverse range of stories that explore ethics and humanism

COURSE DELIVERABLES
* Each section of this course will work collectively on a single television show. The choice of show for each section is at the discretion of the professor.
Students will:
• Develop a premise for an existing half-hour television series
• Draft a logline, beat sheet and outline for an existing half-hour comedy series
• Write a first draft of a teleplay in proper format and length for an existing half-hour
series
• Revise the teleplay based on notes from the Writers’ Room

Signature Project: Students will draft and revise a half-hour comedy spec screenplay based on an existing show. Industry standard for a half-hour spec script is 30 - 45 pages.

SCWR 326 – WRITING THE DRAMA TV SERIES SPEC

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience in writing one-hour episodic television drama

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will learn the principles of character and the role character plays in one-hour drama for television
• Students will expand their knowledge of scene writing and construction specifically for the one-hour television drama
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of classic screenplay structure as it applies to one- hour drama for television
• Students will execute dramatic storytelling using conflict and plot complications
• Students will demonstrate skills in visual writing and cinematic dialogue
• Students will utilize standard screenplay format in narrative style for one-hour television
• Students will demonstrate the collaborative process, functioning as writing teams and as a ‘Writers’ Room’
• Students will refine the practice of giving and receiving notes from the professor and
classmates, as well as incorporating them into their work
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in working in various positions in the Writers’ Room
• Students will gain experience ‘Pitching’ stories and other concepts in the Writers’ Room
• Students will value a diverse range of stories that explore ethics and humanism

COURSE DELIVERABLES
* Each section of this course will work collectively on a single television show. The choice of show for each section is at the discretion of the professor.
Students will:
• Develop a premise for an existing one-hour television series
• Draft a logline, beat sheet and outline for an existing one-hour drama series
• Write a first draft of a teleplay in proper format and length for an existing one-hour
series

Signature Project: Students will draft a one-hour drama spec screenplay based on an existing show. Industry standard for a one-hour spec script is 50 - 60 pages.

SCWR 327– DEVELOPING AND WRITING THE SHORT FILM

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Elements of screenwriting as applied to short films intended for production

COURSE GOAL: Building on the skills developed in SCWR 120, students will develop, write and rewrite a short screenplay that it is ready to move into PROD 390, the intermediate film project.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will explore and understand the short film form and how to develop ideas that can be best realized as a short film.
• Students will understand and utilize the principles of character and ethics in terms of dramatic roles and plot progression.
• Students will demonstrate competency of screenplay structure as it applies to acts, sequences, and scenes.
• Students will demonstrate competency of visual storytelling techniques.
• Students will demonstrate competency of scene writing and internal scene construction
• Students will demonstrate competency in writing dialogue.
• Students will demonstrate competency in using standard screenplay format in narrative style.
• Students will deepen their understanding of professional standards including analytic skills
for critiquing others’ work and learning how to receive professional criticism.
• Students will apply the principles of budgeting and scheduling for the production of a short film.
• Students will value a diverse range of stories that explore ethics and humanism.

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will complete:
• A pitch for three short screenplays
• Character bios for two short screenplays
• Beat sheets for two short screenplays
• Drafts for two short films (5-8 minutes), one of which will be chosen to rewrite at least twice for their Prod 390 intermediate film.
• Loglines for two short screenplays
• Weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects

Signature Project: Students will submit a final short screenplay (minimum three drafts), in proper format, for a film (5-8 minutes) that will be produced in Prod 390. Please refer to PROD 390 one-sheet for further details on limitations and requirements.

SCWR 329 – DIRECTING FOR SCREENWRITERS

COURSE DESCRIPTION: An in-depth, hands-on and collaborative workshop class on the craft and art of directing actors, as well as the camera

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate working knowledge of the actor’s process, and how to communicate effectively with actors
• Students will gain proficiency with the basics of film language
• Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of script analysis, thematic structure of scenes, and how actors view character and arcs
• Students will become familiar with improvisational techniques, and when and how to use them to unlock creativity
• Students will become proficient in how to run a casting session
• Students will demonstrate the ability to pitch stories, and themselves, for multiple projects
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in creating a safe and inspirational atmosphere on set
• Students will demonstrate working knowledge of the many different acting training disciplines
• Students will demonstrate working knowledge of staging a scene and planning with blocking diagrams and/or story boards

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Develop a working methodology of directing actors
• Write, direct and produce at least two short film projects
• Write an original five-minute script
• Collaborate weekly in class in various creative roles

Signature Project:
Direct a scene with actors in a live workshop with a time limit; this includes casting, rehearsing and staging the scene with every ‘camera set-up’ though no camera will be used.

Students will learn about the various challenges that videos game writers face and how the game writing craft diverges from traditional storytelling to create its own dynamic art form. Students will learn how to use the medium to create rich, compelling, and ultimately powerful narrative experiences for the player. Further, this class will offer insight to students about the emerging opportunities available in the games industry for writers.

Please view PROWL for exact times

In an era defined by rapid technological advancements and global shifts, success in the creative realm of entertainment necessitates an intimate grasp of both the artistic craft and the intricate workings of the industry. This distinctive course offers an immersive exploration into the dynamic business facets of "Show Business" within the entertainment sphere.  Each week will explore a different part of the Entertainment industry, including Gaming, Development, Streaming, the history of the business, guilds and virtual production and entertainment marketing. Through this comprehensive journey, students will gain a firsthand understanding of the ever-evolving landscape of the entertainment industry, where traditional norms are disrupted by groundbreaking technologies like AI and machine learning.   Additional learnings will include personal branding and networking. 

Jay Williams is Global Creative and Senior Marketing Executive with extensive experience across multiple platforms of the Entertainment business including Movies, Television Networks, Digital Platforms, AR/VR, Agencies and Theme Parks. He is a ‘disruptor’ with a significant understanding of the new technology landscape with an extended knowledge of VR/AR and MR storytelling and an Emmy Award-winning VR Producer, always developing and creating for the next disruptive digital platform. 

