screenwriting

Philosophy and Approach

The Screenwriting Program and Center have been established to:

To encourage the development of both short scripts and features;
To encourage the development of both students who plan to direct their own work and those who are writing scripts for others to direct;
To encourage the development of skills in generating, developing, implementing and revising story ideas into screenplay fonnat.

In order to achieve these goals, we believe that creative self-discovery and the development of a personal point of view are essential tools. It is our conviction that the best films begin with scripts resulting from curiosity, human understanding and creative use of screenwriting techniques. We also believe that the best cinema stories are written with an awareness of the social context that has produced them.

Whether a student plans to become a Hollywood screenwriter or an Independent screenwriter, the film business is constantly evolving; our goal is to provide students with the understanding and skills to translate stories into both a cinematic and emotional experience for the audience.

To this end, the courses in the Screenwriting Program build upon three (3) primary concepts:

• Personal Vision

• Character-Driven Work

• An understanding of Narrative Structure and its application to other film forms such as documentary and experimental.

film department semester in LA written image screenwriting competition contact screenwriting

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