Screenwriting is different from other kinds of creative writing; it means learning how to tell a story visually in a very precise format that will make sense to all the people needed to help make your movie - costume designers, casting directors, actors, etc..  You need to create and then write your story so that the final image on the movie screen comes close to matching the images from your imagination.  

In this fun and social 4 week class, students aged 14 - 18 will plan their own short film - one that they can write and hopefully make someday! By examining film scenes and scripts from great writers and film-makers, this class will take you through the essentials of screenwriting from coming up with ideas, to planning a complete film, to getting it all on paper in a proper script format.  By the end of the 4 classes, you will have the knowledge and the ingredients necessary to start making your own film.  

Learners in this class must be in the proper age range of 14 - 18 years old. There is another class designed for students aged 10 - 14. Learners not in the correct range will be transferred to a class with the appropriate age range.

In order to understand the craft of screenwriting, we will be reading, discussing and watching scenes from films like Ladybird, Nebraska, Rushmore, Three O'Clock High, and All is Lost.

Below is a rough breakdown of our four classes together

Class 1: Intro to Screenwriting & Making a Movie 
-- Short film planning brainstorm
-- From page to screen: script & film examples
-- HW: Plan your own short film based on the tools you’ve already got

Class 2: Developing Complete Stories
-- “Loglines” - making your story idea sound clear and exciting
-- The “Three-Act Structure” and how to use it to plan a complete film
-- HW: Write your logline & start your own 3-Act plan

Class 3: Screenplay Format & Structure
-- Elements of a screenplay and how to write them
-- Dialogue to screenplay - writing essentials
-- HW: Write your own screenplay pages to share in class tomorrow!

Class 4: Screenplay Workshop
-- Share the first pages of your screenplay in class 
-- Positive and constructive feedback on your work
-- HW: Planning the future of your screenplay project.