Students will participate in creating and developing an original television anthology series. The series will contain a unifying subject matter, theme, and style. Then we will build on this series concept with each student creating and writing a full 30-minute episode for this new series. 

For those not experienced in writing or perhaps have some insecurities about the “how and why” behind the scriptwriting process, this course is going to walk you through, step by step. The series that the class creates will be a 30-minute anthology. It will provide each student the opportunity to challenge themselves in their preferred writing genre. Whether your strength is in comedy, drama, sci-fi, fantasy, animation or other form, the goal is to help you explore that interest while keeping it within the structure of the series. 

There are boundaries and rules relating to every TV series. We will keep to those as well. The house or pocket rules will be developed, discussed, and determined in class so everyone will be on the same page. In other words, part of the process is developing the rule book for the series to ensure everyone’s script stays within those bounds. 

David Garber has spent the past 25 years serving as a writer, producer, writer and showrunner on some of television's biggest hits, including such diverse shows as The Power Rangers, Saved By the Bell, The Fall Guy, The Bill Cosby Show, The Simpsons, 227, and the live action Disney film, Dennis The Menace. 

Crafting carefully constructed scenes featuring compelling characters that pop off the page is the key to dramatic writing. Understanding scene construction also enables the critic to better deconstruct text and meaning. This intensive workshop arms you with a specific skill set that enables you to improve and elevate your work. Looking to the masters, we will analyze and break down movie and TV scenes from animated and live action clips and script pages.

You will learn to identify the ingredients for the creation of dynamic scenes and incorporate the following elements into your own writing: Introducing and revealing character; centering the scene in conflict; crafting story through escalation and revelation; managing exposition; creating emotional context; mastering theme and imagery.

 Karol Hoeffner is a Hollywood screenwriter with credits and experience writing long-form television for ABC, NBC, CBS, MTV, and the Disney Channel. She has written original feature scripts for Paramount, Tri-Star and Disney. Among her produced credits are four Danielle Steel adaptations including Kaleidoscope and the mini-series Family Album; made-for-television true story adaptations Scorned and Swindled, The Making of a Hollywood Madam and Miss America Behind the Crown; the original made-for-TV movies Voices from Within, MTV premiere All You’ve Got and Mary Kate And Ashley’s Winning London. Hoeffner is also the author of three Young Adult novels, All You’ve Got, Surf Ed and Knee Deep, which she is currently shopping as limited series. Hoeffner has been a professor at Loyola Marymount University since 2010 and recently served as the Chair of Screenwriting in the School of Film and Television.

In PODCASTING: AUDIO DRAMA, students will focus on discussing, developing, and scripting original audio fiction projects. The primary emphasis is on learning the tools needed to craft a compelling narrative tailored for the audio medium. Students will create and refine the series overview and pilot episode of their original audio fiction podcast. Workshops are dedicated to peer feedback and collaborative project development. By the end of this course, students will not only have a deeper understanding of audio fiction but also a polished script and series overview ready to captivate an audience through sound.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

“Today's science fiction is tomorrow's science fact.” - Isaac Asimov

This class welcomes you to tomorrow, as an introduction to producing and screenwriting with AI. During the semester we take a deep dive into the intersection of technology and entertainment and focus on developing, writing, producing, and distributing original content. We'll us emerging technology and software (like OpenAI's ChatGPT4, Midjourney, and Runway) to generate new ideas and loglines, enhance character development and world building, polish dialogue and scripts, produce and distribute shorts, and improve the overall quality of our work.

SCWR 420 – SENIOR WRITING PROJECT: FEATURE SCREENPLAY OR TV PILOT

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Specially directed projects in writing for film, television, or other media from initial concept through finished form. The student must provide a professional copy of all senior thesis-level projects to the School of Film and Television in partial fulfillment of degree requirements.

COURSE GOAL: Students will develop and write an original feature length screenplay or a television pilot as the first half of their senior thesis process.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate superior understanding of the dynamics of storytelling
required for film or television.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in creating a premise.
• Students will develop proficiency in utilizing the principles of character and ethics in
terms of dramatic roles and plot progression.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in breaking story in the room.
• Students will develop proficiency in creating structure out of character and conflict.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in outlining
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in writing dialogue.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in giving and taking notes from the professor and classmates in a collaborative writers’ room.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in pitching stories in the room.
• Students will master knowledge of either feature or one-hour and half-hour television
formatting.
• Students will value a diverse range of stories that explore ethics and humanism.

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Develop and draft a long form screenplay that, regardless of genre, is driven by complex characters that undergo change as a result of overcoming internal and external obstacles OR develop and draft of a half-hour or hour television pilot that can sustain a series, including a beat sheet and outline
• Submit weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects

Signature Project: Students will draft a complete longform screenplay, in proper format OR a television pilot, in proper format. Industry standard for a feature length screenplay is currently 85 – 110 pages. Industry standard for a half-hour pilot is 30 - 45 pages and for a one-hour pilot is 50 - 65 pages.

SCWR 421 – REWRITNG THE SENIOR WRITING PROJECT

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience in rewriting the senior project draft.
The student must provide a professional copy of all senior thesis-level projects to the School of Film and Television in partial fulfillment of degree requirements.

COURSE GOAL: Students will gain practical experience rewriting the feature film screenplay or television pilot drafted in SCWR 420 as the second half of their senior thesis process.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• Students will demonstrate ability to challenge and rethink a completed draft by
revisiting and refining its basic concept and outline
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in utilizing the principles of character and ethics in terms of dramatic roles and plot progression.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in creating structure out of character and conflict.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in writing dialogue.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in visual writing techniques.
• Students will demonstrate ability to improve existing scenes and sequences, adding,
deleting and restructuring scenes as needed.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in giving and taking notes from the professor and classmates in a collaborative writers’ room.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in pitching stories in the room.
• Students will master knowledge of either feature or one-hour and half-hour television
formatting.
• For TV pilots: Students will demonstrate proficiency in understanding and executing a
television show bible.
• Students will value a diverse range of stories that explore ethics and humanism.

