MFA Screenwriting

PRN 510: Introduction to Cycle Production — Boot Camp
FIRST TERM
4 CREDIT HOURS

This intensive six-week workshop is meant to introduce Fellows to the AFI Conservatory. There is a focus on narrative storytelling. Classes for all first-year Fellows, orientations into production policies and procedures and discipline-specific workshops will prepare Fellows for both the academic and production work ahead. The production component of this course is the Boot Camp Shoot, a digital video exercise shot in four hours that guides first-year Fellows through Conservatory production procedures. The production teams engage in the processes of development, casting, pre-production, shooting and post-production, resulting in a project three to five minutes in length, to be screened the week following the shoot.

PRN 5111: Cycle Production I
FIRST TERM
4 CREDIT HOURS

Narrative Cycle Project 1 is the first of three collaborative narrative projects that each Fellow will complete during the first year. Narrative Cycle Projects are shot digitally, then edited, evaluated and screened in Narrative Workshop. They cannot run longer than 20 minutes in length, including credits.

PRN 5122 and 5123: Cycle Production II and III
SECOND TERM
8 CREDIT HOURS

This course encompasses narrative Cycle Projects 2 and 3. Narrative Cycle Projects 2 and 3 follow the pattern of Narrative Cycle Project 1. In addition to the above-mentioned required production coursework, other production at the AFI Conservatory may include first-year Cinematography 35mm Visual Essays, as well as other in-class exercises. In all cases, all AFI Conservatory production policies and procedures must be followed. Narrative Cycle Projects 2 and 3 follow the pattern of Narrative Cycle Project 1.

PRN 5211, 5222 and 5223: Narrative Workshop and Analysis
FIRST AND SECOND TERMS
6 CREDIT HOURS TOTAL

At the end of the production process, all first year Cycle films are screened and reviewed for all first year Fellows, key Production faculty members, and staff. Each screening is followed by a critical analysis of the project, specifically for team members, led by a faculty member. Fellows receive feedback from the first-year class, allowing them to broaden their perspective beyond their study discipline. Team members then adjourn for one-on-one analysis with the NW faculty member.

SCR 511 and 512: Screenwriting Workshop and Conference
FIRST AND SECOND TERMS
4 CREDIT HOURS TOTAL

In this screenwriting workshop, Fellows meet weekly in a small group with their faculty mentor and discuss their story ideas, develop outlines and complete at least one full-length feature screenplay, and a second draft of that screenplay.  Fellows read each other’s work and give productive notes to their colleagues, as well as hear notes from the mentor.  The screenwriting workshop emphasizes dramatic structure, telling a story cinematically in terms of action and the reality of characters portrayed.

SCR 531: The Great Screenplays
FIRST TERM
1 CREDIT HOUR

This seminar studies the “great” screenplays. Various genres are studied through close examination of works acknowledged as classics. How these great works have withstood the test of time and connected with audiences across social and cultural barriers will be a central focus of the seminar. Fellows will read screenplays, the films will be screened, and the work will be discussed in terms of the “mechanics” of the screenplay, as well as the psychological and archetypal features of the characters.

SCR 532: Writing the Adaptation
SECOND TERM
1 CREDIT HOUR
ELECTIVE

An elective practicum for first- and second-year Screenwriters on the essentials and challenges of adapting existing material. Fellows will work from their choice of fiction or nonfiction source material in public domain, seeking the story they want to tell and building it into a movie-sized or television series-sized project that honors the original while not necessarily re-creating it for the screen. Fellows are tasked with giving source material new life in a new form.

SCR 535 and 536: The Story Incubator: Story Creation, Development, Presentation
FIRST AND SECOND TERMS
4 CREDIT HOURS TOTAL

A year-long practicum for first-year Screenwriters in story creation, development and presentation. Fellows work on what makes a good story for the screen and how to take it from idea to realization. Over the course of two semesters, through writing assignments and discussion, Fellows practice creating, developing, analyzing and presenting or pitching original stories for film and television.

SCR 541: Improv for Writers
FIRST TERM
1 CREDIT HOUR
ELECTIVE

This is a ten-week elective workshop, open to first- and second-year Screenwriting Fellows. “Improv for Writers” introduces Fellows to the principles and rules of improv in a positive and supportive environment, with the goal of applying those principles and rules to writing for screen and television. Particular focus is placed on collaboration, on developing a positive and constructive writing process, and on the fundamentals of sketch writing and scene construction.

SCR 571/572: Writing for TV — Comedy
FIRST OR SECOND TERM
1 CREDIT HOUR

This workshop focuses on the foundational basics of writing for television, specifically the half-hour comedy. Fellows will break an original story and develop an outline and first draft spec script for a current television series.

SCR 573/574: Writing for TV — Drama
FIRST OR SECOND TERM
1 CREDIT HOUR

This workshop focuses on the foundational basics of writing for television, specifically the one-hour drama. Fellows will break an original story and develop an outline and first draft spec script for a current television series.

