Reader question: What about recommending a screenwriting class?
An Open Forum question via email from Joe Tone:
I’m writing with what I hope is a pretty simple question: While I know screenwriting courses aren’t part of the mantra, I’m lucky to have the means and time to take one. So, naturally, I’m thinking about taking one. Is there a specific class (at UCLA or elsewhere) you would suggest for someone of my profile — a writer with experience crafting sort-of long-form nonfiction but with no experience in fiction or screenwriting?
In that I’ve been teaching screenwriting since 2002, I feel fairly qualified to respond to this question. Two initial comments:
1. No one needs to take a screenwriting course, read a screenwriting book, attend a screenwriting seminar, work with a screenwriting consultant, and commune with a screenwriting guru in order to learn the craft of screenwriting. The only things you need to do are:
Read scripts.
Watch movies.
Write pages.
2. However the fact is every writer is different, many — if not most — of whom would benefit greatly from taking screenwriting courses. Moreover you can learn a lot about the craft quickly in a class setting, perhaps even more so than just by reading scripts, watching movies, and writing pages. Finally different instructors will have different takes on the craft, and by exposing yourself to various paradigms and language systems, you increase the chance that you will find something with which you resonate.
I know there are numerous educational venues that offer screenwriting courses. In this post, I’m only going to refer to classes offered by the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. Why?
* I have taught through the Writers’ Program since 2002, so I know it quite well.
* Linda Venis, the head of the program, is a true visionary and has done a remarkable job in growing the program.
* Virtually all of the screenwriting instructors in the Writers’ Program are WGA members. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of this point: Nothing can replace the actual experience of working in Hollywood as a professional writer. You can not learn that from books, only by actually doing it. This is not to say that a screenwriting instructor, who has never sold a script or worked on assignment in Hollywood, can’t be a good teacher. However they simply won’t be able to ground what they teach in the practical realities of what it means to be a working screenwriter.
Based on all that, I can give you a blanket statement: Virtually every course the Writers’ Program offers will be a good course. You can go here to visit their website to check out the incredible number and variety of screenwriting courses.
Joe, given your background writing non-fiction, I would recommend an introductory level screenwriting course. If you live in the L.A. area, the Writers’ Program offers 185 onsite courses. If you don’t live in LA, they have over 100 online courses.
Before I move into specific suggestions, allow me to heap gobs of praise on the online course experience. I have taught over 30 online classes and all I can say is it is a remarkable learning experience. A vast majority of my students, easily 80%, prefer the online education experience than onsite. I wrote an article on online education for Screentalk magazine which you can read here.
You can check out all the writing courses the Writers’ Program has to offer, both onsite and online here. A few recommendations:
ONSITE
Screenwriting: A Survey for Beginners
Instructor: Karl Iglesias
Introduction to Screenwriting I
Instructor: Ron Suppa
Introduction to Screenwriting I
Instructor: Kim Krizan
Writing the Romantic Comedy
Instructor: Billy Mernit
ONLINE
Introduction to Screenwriting I (3 classes)
Instructor: David Kukoff
Instructor: Andrew Osborne
Writing for Emotional Impact
Instructor: Karl Iglesias
FYI, I’m teaching a 1-week course online “Screenwriting as Scene-Writing” from May 19–26.
Instructors rotate classes, so if you’re looking for something down the road, here are a few other names of Writers’ Program instructors to remember:
Chrys Balis
Martin Copeland
John Doolittle
Peter Dunne
Keith Giglio
Barney Lichtenstein
Corey Mandell
These are all folks I know personally, have worked with at Writers Studio, or have heard glowing reports from my students. But honestly, the Writers Program does such a good job at vetting and assessing instructors and courses, you’d be hard pressed to find a class that isn’t great.
How about it GITS readers? What instructors at the Writers’ Program do you like? And as I said, there are many other educational venues out there. Would anyone care to speak up for alternate screenwriting classes?
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