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Rewrite of the screenplay completed in SCWR 420, including further development and re-outlining
• Submit weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects
• Develop and present a 5 – 7 minute pitch of their final project

Signature Project: Students will fully rewrite the feature screenplay or television pilot drafted in SCWR 420 and will submit a logline with the project. TV pilots will also include a bible. Industry standard for a feature-length screenplay is currently 85 – 110 pages. Industry standard for a half-hour pilot of 30 – 45 pages and for a one- hour pilot is 50 – 65 pages.

SCWR 428: ADAPTATION: FROM SOURCE TO SCREEN

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Practical experience in translating books (novels and/or non-fiction) into film scripts

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• The student will develop critical skills by analyzing the process of adapting one medium to another.
• The student will value the influence of film and television on culture and vice versa.
• The student will develop entrepreneurial skills through creating a portfolio of pitches.
• The student will develop oral communication skills through pitching adaptation projects.
• The student will develop a personal strategy for discovering and choosing “adaptable” material.
• The student will elevate their mastery of story development, character development,
storytelling structure and cinematic style.
• Students will develop the ability to give and take notes from the professor and
classmates in a collaborative writers’ room.

COURSE DELIVERABLES
The student will complete:
• Four conceptualization guides from the following categories: novel, short story, play and true story/true life incident/historical
• Pitches for at least two adaptation projects based on the conceptualization guides
• A PowerPoint pitch deck for their final project to present to the class in a twenty-minute oral presentation
• Step outline for the Final Project
• Character Bios for the Final Project

Signature Project: Students will write one of the following adaptation projects based on another medium:
• The first act of a feature length film (25 – 30 pages)
• The first three acts of an hour-long pilot for a television series ( 25 – 30 pages)
• The complete pilot of a thirty-minute television series ( 25 – 30 pages)
• A thirty-minute short film or web series based (25 – 30 pages)

If the project is based on literary material, it must either be in the public domain or if not, permission must be granted by the author or owner of the rights to adapt the material for educational purposes only. If the project is based on a true story or true-life incident, the rights must either be in the public domain or life rights granted to adapt the material for educational purposes only.

The script must be rewritten at least once based on notes from the writer’s workshop.

The art and craft of the short play takes time to hone.  To tell a complete story in 10-15 pages is a challenge. You will write 2 monologues and two short plays. Both plays will be rewritten at least twice. Each of you will also choose a playwright, study them, and give a short talk on their writing process at the end of the semester. The first play will be a two-character piece. The second play can be written for three or four characters.  The playwriting course is structured as a writer’s room. While there will be short lectures, they are built upon the flipped classroom model with discussion at its core. You will pitch and develop premises, use the Freytag Pyramid as an outline and write two drafts of each project. Examples of monologues and short plays will be handed out and screened and each of you will also receive a book of short plays.

Jeffrey Davis’ play, Speed Dating 101, is published by JAC Publishing, Boston. It and “The Children’s Table” and “Manic Season” as well as other plays have been produced in New York, Oregon and Los Angeles. Jeffrey is the co-author of three books on comedy writing and “Pitch Like Hollywood” published by McGraw Hill in 2022. He began his career writing jokes for Thicke of the Night. Among his credits are Love Boat, House Calls with Lynn Redgrave, Give Me a Break, Diff ’rent Strokes, Night Court and Small Wonder as well as America’s Funniest People.

Animated TV shows used to be fairly straight-forward and predictable. However, in today’s world of streaming services and edgier cable channels, animation can be much more layered and adventurous. Whether it be a nihilist scientist traveling the multiverse to a depressed, former TV star horse searching to find happiness, animated show creators center their visions around a wide variety of nuanced characters. This is one of many reasons why animation is so exciting right now and showcases more diverse and unique voices than any other genre on television. In this class, you’ll develop your own original animated TV series concept and write the script for a pilot based on this idea. In addition to that, you’ll also learn many different aspects of writing for animated television, not only on the creative side, but from a business standpoint as well. Most importantly, you will learn about writing more visually and expressing your voice in this exciting and limitless genre. Side note: you do not have to be able to draw in this class. If you can draw, that’s great, but our focus will be writing and creating your show (also I don’t know how to draw so I can’t teach that).

Matt Price is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer whose credits in animation include “Close Enough” (HBOMax), “Final Space” (Adult Swim) and all eight seasons of “Regular Show” (Cartoon Network).

Meetings: See PROWL for meeting days/times 

In Writing Comics & Graphic Novels, students will learn the craft of sequential storytelling, the collaborative process of working with artists and publishers, and the business know-how to navigate the vibrant marketplace of comics to film/tv adaptations. Students will read and analyze a variety of published comics and graphic novels, proceed to ideate, outline and write a 20-page short comic script in a workshop setting, and conclude with a short pitch doc for the purpose of sharing the project with publishers and producers in the film/tv marketplace. Students will depart with a unique set of visually-driven writing skills, the ability write in the comics medium and the essential preparation needed to engage in the growing multi-billion-dollar comics/graphic novel industry. 

Zack Kaplan is a science fiction comic creator of over dozen different comic and graphic novel series with nearly a million issues and books sold. He has worked with publishers such as DC Comics, Image/Top Cow, Dark Horse, Aftershock, Vault, Mad Cave, Scout Comics and Humanoids, and he has collaborated on comics with brands like Oakley and bands like The Midnight. He is also a Film/TV writer, currently adapting one of his graphic novels for TV network. He has optioned several more of his titles for film/tv adaptation, from Port of Earth with Amazon TV and Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment, to Mindset with Boatrocker Studios and Don Cheadle’s Radicle Act. Zack is a member of the WGA, and he attended USC, where he received his MFA degree in screen and TV writing.

Late-night shows create an air of "Hey, let's put on a show!" but writing for them requires maneuvering between several different types of comedy. This course will teach students, even those who may not feel they have the "funny gene," how to construct monologue jokes, develop topical pitches and desk piece ideas, and write sketches. By the end of the term, they'll leave with a professional-quality submission packet for applying to such shows as "The Tonight Show" and "Saturday Night Live."  Or at the very least, an appreciation for what goes into making them tick. 