CON 521 and 522: American Approaches to Film
FIRST AND SECOND TERMS
2 CREDIT HOURS TOTAL

An American narrative, live-action screening series of classic and contemporary feature and short films, highlighting the work of each discipline, in order to explore the aesthetic, cultural, historical and social phenomenon of the motion picture arts.

First Year Portfolio Review

Upon review of the first-year work, faculty invites Fellows to continue to the second year and candidacy for the Master of Fine Arts degree or Certificate of Completion. The portfolio review is conducted by Screenwriting faculty through a formal interview with each Screenwriting Fellow, which results in a recommendation regarding future work in the program.

SCR 611 and 612: Advanced Screenwriting Workshop (in conjunction with SCR 690)
FIRST AND SECOND TERMS
6 CREDIT HOURS TOTAL

In this workshop, each Screenwriting Fellow develops a thesis portfolio consisting of two full-length written works. These may be two feature-length screenplays, or one feature-length screenplay and, upon request of the Fellow and at the discretion of faculty, an additional TV pilot (one required TV pilot will be written in SCR 631 and 632). Each Fellow revises and completes drafts of the two works in the context of continual analysis and evaluation by faculty and peers.  All Fellows in the workshop group read each other’s work and come prepared with constructive notes.

SCR 631 and 632: Writing the TV Pilot: The Writers Room, and Rewriting the TV Pilot
FIRST AND SECOND TERMS
2 CREDIT HOURS TOTAL

This two-semester workshop will focus on the skills necessary to become a professional writer in television. The class itself will function as a writers’ room — each Fellow will be working on their own script as well as helping structure and note the work of others. The core skills learned will be applicable for all screenwriting work, including features, one-hour dramas, half-hour comedy, animation or web series. Each Fellow will complete an original pilot and a rewrite of the pilot in the course of the year.

SCR 634: Writing the Adaptation
SECOND TERM
1 CREDIT HOUR
ELECTIVE

An elective practicum for first- and second-year Screenwriters on the essentials and challenges of adapting existing material. Fellows will work from their choice of fiction or nonfiction source material in public domain, seeking the story they want to tell and building it into a movie-sized or television series-sized project that honors the original while not necessarily re-creating it for the screen. Fellows are tasked with giving source material new life in a new form.

SCR 645: Directing for Screenwriters
FIRST Term
2 Credit Hours
Elective

This focused 12-session workshop takes screenwriting Fellows through the directing process in a series of exercises and assignments specifically designed to make them better writers.  Each Fellow will bring in material that they have written – either a simple short, or an excerpt from ongoing work in one of their writing workshops.  Over the first few weeks, all the material will be heard and critiqued in table reads, with notes provided for re-writes. Then scenes will be staged, so that writers can see what happens when a scene gets up on its feet, and the scenes filmed.  Finally, the writers will go into the editing room to “write the last draft.” In the final sessions, the material is screened and critiqued again, with everyone providing notes.

SCR 636: Original Series Development for Global Market
SECOND Term
1 Credit Hour
Elective

An eight-week, application-only elective workshop designed to give screenwriting and producing teams an opportunity to develop original TV drama series for the current global marketplace. Each team is expected to produce a full bible, series document, or pitch outline refined by the class and regular story notes.

SCR 651: Improv for Writers
FIRST TERM
1 CREDIT HOUR
ELECTIVE

This is a ten-week elective workshop, open to first- and second-year Screenwriting Fellows. “Improv for Writers” introduces Fellows to the principles and rules of improv in a positive and supportive environment, with the goal of applying those principles and rules to writing for screen and television. Particular focus is placed on collaboration, on developing a positive and constructive writing process, and on the fundamentals of sketch writing and scene construction.

SCR 658: Running the Show: Writing for TV Week-to-Week
SECOND TERM
2 CREDIT HOURS
ELECTIVE

An application-only elective providing an overview of the broad spectrum of tools needed to be a showrunner in the modern world of television production. Accepted Fellows produce a look book based around their pilots written for SCR 631 & 632 and preside over a table read, tone meeting and production meeting in a workshop environment intended to emulate the writers room experience.

SCR 670: Internship Practicum
ANY TERM
1–3 CREDIT HOUR(S)
ELECTIVE

The objective of this course is to provide working experience in the film/TV industry as it pertains specifically to the Fellow’s degree/certificate requirements. Specific duties and requirements will be outlined and supervised by the faculty mentor. This internship qualifies an international Fellow for Curriculum Practical Training; approval must be obtained by the international advisor, as well as the faculty mentor prior to enrolling in the course.

SCR 682: History of Dramatic Writing in TV
SECOND TERM
1 CREDIT HOUR
ELECTIVE

First- and second-year Screenwriting Fellows are introduced to the development, growth and importance of the television drama from the 1930s to the juggernaut that is current-day TV. Special attention is paid to the