* Document your course completion with an online certificate (additional shipping/handling charges apply for hard copy delivery). Instantly download, print, and share your certificate and CEUs once awarded. UniversalClass™ offers many wonderful learning tools to help you get the most out of your online course,
including an online portfolio service that manages all your course completions, and a Certificate Verification Service you can use so others may view and verify the authenticity of your awards.
Course Description
This is a basic, nuts-and-bolts course, for people who wish to write screenplays, but don't know much about it. Because screenwriting is demanding both technically and in the market for jobs and sales, 'Getting Into The Screenwriting Game to Win' attempts to go through each essential aspect needed for a beginner to get started, stick with it, and yes, make a sale or get a job.
In this course you will learn basic rules and skills. There's no excuse for a poorly formatted script, you're really only wasting your time. Traditional three-act structure for film-stores can be debated endlessly, but it works, it's very functional, it's fairly easy to understand, and you can't neglect at least a passing familiarity with this mode of expression for your stories. Get in touch with the industry, the markets, what's selling, where to find opportunities, how to deal with people. Approach your work standards and work environment seriously, because you'll be spending a lot of time there. If you get a deal, don't get screwed for careless anticipation of the money involved, and if you get screwed, don't be surprised. And remember that if you can't make it to the top and win an Oscar for some super-big film you wrote, it's still a wonderful way to make a buck at your computer doing smaller gigs and 'for-hire' work.
Screenwriting is also therapy. It's good for you, and your imagination and thoughts will develop wonderfully as you work through each visualization---but be sensitive to the audience, don't exploit our world with endless images of violence and gore (at least not without a reason), and don't hop in bed with unethical projects or money-sources just because you can. It's a wild world for films and film-makers---stay on the bright side and keep it safe and legal.
The hope is that for the beginner, this course presents a working knowledge of what is needed to get started writing screenplays in a realistic and informed way. Beyond this, you're now free to roam where no screenwriter has gone before---and what a wonder it is to wonder.
Course Lessons
Lesson 1: Why Get Into Screenwriting and What Are My Chances of Success?
This lesson describes the different kinds of screenwriting opportunities, types of jobs, and motivation factors.
Lesson 2: A Brief History of the Screenplay
This lesson explains how screenplays have evolved.
Lesson 3: Markets, Current Trends, and Where Beginners Fit In
This lesson gives basic guidelines for beginner screenwriters.
Lesson 4: Getting Started--Mastering Screenplay Format
This lesson describes how to format a feature film script.
Lesson 5: Story Types, Genre, and Targeting Your Script to Sell
This lesson deals with the different types of scripts that film producers are looking for.
Lesson 6: Mastering Plot, Story, and Basic Three Act Structure
This lesson describes the Three Act Structure and the plot of the story.
Lesson 7: Mastering Characters and Character Development
This lesson describes how to take your experiences in life and develop characters for your scripts.
Lesson 8: Writing Comedy
This lesson describes how to effectively write comedy.
Lesson 9: How High is High Concept?
This lesson deals with the issue of writing an original piece versus a storyline that has been done before.
Lesson 10: Writing Action Stories
This lesson describes how to write action stories using super heroes, great chases, and tension building scenes.
Lesson 11: Writing Dialogue
This lesson gives some tips on writing good dialogue.
Lesson 12: Breaking Down the Barriers
This lesson deals with how to get film credits and sell your scripts.
Lesson 13: Work Environment and Professional Standards
The lesson addresses the idea that where you work effects how you work.
Lesson 14: Submissions, Queries, and Loglines.
This lesson offers some pointers on how to get your material noticed.
Lesson 15: Getting Representation
This lesson deals with writer's resources, for-hire jobs, and getting representation.
Lesson 16: Welcome to Hollywood
This lesson deals with problems you don't want to encounter in Hollywood.
Lesson 17: Documentaries, Video Scripts and Other Types
This lesson offers some of the choices available for screenwriters.
Optional Certificates Awarded
Certificate of Appreciation
Certificate of Outstanding Achievement
In addition to the standard Certificate of Course Completion, Merit Awards may be issued by the instructor at his/her own discretion and are based on student achievement. Merit awards also incur an additional $30.00 processing fee that covers the customization, printing, and delivery of the award, as well as access to the UniversalClass™ Portfolio Service that documents your achievements online. Official Merit Awards have a serial number that verifies the authenticity of the award (great for employers to verify your achievement).
This is a non-credit course, and is provided for your personal enrichment.
This course is not intended to be a substitute for any state, government, licensing, or educational requirements.
Choose from 5 Payment Methods
Credit Card Online
Credit Card through FAX
Check/Money Order through Mail
Credit Card over the Phone
PayPal
To use any of these methods you must press the "Join this Course" button on this screen and go through the online registration process in order to generate the correct order form and correctly process your enrollment.
($55.00) Reading and learning about American literature is synonymous with understanding the history and culture of a nation that has undergone dramatic social, economic, and cultural change in its relatively short history. more
($55.00) This self-paced online course will provide a review of the grammar and writing skills necessary when taking any high school or college test, or with your everyday work-related writing and correspondence. more
($60.00) From character and plot-conflict development to infusing a unique style and specialized writing techniques, the steps to writing a novel--while not utterly impossible--do require a dedicated, disciplined approach. more
Other Related Classes in Film, Video & Photographic Arts
ABC's of Technical Writing Technical writing is the art and science of translating technical information into readable, accessible writing usable by a wide audience. If you have ever read the user's manual for a piece of software or equipment you've purchased, you've seen technica...