Rob Kutner  has won 5 Emmys, a Peabody, a TCA, and a Grammy writing for such shows as TBS’ “CONAN” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and co-created the fact-based comedy TV show “Gander.”  Rob’s other TV writing includes “Teen Titans Go!” “Ben10” “Angry Birds: Summer Madness” and HBO’s “Dennis Miller Live.” He has also written material for the Oscars, Emmys, Writers’ Guild Awards, MTV Movie Awards, Guys’ Choice Awards, and two White House Correspondents’ Dinners.

SCWR Juniors and Seniors Only

Please view PROWL for exact times

Pitching skills are an essential part of every working writer’s life.  In today’s marketplace, it is not enough to have just have a great writing sample. One must be able to effectively pitch original ideas for pilots and feature films, as well as pitching themselves to showrunners and producers who are looking to hire writers for their staffs. The course will also cover how to present yourself in general meetings with prospective managers, agents and producers looking to hire.  This class will cover sales techniques, both in person and on Zoom, as well as specific content and length of pitches in addition to visual accompaniments.

John Strauss has been a working screenwriter and showrunner for over thirty years.  John’s feature credits include “There's Something About Mary”, “Santa Clause II”, Santa Clause III”, and “Free Birds”.  On the television side, John has been an executive producer/showrunner on over ten different television series. His most recent credits include the Golden Globe-winning series, Mozart in the Jungle and Peabody Award-Winning best drama series, David Makes Man.

SCWR Juniors and Seniors Only

SCWR 530 – DEVELOPING THE SHORT FILM

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Intermediate screenwriting techniques as applied to short films intended for production

COURSE GOAL: Building on the skills developed in SCWR 501, students will develop, write and rewrite a short screenplay that it is ready to move into PROD 600 the following Fall. This film should demonstrate the student’s ability to direct actors.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will explore and understand the short film form and how to develop ideas that can be best realized as a short film.
• Students will understand and utilize the principles of character and ethics in terms of
dramatic roles and plot progression.
• Students will demonstrate competency of screenplay structure as it applies to acts,
sequences, and scenes.
• Students will demonstrate competency of visual storytelling techniques.
• Students will demonstrate competency of scene writing and internal scene construction
• Students will demonstrate competency in writing dialogue.
• Students will demonstrate competency in using standard screenplay format in narrative style.
• Students will deepen their understanding of professional standards including analytic
skills for critiquing others’ work and learning how to receive professional criticism.
• Students will value a diverse range of stories that explore ethics and humanism.

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will complete:
• Development and drafting of a short film screenplay. This will include a minimum of
three drafts. The first draft will focus on Plot and Structure: want, need and crisis. The
second draft will focus on dialogue as a tool for characterization and conveying emotion. The third draft will focus on the internal beats of pivotal scenes to bring these scenes to life in a layered, sophisticate way and set the stage for working with actors.
• Weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects
• A logline for their project
• A pitch for their project

Signature Project: Students will submit a final draft short screenplay, in proper format, for a film no shorter than 7 and no longer than 10 minutes (including credits) to be shot the following Fall. The story cannot have more than 3 locations and cannot have more than 4 key characters. Please refer to PROD 600 one-sheet for further details on script limitations and requirements.

SCWR 541 – WRITING THE FEATURE SCREENPLAY

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience writing a first draft feature film screenplay; included analysis of character development, plot, and story structure

COURSE GOAL: Students will build on the tools from SCWR 540, with emphasis on sequenced story structure, leading to a full outline and completed first draft screenplay.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will deepen techniques for employing cinematic language
• Students will deepen their understanding of character and ethics in terms of dramatic
roles and plot progression
• Students will utilize their ability to create structure out of character, conflict and
causality
• Students will identify theme and develop strategies for building it into every level of
story
• Students will analyze produced screenplays to further understand development of story, structure and character
• Students will embrace the collaborative process in a ‘writers’ room’ and build on their
ability to give and take constructive criticism
• Students will further develop their writer’s voice

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Develop a dramatic story into a complete outline
• Create character bios for three characters in their feature screenplays
• Submit weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects

Signature Project: Based on the development documents above, students will draft a fully- realized feature-length screenplay. Industry standard for feature-length screenplay is currently 85 - 110 pages.

SCWR 551 – FEATURE SCREENWRITING: WRITING AND PRODUCING FOR TV

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience writing a first draft feature film screenplay; including analysis of character development, plot, and story structure - for WPTV majors only

COURSE GOAL: Students will learn a professional approach to feature writing through a comprehensive development process

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate a clear understanding of storytelling dynamics for visual
media
• Students will deepen techniques for employing cinematic language
• Students will deepen their understanding of character and ethics in terms of dramatic
roles and plot progression
• Students will become competent at creating structure out of character, conflict and
causality
• Students will embrace the collaborative process in a ‘writers’ room’ and become
competent at giving and taking constructive criticism
• Students will value diverse stories that explore humanistic themes
• Students will further develop their writer’s voice

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Pitch two of three script ideas and learn how to articulate the beats of a screen story
• Develop a dramatic story from synopsis to beat sheet to outline
• Write character bios or complete character development exercises for at least two
characters in their screenplay
• Submit weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects

Signature Project: Based on the development documents above, students will draft a fully- realized feature-length screenplay. Industry standard for feature-length screenplay is currently 85 - 110 pages.

