Online Course: Screenwriting 101: Getting Into The Screenwriting Game to Win - Certificate and CEUs
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Online Class: Screenwriting 101

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The Nuts, Bolts and Rewards of Screenwriting

Enroll today! This is a self-paced, online course. You have 6 months to finish. An instructor will monitor your progress and assess your body of work at course completion.
Course Cost: 6 Month Subscription
Basic Course (no certificate)   =   $35.00
Course with Online Certificate*   =   $60.00
* 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.
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Course Description

Screenwriting 101This 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

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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

  1. Certificate of Appreciation
  2. 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).
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Additional Information

Course Title : Screenwriting 101
CEU Value :

1.0 (Continuing Education Units)

Course Number : 7550280
Course Type : How To
Course URL :

http://screenwritinghelp.onlineclasses.com

Course Rating : Excellent Course! 4 Star Rating
Instructor :

Melissa Merritt

Syllabus :

View Syllabus

Duration : Continuous: Enroll anytime!
Course Fee :

Basic Course: $35

   

with CEUs & Certificate: $60

NOT FOR COLLEGE CREDIT
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.

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