Feature films are at the heart of a motion picture industry that requires a partnership of multiple disciplines working in unison: acting, directing, filming, and producing. But none of this can happen without the first step—screenwriting. In this course, students will learn to write for mainstream feature and short films, from ideation to synopses and beat sheets to the pages of an original screenplay. While this course will focus on short and feature film screenplays, the knowledge can also apply to other screenwriting forms such as documentaries and web series. Students will combine the creative with the technical, not only studying storytelling through film but also applying the structured authoring required by film producers and screenplay competitions for a feature or short film script. This course will be offered in 2024-25, and in alternating years thereafter. Students may not receive credit for both EN/WR 2410 and EN/WR 241X.
No prior coursework is required. However, previous coursework in storytelling (such as EN 121X: Intro to Creative Writing or film courses) or structured authoring (such as WR 3210: Technical Writing) is useful.