Rona Naomi Mark

This FYS course will give students the foundational tools needed to write for just about any screen. Starting with simple scenes and short-form screenplays, students will learn formatting and industry standards—all while cultivating their own personal style. Students will learn the basics of dramatic structure, character development, and visual storytelling through their own work and through the analysis of published screenplays. In the first semester, students will write several short scripts, which we will table-read and workshop in class. In the second semester, we will focus our work on outlining and writing feature-length screenplays. Students will have the opportunity to pitch their projects to the class and to create look books for their screenplays. Students will meet for conference weekly in the first semester and every two weeks in the second.

Working within a genre can greatly assist the fledgling filmmaker by suggesting content and stylistic elements, thereby freeing the artist to focus on self-expression. While exploration of all genres is welcome, our class discussions and video exercises will explore various ideas present in the so-called “lesser genres” of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. Students will shoot several short video exercises, both individually and in groups, each with a certain directing and thematic prompt. Film viewings will demonstrate how genre films handle sexual politics and repression, societal and personal anxieties, naturalism as opposed to fantasy, as well as the smart use of special effects and other strategies for the low-budget, independent filmmaker. This course does not require previous filmmaking experience. The first semester will focus on screenwriting, and the students will write short scripts that they will then produce and direct in the second semester for their conference project. Simultaneously, students will learn to use the school’s filmmaking equipment and editing software and utilize those skills in a series of short, targeted video exercises. These exercises will not only familiarize the students with the gear at their disposal but also introduce them to concepts of visual storytelling; i.e., where to put the camera to tell the story. The second semester will focus on preproduction and previsualization of the student’s conference film. Students will learn how to craft shot lists, floor plans, look books, and other tools to help them organize their film shoots. They will practice directing actors and finding a method for effective communication with their cast. And they will learn some basic production management skills, such as breaking down scripts for production and scheduling. After shooting their conference films, students will workshop their rough cuts in the classroom and fine-tune their edits in preparation for the final class—THE SCREENING!

This independent-study collective will provide a framework for advanced screenwriting and filmmaking students to pursue material toward an advanced project that could take the shape of a short film and/or screenplay. Led by a team of filmmaking and moving-image arts faculty, students will be interviewed during registration to evaluate their proposed material and their role on the project. The week-to-week structure of the collective will be tailored to meet the needs of the individual projects/groups as the semester progresses. The collective will be open to screenwriting, documentary, and fiction filmmaking students. Both individual and group projects are invited to apply to the class. Interested students should come to the interview prepared to present a project proposal.

This is a course for rigorous, experienced screenwriters who are proficient in screenplay format and style and want to build their writing portfolio. Students will come ready to pitch an idea for an original screenplay, TV pilot, or web series. This workshop-style class will feature table readings and feedback sessions, as well as readings and analysis of published work. Students will outline their projects, then quickly start producing pages for review.

If you’ve always wanted to make a narrative film but don’t know where to start, this intensive, introductory workshop will give you the building blocks to make a short film. Starting with screenwriting, students will learn basic narrative structure and screenplay formatting so that they can write a three- to five-page script that they will produce and direct by the end of the term. Students will work both in groups and individually to explore the essentials of directing by completing several video exercises. Students will be introduced to camera operation, editing, sound recording, and basic production management to help them prepare for their conference project. All written and video projects will be presented in class and workshopped to help students improve their visual storytelling skills.

This is a hands-on production course with a focus on producing genre films. Working within a genre can greatly assist the fledgling filmmaker by suggesting content and stylistic elements, thereby freeing the artist to focus on self-expression. While exploration of all genres is welcome, our class discussions and video exercises will explore various ideas present in the so-called “lesser genres” of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. Students will shoot several short video exercises, both individually and in groups, each with a certain directing and thematic prompt. Film viewings will demonstrate how genre films handle sexual politics and repression, societal and personal anxieties, naturalism as opposed to fantasy, as well as the smart use of special effects and other strategies for the low-budget, independent filmmaker. In addition to class exercises, students will each produce and direct a short video project for their conference work.

This class will introduce students to all aspects of filmmaking, from conceiving a script through exhibition of the final work. The first semester will focus on screenwriting, and students will write short scripts that they will then produce and direct in the second semester. Simultaneously, students will learn to use the school’s filmmaking equipment and editing software and utilize those skills in a series of short, targeted video exercises. Those exercises will not only familiarize the students with the gear at their disposal but also will introduce the students to concepts of visual storytelling (e.g., where to put the camera to tell the story). The second semester will focus on preproduction and previsualization of the student’s conference film. Students will learn how to craft shot lists, floor plans, look books, and other tools to help them organize their film shoots. Students will also practice directing actors and finding a method for effective communication with their cast. They will also learn some basic production management skills, such as breaking down scripts for production and scheduling. After shooting their conference films, students will workshop their rough cuts in the classroom and fine-tune their edits in preparation for the final class: the screening!

During the course of this seminar/workshop, students will learn how to write narrative screenplays with an eye toward completing a feature-length work. The course will cover basics of format and style, and there will be weekly assignments aimed at developing students’ screenwriting muscles. Students will “pitch” ideas, rigorously outline stories, and write and revise pages of their blueprint for a feature-length film. The class is designed to help the beginning screenwriter find his or her voice as a film artist, using the written language of visual storytelling.

"To make a great film, you need three things—the script, the script, and the script." —Alfred Hitchcock

The world’s directors are in agreement—a solid screenplay is the foundation of any great film. This course is designed to help the beginner screenwriter find their voice as a film artist using the written language of visual storytelling. Students will learn how to write narrative screenplays with an eye toward completing a feature-length work. The course will cover basics of format and style, with weekly assignments aimed at developing students’ screenwriting muscles. In fall, students will write scenes and short screenplays; plus, students will learn about structuring feature-length work. Students will “pitch” ideas and rigorously outline their stories. In spring, students will write their feature-length screenplay. The pages that they present will be “table-read,” and students will receive critical feedback for future revisions. By the conclusion of the course, students will have completed a first draft of their screenplay.

To make a great film you need three things—the script, the script, and the script. —Alfred Hitchcock

The world’s directors are in agreement—a solid screenplay is the foundation of any great film. The screenwriter is the architect of a film, the one to sit down with a blank page and create something out of nothing. The job of the screenwriter is to convey complexity of character and plot visually rather than through verbal explanation. The screenwriter shows rather than tells. In this craft class, students will learn the fundamentals of visual storytelling, specifically for narrative fiction screenplay writing. The class will cover story structure, character development, dialogue, outlining, and formatting. Students will have outside writing assignments that will be reviewed during class in a workshop format. In addition, students will be responsible for reading several screenplays and providing analysis. Students may work on short or feature-length films, web-isodes, or full television episodes; there are no limitations on content.