Advertising, Marketing and Sales Writing There you are, cold-calling yet another sales prospect. Your verbal pitch is pure gold; your prospect is attentive--interested--and seems ready to buy. But just as you're about to close the deal, you hear that eternal refrain: Send me something ...
American Literature Review Reading and learning about American literature is synonymous with understanding the history and culture of a nation that has undergone dramatic social, economic, and cultural change in its relatively short history. This course is a reveiw of the literat...
Business Writing Basics We live in world where communication is paramount to survival. In a work environment where communication is equated with the professionalism and efficiency of an individual, would you jeopardize your career because of bad writing? Do you want the embarra...
Creative Writing 101 'Creative Energy-Flow and the Written Word' is an attempt to capture what cannot be held in hand or thought--the elusive riddle of human creativity as we find it in our writing. Here we look at various forms and genres (books, dramas and plays, poetry, e...
Creative Writing Workshop Do you dream of writing poetry, short stories, or novels? Have you ever watched a movie or a play and felt the desire to write a script of your own? Or have you already done some writing but want to find ways to bring more creativity, more originality,...
Film Appreciation 101 ' Film Appreciation for Modern Audiences' is intended as a journey through the world of film, for a sampling of the thought and accumulated critical opinion that forms the basis of the modern stature of 100 years of film-making, as art or culturally imp...
Freelance Writing 101 If you have ever dreamed of being a freelance writer this course is for you. Get started today learning about this exciting field and in no time you can be on your way to earning a living, extra income, and more, by doing something that you love – ...
Grammar 101 This self-paced online course will provide a review of the grammar and writing skills necessary when taking any high school or college test, or with your everyday work-related writing and correspondence. Divided up into twelve easy-to-understand lessons...
Greek Mythology Do you feel totally clueless when it comes to Greek Mythology? Do you often say to yourself: It's all Greek to me? You were supposed to learn this stuff in school but classical mythology isn't really taught anymore in elementary or secondary schools....
How to Write a Grant Proposal Did you realize that you are most probably an experienced grant writer already? NO , you say, I've never written a grant in my life before -- but you have. Most people out there have asked somebody, at some time, for something in writing (one way ...
How to Write a Short Story 101 If you're a reader and thought you might like to try your hand at short story writing but just don't know how to get started, this course will help! We'll take you through the entire process…preparing your mind, getting ideas on paper, and he...
Humor Writing 101 Humor Writing There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you. (Will Rogers) Laughing- the salve of the soul. When we feel at our lowest sometimes the only thing that can turn our mood around and lift ...
Mystery Writing 101 This course is perfect for those who have an interest in either Creative Writing or the Mystery Genre . If you love to write and want to move into this popular genre, or you love to read a great mystery and have often thought you could do it, this cours...
Nonfiction Writing 101 The famous Ayn Rand once wrote, Like every human activity, [writing] requires practice and knowledge. But there is nothing mystical about it. Any person who can speak English grammatically can learn to write nonfiction. This is as true today as when Ms. ...
Novel Writing 101 From character and plot-conflict development to infusing a unique style and specialized writing techniques, the steps to writing a novel--while not utterly impossible--do require a dedicated, disciplined approach. By committing to the steps outlined ...
Poetry Writing 101 This poetry course is created for the lover of poetry who wants to learn how to appreciate the art even more. It is also for student poets who want to improve their craft. This course is thorough in teaching all students everything they need to know abo...
Proofreading and Copyediting 101 Become a Skilled Proofreader or Copyeditor If you're looking for a new career path or if you're a writer who wants to improve your writing skills, learning how to proofread and copyedit with our easy to follow, in-depth course, may be just what you nee...
Punctuation and Grammar 101 Do you need a refresher course in basic punctuation and grammar? Is your business writing, school writing or personal writing a disaster and you're tired of stressing over mistakes? Improper grammar and punctuation is a sign for some people, right or w...
Resume Writing 101 One of the most important and intimidating steps in the job search process is writing a solid resume that gets the attention you want and need. Unfortunately, many job seekers get overwhelmed before they even get started. The result is poorly-written res...
Right Production, Wrong Budget: Intro to Film An introduction to film and video production as well as a step by step guide to making a short film. An Internet Film Course taught by a pro with experience on projects ranging from multi-million dollar budgets to absolutely no budget! The instructo...
Romance Writing 101 Writing a romance novel is the dream of many people all over the world. It's no wonder: as the most popular fiction genre in the United States for the past three decades, there are more opportunities in romantic fiction than ever before. What's uniq...
Travel Writing 101 Travel writing is a fun, interesting and fulfilling career. If your goal is to become a full-time travel writer who is able to live off your income from writing alone, it is important to understand that travel writing, like any other career, requires you...
Writing Basics 101: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, Writing Structures Most of us learned spelling and grammar in elementary school and brushed up on the rules occasionally in junior high or middle school. Once we entered high school, it was assumed we knew and remembered all of the essentials -- and slowly we discovered t...
Writing Effective Persuasion 101 Do you hear stirring speeches that inspire to go out and take to heart what the speaker was talking about? Do you wonder how some people can sell nearly anything simply by how they talk? If you do, then chances are you are wondering about being persuasiv...
Writing the Great American Short Story A pair of hands on the keyboard, a blank screen, and a single wish: You want to write the Great American Short Story! You've read many of them -- Poe's Black Cat, Cheever's Enormous Radio, Welty's The Worn Path -- but have you come close to writing a tal...