If the goal of a film is to tell a story, then the screenwriter is the one who breathes life into the characters, creating the worlds and dramas that unfold on the screen. It’s not easy, but thanks to the power of the Internet, this work can be done from anywhere in the world. Budding writers have their own schedules, goals and needs, but like all art forms, screenwriting needs to be learned.
Program
In this course, students learn the basics and structure of a screenplay for a feature film – from the format to writing specific scenes (such as phone calls, editing and dreams). In-depth writing tools such as work structure, story, use of context and exposition in dialogue are explored. Students learn how to create and develop stories. Where do stories come from? How do we find them in the world around us? What is the difference between a good idea and a good story? Students will learn how to structure a script and write a triture, detailing the feelings and flow of a story for a feature film. They will compose a film story idea and create a triteme, from which they will later make a detailed breakdown. Finally, they will begin work on the screenplay by beginning to write a first draft to get a feel for their script before they write it at the end of the course, or during the next course.