Fall enrollment starts July 28, and closes September 28. Check out the Academic Term Calendar for more information.

Screenwriter's Lab: The New Method

SCRIPT X 463.3E

Learn the techniques of character-driven storytelling using theatrical methods in this workshop, focusing on the most in-demand skills for today's feature and TV writers.

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What you can learn.

  • Learn tools to deepen characters and explain plot ideas
  • Find your unique voice as a writer to enhance your script writing
  • Learn to apply playwriting skills to the unique format of TV scripts
  • Watch actors perform your work to see your writing come to life

About this course:

Kemp Powers (playwright and screenwriter, One Night In Miami), Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7 and The Social Network), and Sheila Callaghan (writer and producer, Shameless) are among countless television and film writers who got their start in the theatre and who continue to work in both disciplines. Agents and producers often read plays with the goal of finding a writer who excels at character-driven storytelling—which is at the heart of theatre. In this course, you learn tools to deepen your characters, expand on new plot ideas, and most importantly, find your unique voice as a writer. You first explore the fundamentals of play construction and writing techniques, writing frequently to master the art and craft of playwriting, culminating in a one-act play or one-act of a play. You then learn to apply your new-found skills to your own film or TV script.

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