SCWR 554 – THE TV WRITERS ROOM

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Students gain practical experience pitching and working in the writers’ rooms of drama and comedy television series

COURSE GOAL: To practice advanced elements of creating and developing ideas for television series and episodes in the writers’ room environment

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will deepen their knowledge of:
~ Classic teleplay story structure for television episodic drama and comedy
~ Character development in terms of roles and plot progression
~ Scene construction and sequencing of scenes into a beginning, middle and end
~ Techniques for writing visually, including visual dialogue
• Students will gain competency in the unique process of developing television stories, i.e. ‘Breaking Stories in the Room’
• Students will gain competency in the art and craft of pitching

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Develop pitches and practice techniques in role-playing scenarios focused on project in each major art form explored throughout the semester
• Practice ‘breaking stories in the room’ as a staff writer
• Act as ‘showrunner’ for one staff meeting
• Write stories and beats for current comedy and drama series
• Develop one reality series concept OR one fact- based television series concept
• Submit Program Learning Outcome 3 Qualtrics Reflection Survey

Signature Project: Expand pilot concept from SCWR 550 or develop a new one to include series regulars character sketches, loglines, developing the pilot story and addressing the series internet presence. Write the first 10 pages.

Practical experience writing a first draft feature length screenplay.

Film and Television Production graduate majors only.

Prerequisite: SCWR 501

The art and craft of the short play takes time to hone.  To tell a complete story in 10-15 pages is a challenge. You will write 2 monologues and two short plays. Both plays will be rewritten at least twice. Each of you will also choose a playwright, study them, and give a short talk on their writing process at the end of the semester. The first play will be a two-character piece. The second play can be written for three or four characters.  The playwriting course is structured as a writer’s room. While there will be short lectures, they are built upon the flipped classroom model with discussion at its core. You will pitch and develop premises, use the Freytag Pyramid as an outline and write two drafts of each project. Examples of monologues and short plays will be handed out and screened and each of you will also receive a book of short plays.

Jeffrey Davis’ play, Speed Dating 101, is published by JAC Publishing, Boston. It and “The Children’s Table” and “Manic Season” as well as other plays have been produced in New York, Oregon and Los Angeles. Jeffrey is the co-author of three books on comedy writing and “Pitch Like Hollywood” published by McGraw Hill in 2022. He began his career writing jokes for Thicke of the Night. Among his credits are Love Boat, House Calls with Lynn Redgrave, Give Me a Break, Diff ’rent Strokes, Night Court and Small Wonder as well as America’s Funniest People.

Animated TV shows used to be fairly straight-forward and predictable. However, in today’s world of streaming services and edgier cable channels, animation can be much more layered and adventurous. Whether it be a nihilist scientist traveling the multiverse to a depressed, former TV star horse searching to find happiness, animated show creators center their visions around a wide variety of nuanced characters. This is one of many reasons why animation is so exciting right now and showcases more diverse and unique voices than any other genre on television. In this class, you’ll develop your own original animated TV series concept and write the script for a pilot based on this idea. In addition to that, you’ll also learn many different aspects of writing for animated television, not only on the creative side, but from a business standpoint as well. Most importantly, you will learn about writing more visually and expressing your voice in this exciting and limitless genre. Side note: you do not have to be able to draw in this class. If you can draw, that’s great, but our focus will be writing and creating your show (also I don’t know how to draw so I can’t teach that).

 Matt Price is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer whose credits in animation include “Close Enough” (HBOMax), “Final Space” (Adult Swim) and all eight seasons of “Regular Show” (Cartoon Network). 

Meetings: See PROWL for meeting days/times 

Your project is developed and your logline, pitch and presentation materials are ready.  What now? This course will pick up at the packaging and finance stage, focusing on how to get your first or second film project made and how a producer positions a film for sale and marketing. Students should come to class with a project that is well developed so we can jump right into the later stages of the process. We will also examine films in the marketplace and the work of marketers and distributors, using case studies and hands-on exercises.

This course is designed to enhance students’ understanding of the feature film and TV development process while exploring critical concepts and common business practices.

This course will educate and inform the student about how best to analyze and then create concepts for TV and film. In the process of deconstructing the various genres through class discussions and watching portions of classic examples presently seen in film and TV today, the student will attain the “language of TV and film” when discussing and creating concepts viable for script development. They will discover the creative process of opening their hearts and minds to explore all facets of their ideas and how to take big creative swings with no fear. They will come to understand how to transfer this passion into a film or TV idea. And for TV, how to create an engine that can drive 100 ideas, why they are the producer/writer that must do it, and then ultimately, identify potential homes for the show.

This class is also designed for producers and writers to work together to emulate the American entertainment business. This collaboration is key in the creative process of film development and especially TV development. As a non-writing producer in TV a producer must become the right hand of the writer and assist her/him in all facets of development, selling and production. There will be two-person teams established the first day of class that will work together through the semester. The writers and non-writing producers will work in their own respective roles in pitching and then switch roles. The goal is the development of both an original comedy and drama TV show, and an original film concept, which they will pitch for review and feedback by the class, instructor, and industry guests.

In addition, each team will be assigned a film studio/production company as well as several Film & TV Development | Spring 2021 1 TV/Network/Cable or Streaming buyers. You will be expected to make cold calls to your specific buyers’ assistants and discover their needs and their current slate. These reports will be turned in at the end of class 12. We will combine all of the reports and by the end of the semester we will have a comprehensive guide to the needs and wants of the TV/Film buyers’ landscape. The students will also receive an overview/introduction of how the business works and learning how to sell. We will explore and identify Film/TV.

Meetings: Wednesday, 4:10pm - 7:00pm

The Upside Down. Gotham. Tatooine. Middle Earth. Westeros. Hogwarts. Barbieland. These are just a few of the imaginary worlds that lie behind some of the most beloved films and series of our time. But world building is not only key to creating successful works of fantasy, science fiction and other genres but is just as critical for creating compelling period or contemporary films and shows: from Bridgerton’s Regency mansions and ballrooms to Breaking Bad’s Meth-fueled Albuquerque. In this course we’ll learn and practice many methods, devices and techniques for building worlds – both real and imaginary – that are not merely the settings for our stories and characters but are themselves the generators of story and character and ultimately the very foundation for creating compelling ‘universes’ that audiences will continue to live in long after the stories are ended. And by the end of the course, students will not only have honed their world building skills across many genres and forms, but will have the chance to develop their own unique, fictional world.

