This course is relevant to anyone who would like to learn more about the medium of film, from screenwriters to future filmmakers to analysts and critics. The course will be devoted to teaching you the language and some key moments in the history of cinema. Through the analysis of a wide variety of cinematic texts (narrative, non narrative, documentary), and filmmakers, you will be introduced to some of the significant issues of film as an artistic medium. You will learn the formal qualities of film, misé-en-scene, editing, cinematography, and sound with the goal of attaining a more attuned sense of media literacy.

Learn the fundamental aspects of screenwriting -- understand story structure, character, development, plot development, theme, conflict, and "vision." This class will help you complete a detailed outline for a full length feature script. (Consider writing the first act of your new outline in Advanced Screenwriting for a full concentration in screenwriting.) You will receive feedback on drafts of your work from our trained Instructors as well as your classmates.

Prerequisite: Screenwriting Fundamentals
This is an intermediate course that focuses on the essentials of narrative used in film, television and new media. Through a thorough study of structure, plot, character, and dialogue, you will develop an outline for film or television. You will complete the course having written and rewritten the first act of a feature film script (approximately 30 pages) or a spec script for a television series. These scripts can be for live action or animation.

Prerequisite: Screenwriting Fundamentals, Intermediate Screenwriting
This course will help you develop the first act of your feature script from the outline you completed in Intermediate Screenwriting. This class will give you the tools and guidance to bring your creative vision to life. Completion of Intermediate Screenwriting is required for enrollment in this class. The instructor, a professional script analyst and educator, will provide guidance on structure, conflict, character and dialogue, among other elements of effective screenwriting. You will also express and receive constructive feedback on screenplays written in the class. Hence, be prepared to read work written by your classmates, to offer constructive criticism, and to receive criticism from classmates and your instructor on your work.

This course will help you understand producing techniques and the relationship that creativity plays on a film or video project that has specific limitations and restrictions of time and budget. Since the media and industry has changed so drastically (and is ever changing) in the past several years, it becomes necessary for today’s producer to be ready for tomorrow and clearly know the nuts and bolts of what producing is all about. Topics include the investment package and thinking like a producer, creative theories of producing and the concept relationships and ego play in those theories, preparing a budget, breaking down a screenplay and preparing a production board to see the choreography of production and being able to make those crucial producing decisions. We will also tackle the details of the production period, and the complexities and inter-relationships of the post production period with a final focus on what to do after the project is completed.