NYU Tisch School of the Arts

Writing for the Screen Course

In this introductory course, you will examine the principles and processes of writing for the screen. Topics include finding and developing story ideas, film language, and script structure.

The course offers you one-on-one sessions with an instructor as well as collaborative workshop sessions designed to provide meaningful, positive feedback.

In Writing for the Screen, students of all levels will learn what it takes to bring engaging stories to life on screen. By the end of the course, each student will have produced an outline of their feature film or television show as well as a completed first scene of a script.

NYU Tisch Pro/Online also offers Screenwriting I, a course that quickly advances beyond the fundamentals and into writing. Visit that course page to learn more about the differences between these courses. Beginners may find that Writing for the Screen provides the right level of preparation for Screenwriting I.

Speaking the Language of Film

Creating a great screenplay requires understanding the principles and processes that go into creating film and television scripts that audiences will connect with. Screenwriters must have an in-depth understanding of their character's motivations and actions, what obstacles they’re going to encounter, what makes for authentic dialogue, and the right pace for the action to unfold.

The course will help students find and develop story ideas and learn how to structure a script. It will involve both individual and collaborative elements, and students will improve their script ideas through thoughtful feedback from their classmates and instructor.

Students who have always been interested in screenwriting will find this to be an approachable curriculum that exercises your creative muscles and equips you to write the best screenplay possible. By completing the first 10 pages and treatment for a full-length screenplay, students will be well on their way to finishing the project they always knew they were capable of writing.

Equipment

You’ll need any screenwriting software that can export to .fountain files. There are several that are entirely free or offer a limited number of scripts for free such as Writer Duet.

Course Format

This class will be delivered through an asynchronous model, which means you will not have to meet at a designated time each day. Instead, the program is offered through online lectures that are pre-recorded and released each week. You can view those modules at your own pace. However, there are daily deliverables and/or weekly assignments you will have to complete and upload onto the Smashcut platform by the deadline provided in your syllabus, and faculty/TA/classmates will be interacting/collaborating with your work on this timeline. The entirety of the class takes place on the Smashcut platform. Synchronous sessions will be scheduled during the term with your professor/TA/classmates. We understand you signed up for an online course to have the flexibility of online learning, so you will have the opportunity to choose the best meeting time for your schedule.