Adam Simon is the Co-Creator and Executive Producer of Salem, Executive Producer and Writer of Hulu’s Books of Blood and Co-Executive Producer and Writer of Fox’s NeXt starring John Slattery. His feature film writing credits include Bones, starring Snoop Dogg and Pam Grier and The Haunting in Connecticut. He has written for Oliver Stone, John Schlesinger, James Cameron, John Woo, Jackie Chan and many others.  He’s also created miniseries and pilots for Amazon, NBC, HBO, Fox, Showtime, USA networks and Sony television.

Late-night shows create an air of "Hey, let's put on a show!" but writing for them requires maneuvering between several different types of comedy. This course will teach students, even those who may not feel they have the "funny gene," how to construct monologue jokes, develop topical pitches and desk piece ideas, and write sketches. By the end of the term, they'll leave with a professional-quality submission packet for applying to such shows as "The Tonight Show" and "Saturday Night Live."  Or at the very least, an appreciation for what goes into making them tick.

Rob Kutner  has won 5 Emmys, a Peabody, a TCA, and a Grammy writing for such shows as TBS’ “CONAN” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and co-created the fact-based comedy TV show “Gander.”  Rob’s other TV writing includes “Teen Titans Go!” “Ben10” “Angry Birds: Summer Madness” and HBO’s “Dennis Miller Live.” He has also written material for the Oscars, Emmys, Writers’ Guild Awards, MTV Movie Awards, Guys’ Choice Awards, and two White House Correspondents’ Dinners.  

SCWR 611 – PLANNING AHEAD: PRODUCING FUNDAMENTALS

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience as a producer managing the planning, budgeting, and scheduling of motion pictures and the episodic television art form.

In this course you’ll be writing a rough draft of your thesis project while creating a production schedule and budget for that project. Your script, schedule, and budget will all be interdependent, and learning how to balance and prepare for this will be the heart of the class.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate competency in the steps necessary to propose, budget and execute a production
• Students will demonstrate proficiency of scheduling and budgeting language and how to use this language in creating script breakdowns, schedules and budgets
• Students will deepen their understanding of the roles of first assistant directors and line producers
• Students will demonstrate competency with Move Magic Scheduling and Movie Magic
Budgeting programs
• Students will develop a story concept that will ideally turn into the third-year production
• Students will actively and constructively workshop material in a group collaborative effort
• Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge about acquiring and retaining story rights
• Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of television show decks, show bibles, rip reels and promo videos
• Student will deepen their ability to deliver a verbal pitch

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Perfect the pitch of their project
• Develop the concept into a treatment, a rough draft between 5 – 14 pages, and a pitch deck
• Prepare a schedule and budget for their project

Signature Project:
A polished set of pre-production documents including: narrative treatment, character bios, screenplay, schedule, budget, rip reel, research and marketing materials.

SCWR 620 – WRITING THE PRODUCTION THESIS SCREENPLAY

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Writing the thesis narrative project and preparing the script for production.

COURSE GOAL: Students will develop, write and rewrite their thesis screenplay, demonstrating their mastery of story so that it is ready to move into PROD 650 the following Fall.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will refine their understanding of the short film form and how to develop ideas that can be best realized as a short.
• Students will demonstrate mastery of character development in terms of dramatic roles, plot progression and a character’s moral code.
• Students will demonstrate mastery of screenplay structure.
• Students will demonstrate mastery of visual storytelling techniques.
• Students will demonstrate mastery of scene writing and internal scene construction.
• Students will demonstrate mastery in writing dialogue.
• Students will demonstrate mastery in using standard screenplay format in narrative style.
• Students will deepen their understanding of professional standards including analytic skills for critiquing others’ work and learning how to receive professional criticism.
• Students will value a diverse range of stories that explore ethics and humanism.
• Students will deepen their verbal pitching skills

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will complete:
• Development and drafting of a thesis film screenplay. This will include a minimum of three drafts. The first draft will focus on Plot and Structure: want, need and crisis. The second draft will focus on an ‘object set in motion’ – using planting and pay-off of 1 or 2 cinematic elements through which to tell the character’s arc of transformation. The third draft will focus on dialogue as it relates to character and dramatization of emotions and internal scene structure. This draft is made with actors in mind.
• Weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects
• A logline for their project
• A pitch for their project on week 4 to a panel of screening and production instructors
• A ‘Producibility Pitch’ on week 6 or 7 where the filmmaker presents a preliminary budget in order to address questions from production faculty and the Production Administration team.
• An achievable Schedule and Budget for the project

Signature Project: Students will submit a final draft thesis screenplay, in proper format, for a film no shorter than 8 and no longer than 15 minutes (including credits) to be shot the following Fall. Please refer to PROD 650 one-sheet for further details on limitations and requirements. Thesis Paperwork: In February/March Thesis paperwork will be disseminated and reviewed. In April summer expectations will be disseminated and reviewed.

SCWR 641: FEATURE FILM AND TV ADAPTATION

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Broad survey of the wide range of adaptation concepts, practices and processes

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• The student will develop critical skills by analyzing the process of adaptation
• The student will value the influence of film and television on culture and vice versa
• The student will develop entrepreneurial skills through creating a portfolio of pitches
• The student will improve oral presentation skills through pitching adaptation projects
• The student will develop a personal strategy for discovering and choosing ‘adaptable’ material
• The student will elevate their mastery of story development, character development,
storytelling structure and cinematic style
• Students will develop the ability to give and take notes from the professor and
classmates in a collaborative writers’ room

COURSE DELIVERABLES
The student will complete:
• Four conceptualization guides from the following categories: novel, short story, play and true story/true life incident/history
• Pitches for at least two adaptation projects based on the conceptualization guides
• A PowerPoint pitch deck for their final project to present to the class in a twenty-minute oral presentation
• Step outline for the Final Project
• Character Bios for the Final Project

Signature Project: Students will write one of the following adaptation projects based on another medium:
• The first act of an industry standard feature length film (25 - 30 pages)
• The first three acts of an hour-long pilot for a television series (25 – 30 pages)
• The complete pilot of a thirty-minute television series (25 – 30 pages)
• A thirty-minute short film or web series (25 – 30 pages)

If the project is based on literary material, it must either be in the public domain or if not, permission must be granted by the author or owner of the rights to adapt the material for educational purposes only. If the project is based on a true story or true-life incident, the rights must either be in the public domain or life rights granted to adapt the material for educational purposes only.

