Writing Short Films

A great short film can be a festival darling, a calling card, or the key to opening industry doors. Most importantly it can be a work of art in itself. But how do we tell a complete story in under 30 minutes? In this 6-week course, we will examine economy, act structure, visual language, how to hook an audience right from the very first shot, and more. Using the work of successful shorts — both past and current — we will write and critique our own work in the service of building a balanced script. At the end of the class, you will have a polished short film screenplay that will be ready to be shot and produced. / Students should come prepared with a short film idea that they ultimately wish to direct.