Course Details

You read, you write, you have a great eye for story?after all, you are a media professional, right? So why take a beginner's class in screenwriting? You'll just have to sit through all that basic stuff that professional writers know already (tone, word count, dramatic appeal). What you need to learn is structure, dialogue, character, and development, which you won't get to in a class for first-timers. And what do you need the most? To finish your script! In this intense workshop, our instructors will guide you as you complete all three acts of your screenplay, workshop it, and perfect it?but most of all, finish it.

In this class, you can expect to learn:

• The three-act punctuation structure of screenwriting
• How to enhance your storytelling abilities and create more drama in every scene
• How to format and structure your screenplay
• How to create effective, memorable characters
• What to do with your screenplay when it's finished

By the end of class, students can expect to have:
A full first draft of your completed screenplay.

Admission requirements:
To apply, you must submit a letter of interest (including work history) and a fiction or nonfiction writing sample that should not exceed 2,000 words.

Instructor Bio

D.B. Gilles's Courses

D.B. Gilles is the author of The Screenwriter Within and The Portable Film School. He is co-author of the George W. Bush parody W. The First 100 Days: A White House Journal. His essay on writer's block, The Short Attention Span Screenwriter, is a popular Internet download. He has also been published in The New York Times.

D.B.'s comedy Men's Singles has been produced throughout the world. He wrote the screen adaptation of the play Spinning Into Butter, which stars Sarah Jessica Parker. He is also featured in the book Ask The Pros: Screenwriting Questions Answered By Industry Professionals. D.B. teaches screenwriting and comedy writing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He has also taught in the Graduate Film Division at Columbia University. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Writers Guild of America.

Testimonials

D.B. is the best around. His knowledge of the craft is unlimited and he pushes you to be the best writer you can be. I have taken this class twice and plan on doing it again and again for the sheer volume of work I'm creating because of it. -- Claire Bosch

"DB is so helpful and encouraging, devoting lots of attention to each student individually. I would recommend this course to any screenwriter who might need guidance, feedback or just a little creative push." -- Elissa Santo

"Screenwriting with D.B. is even better the second time. Students are able to keep working on their drafts, and get even more feedback. Students who have taken this class before should definitely take it again." -- Elle Tracy

"D.B.'s class is a must. He'll help you develop an idea, create a plot outline, and then provide great feedback as you flesh it out into a full-length screenplay by writing just ten pages a week. I've taken his screenwriting workshop series five times already.." -- Carlo DeCarlo

"I wrote a play that was produced half a dozen times as a staged reading. D.B. took it from that point to a finished screenplay. I can't imagine a better way to get a script finished." -- John Tepper Marlin

"D.B. creates a focused environment that allows you trust your instincts and gets you writing. He helps you get those words on the page, so that all you need to do is go back and make it better." -- James Babbin, Austin Film Festival Quarterfinalist

"D.B. provided a solid understanding of the structure and format of a feature length screenplay. With this knowledge, insight into the business, and honest feedback I was able to complete a first draft by the final class." -- Jacquetta Szathmari