The script must be rewritten at least once based on notes from the writer’s workshop.

SCWR 651 – REWRITING THE ADVANCED SCREENPLAY

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience rewriting the feature film screenplay

COURSE GOAL: Students will gain competency in rewriting the feature film as they revise their SCWR 650 script

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in employing cinematic language
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in creating dramatic structure out of character,
conflict, causality and complications
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in classic screenplay structure and explore
alternative narrative structures
• Students will fully grasp the principles of character and dialogue
• Students will demonstrate competency in working with theme and layering it through
story
• Students will be proficient in their ability to give and take constructive criticism and
work in a collaborative ‘writers’ group’
• Students will demonstrate competency in self-evaluation, revising and rewriting
• Students will competently discuss aesthetics of film and apply it to their own
screenplays and those of their classmates
• Students will practice and develop their pitching techniques
• Students will value diverse stories that explore humanistic themes

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Fully redevelop their SCWR 650 draft screenplay,
~ Devise a written plan for revision of their SCWR 650 draft screenplay
~ Complete a revised beat sheet
~ Complete a revised treatment
~ Complete a revised logline
• Submit weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects

Signature Project: Students will complete a page-one rewrite of their SCWR 650 feature film screenplay. Industry standard for feature-length screenplays is currently 85- 110 pages

SCWR 660 – WRITING THE DRAMA TV SERIES

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience writing a spec episode of a current, existing one-hour drama

COURSE GOAL: A graduate-level writer’s workshop designed to provide students with a real-world approach to writing a one-hour television episodic drama

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate mastery in:
~ Story development
~ Understanding and utilizing the Cast of Characters, the ‘World’ of the series,
and specific story ‘Rules’
~ Thinking in season-long story arcs
~ Storytelling structure
~ Cinematic style
• Students will master the why and how of TV drama structure and format
• Students will develop the ability to pitch episode ideas for an existing series, taking into consideration commercial viability, real-world production limitations, and effective story presentation
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in analyzing the influence of film, television, and new and emerging media on our culture, and vice versa
• Students will learn the value of the collaborative process functioning as a ‘writers’ room’ for constructive criticism and solving each other’s script problems
• Students will value diverse stories that explore humanistic themes

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Pitch story ideas, break stories in the room and write outlines as the class develops a
seasonal arc for an existing TV show
• Give weekly notes on the story development of their peers
• Develop one or two original ideas to bring into SCWR 661

Signature Project: A completed first draft of an original episode for an existing TV show

SCWR 661– WRITING AN ORIGINAL DRAMA PILOT

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience creating an original one-hour drama series and writing the pilot teleplay

COURSE GOAL: A second/third year graduate-level writer’s workshop designed to increase student mastery of screenplay structure and craft as applied to the writing of the one-hour episodic drama pilot.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will develop the ability to pitch series ideas, taking into consideration
commercial viability, real world production limitations, and effective series presentation
• Students will understand how to develop a Cast of Characters, the ‘World’ of the series, specific story ‘Rules’, possible episode areas and a pitch document
• Students will deepen their ability to break story and develop story beats and outlines
• Students will master screenplay format as applied to a one-hour drama pilot
• Students will learn the value of the collaborative process functioning as a ‘writers’ room’ for constructive criticism and solving each other’s script problems
• Students will learn to value diverse stories that explore humanistic themes

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Create deliver a series pitch targeted to producers, agents, studios, cable outlets and
networks
• Create and write a pitch document for an original pilot idea
• Break the pilot story and write a beat sheet/outline for the pilot
• Gives weekly notes on the pilot story development of their peers

Signature Project: A completed first draft of the one-hour series pilot developed during the class.

SCWR 670 – WRITING THE COMEDY TV SERIES

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience writing a ‘spec’ episode of an existing, current half-hour comedy

COURSE GOAL: A graduate-level writer’s workshop designed to provide students with a real-world approach to writing a half-hour television episodic comedy

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate mastery in:
~ Story development
~ Understanding and utilizing the Cast of Characters, the ‘World’ of the series,
and specific story ‘Rules’
~ Storytelling structure
~ Cinematic style
• Students will master the why and how of TV comedy structure and format
• Students will develop their ability in joke writing and punching up jokes
• Students will develop the ability to pitch episode ideas, taking into consideration
commercial viability, real-world production limitations, and effective story presentation
• Students will learn the craft of re-writing
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in analyzing the influence of film, television, and new and emerging media on our culture, and vice versa
• Students will learn the value of the collaborative process functioning as a ‘writers’ room’ for constructive criticism and solving each other’s script problems
• Students will value diverse stories that explore humanistic themes

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Pitch story ideas, break stories in the room and write beat sheets and outlines as the
class develops a season for an existing TV show
• Give weekly notes on the story development of their peers
• Develop one or two original ideas to bring into SCWR 671

Signature Project: A completed first draft of an original episode for an existing, current TV show

SCWR 671 – WRITING THE COMEDY PILOT

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience creating an original half-hour situation comedy and writing the pilot teleplay

COURSE GOAL: A second/third year graduate-level writer’s workshop designed to increase student mastery of screenplay structure and craft as applied to the writing of the half-hour episodic comedy pilot.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will develop the ability to pitch series ideas, taking into consideration
commercial viability, real world production limitations, and effective series presentation
• Students will understand how to develop a Cast of Characters, the ‘World’ of the series, specific story ‘Rules’, possible episode areas and a pitch document
• Students will demonstrate competency in their ability to break story and develop
loglines, beat sheets, outlines and effective act breaks
• Students will master screenplay format as applied to a half-hour comedy pilot
• Students will explore finding their voice/perspective
• Students will learn the value of re-writing and gain experience ‘punching up jokes’
• Students will learn the value of the collaborative process functioning as a ‘writers’ room’ where they acquire the process of analyzing and generating constructive notes as well as implementing them in practice
• Students will learn to value diverse stories and alternative styles of storytelling –
examining social issues along with humanistic themes

