Introduction to Screenwriting
Introduction to Screenwriting
There’s never been a better time to start a career as a screenwriter. With technological breakthroughs bringing the cost of making and distributing movies down to almost nothing, there is an ever-increasing demand for great scripts—and for people who can write them. Whether you want to write micro-budget indie films or Hollywood blockbusters, this course will teach you everything you need to know to write a script that sells.
You will learn the fundamentals of stories—why audiences need them, what they expect from them, and what kinds of stories work time after time. You’ll discover how to create characters audiences connect with and how to write dialogue that will bring them to life. You will get hands-on experience through a series of short writing assignments that will have you working like a pro from the very beginning of the course. In addition, you’ll get an inside look into the business of selling your script and building your career as a writer. When you finish the course, you’ll be ready to start writing your own script!
Syllabus
- Lesson 1 – Why Write a Script Now?
- Lesson 2 – What Is a Story?
- Lesson 3 – Conflict
- Lesson 4 – Creating Characters
- Lesson 5 – Screenplay Structure
- Lesson 6 – Beginnings
- Lesson 7 – Middles
- Lesson 8 – The End
- Lesson 9 – The Scene
- Lesson 10 – Dialogue or No Dialogue
- Lesson 11 – The Rewrite
- Lesson 12 – Your Script and You
Requirements:
Hardware Requirements:
- This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
Software Requirements:
- PC: Windows 8 or later.
- Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
- Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
Other:
Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.
Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites to take this course.
Instructional Material Requirements:
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.
<ul><li>6 Weeks Access</li>
<li>Course Code: isw</li>
<li>Start Dates* Jan 12 | Feb 09 | Mar 16 | Apr 13</li>
<li>$187.00 USD</li></ul><br><br>
<p><strong>Self-Paced</strong></p><br>
<ul><li>3 Months Access</li>
<li>Course Code: T9660</li>
<li>No Instructor, Start Anytime</li>
<li>$187.00 USD</li></ul>
William Rabkin is a veteran writer/producer whose 300-plus hours of produced television include Monk, Psych, and The Glades. He has served as "showrunner" on Diagnosis Murder, Martial Law, and She-Wolf of London, and has written a dozen network pilots. He is the co-creator and co-editor of Amazon Publishing's bestselling Dead Man series of action horror novels, and has also published five additional novels and two books on writing, Successful Television Writing (2003, with Lee Goldberg) and Writing the Pilot (2011). As a teacher, he has lectured and led workshops for writers, producers, and executives in Spain, Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and led traditional classes at UCLA Extension and Stephens College. He is currently an adjunct professor of screenwriting in the University of California, Riverside-Palm Desert's low-residency MFA program.
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