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Create and deliver a series pitch targeted to producers, agents, studios, cable outlets
and networks
• Create and write a pitch document for an original pilot idea
• Break the pilot story and write a beat sheet and outline for the pilot
• Give weekly notes on the pilot story of their peers

Signature Project: A completed first draft of the original comedy pilot script developed during the class

SCWR 675 – REWRITING THE TELEVISION PILOT: DRAMA AND COMEDY

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Rewriting original pilot projects

COURSE GOAL: To revise and polish an original pilot script so that it is ‘reader ready’ for the industry

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate mastery in polishing and revising scripts based on specific
characters and conflict
• Students will master creating structure out of character and conflict
• Students will demonstrate mastery in scene construction, sequences and how to weave theme into a narrative
• Students will demonstrate mastery in writing dialogue
• Students will demonstrate mastery in breaking story in the room
• Students will demonstrate dramaturgical and literary analysis ability
• Students will demonstrate professional pitching ability
• Students will demonstrate both mastery of collaboration as well as leadership in the
room
• Students will learn to value diverse stories, humanistic themes, and alternative styles of writing
• Students will emulate professional practices such as time management and deadlines

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Rewrite their pilot script and present it ‘on the table’ at least two times to achieve
professional quality
• Give weekly in-depth notes on the scripts of their peers

Signature Project: A completed, proofed and polished draft of the original comedy or drama pilot script rewritten during the class

SCWR 681 – POST-PRODUCTION FOR THESIS PROJECT

COURSE DESCRIPTION: A ‘real life’ experience writing and producing a television series; includes producing and post-producing a short digital project or webisode that could serve as a proof-of-concept which will be presented to a faculty committee

COURSE GOAL: To demonstrate mastery of the skills necessary to professionally produce for television. This is a capstone class.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate mastery of:
~ Visual storytelling techniques
~ Understanding principles behind motion picture editing
~ Constructing scenes and sequences into a narrative story
• Students will master the ability to collaborate during physical production
• Students will employ the principles of preproduction, budgeting, and scheduling for the production of a digital project
• Students will demonstrate competency in production procedures, set management,
shooting techniques, directing supervision, and production oversight
• Students will demonstrate competency in postproduction procedures and techniques,
including supervision of picture editing, sound editing, music editing, titles creation,
delivery requirements, and archiving
• Students will develop pitching techniques and be able to deliver a professional pitch
• Students will emulate professional practices such as time management and deadlines

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Produce the short digital project adapted in SCWR 680
• Post-produce the short digital project
• Submit feedback on their peers’ footage and intermediate edits

Signature Project: Students will present their finished short digital project in a network-style pilot/project presentation to a faculty committee

SCWR 691 – REWRITING THE THESIS SCREENPLAY PROJECT

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Practical experience rewriting the feature film screenplay

COURSE GOAL: Students will gain mastery in rewriting the feature film as they fully revise their SCWR 690 script and demonstrate master craftmanship in all areas

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate mastery of:
~ Character development
~ Story development and integrated theme
~ Storytelling structure
~ Creating tension for the audience
~ Cinematic style
• Students will deepen their understanding of alternative narrative structures
• Students will master the ability to give and take constructive criticism and work in a
collaborative ‘writers’ group’
• Students will demonstrate the ability to self-evaluate, revise and rewrite
• Students will competently discuss aesthetics of film and apply it to their own
screenplays and those of their classmates
• Students will develop pitching techniques and be able to deliver a professional pitch
• Students will value diverse stories that explore humanistic themes
• Students will emulate professional practices such as time management and deadlines

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Fully redevelop their SCWR 690 draft screenplay, including a revised step outline
• Submit weekly development notes for their peers’ class projects
• Run the workshops for a peer’s project that they track throughout the semester
• Present an in-depth scene analysis for the project they’re tracking
• Write a professional logline and develop an industry pitch for their project

Signature Project: Students will complete a page-one rewrite of their SCWR 690 feature film screenplay. Industry standard for feature-length screenplays is currently 85- 110 pages

Students will develop and execute a professional pitch of their project for industry
representatives during First Pitch.

SCWR 692 – FEATURE FILM AND TELEVISION PORTFOLIO WORKSHOP

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Revise and polish previously written materials to raise the quality of portfolio to industry standard: includes preparing marketing materials for projects.
COURSE GOAL: Students will gain mastery in rewriting the projects in their portfolio (except for the SCWR 691 thesis) which may be feature screenplays, original pilots, a comedy sketch packet, stage play or short story written during their tenure at LMU

LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Students will demonstrate mastery of:
~ Character development
~ Creating structure out of character and conflict
~ Story development and integrated theme
~ Storytelling structure
~ Creating tension for the audience
~ Cinematic style
• Students will master the ability to give and take constructive criticism and work in a
collaborative ‘writers’ group’
• Students will demonstrate the ability to self-evaluate, revise and rewrite
• Students will competently discuss cinematic aesthetics and apply it to their own projects and those of their classmates
• Students will develop pitching techniques and be able to deliver a professional pitch
• Students will value diverse stories that explore humanistic themes
• Students will emulate professional practices such as time management and deadlines
• Students will master professional marketing mate rials such as loglines and bios
• Students will deepen their ability to ’run the room’ as well as take workshop notes as a ‘writer’s assistant’

COURSE DELIVERABLES
Students will:
• Receive notes and rewrite at least three portfolio projects
• Submit weekly development notes for their peers’ projects
• Draft and rewrite a bio and loglines for each project to be included in the MFA
Screenwriting Directory
• Prepare short pitches of their portfolio material (except for the thesis project)

Signature Project: A rewritten portfolio of work that is ready for industry readers.
This includes materials for the MFA Screenwriting Directory and the First Pitch event with industry representatives.