DETAILS

The sitcom writing experience is different from any other type of creative writing. This intensive weekend course is for writers without professional television experience who want to learn how it's really done.

This class will recreate the authentic experience of a professional writer's room to give students the feel of what it's like to work in the television industry. Students will collaborate on creating individual half-hour scripts for a current television sitcom. Everyone will be encouraged to participate, pitch ideas, and punch up jokes. There are no bad ideas.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Think, talk, and self-edit like a television writer
• Write collaboratively and brainstorm
• Understand the tone, style, and themes of a network or cable show
• Successfully pitch new ideas
• Write your episode synopsis

By the end of class, you will have:
Hands-on experience with the sitcom writing process, a solid beginning of your script, and techniques to make your writing stand out to agents, studios, networks, and executive producers.

DETAILS

You've had a great idea for a screenplay for years. Now's your chance to write it.

In this course, you'll work with like-minded classmates and veteran Mediabistro instructor D.B. Gilles (author of The Screenwriter Within and NYU Tisch professor) to finish and workshop a complete draft of your screenplay.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Develop the three-act structure of screenwriting
• Enhance your storytelling abilities and create drama in every scene
• Format and structure your screenplay
• Create effective, memorable characters
• Market your screenplay when it's finished

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete first draft of your screenplay.

DETAILS

It's all over the news -- platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo are making it possible to raise money through reward/donation crowdfunding. With so many developments in this new investment system, it's hard to keep up and understand how to get involved. 

In this webcast, David Marlett, executive director of the National Crowdfunding Association, will use examples from the audience to explain how just about any project can be successfully crowdfunded. David will also outline how upcoming legal changes will allow for equity crowdfunding and Reg D/accredited investor crowdfunding.

You'll learn how to:

• Choose the right platform and reach out to investors for your potential project
• Raise the right amount of money and provide appropriate investor rewards
• Identify entrepreneurs whose businesses might make good investments
• Understand upcoming legal changes that will affect crowdfunding

How this works:

• You'll participate in a live video discussion with an expert speaker who will provide insights, case studies, and real-world examples of strategies that have worked
• You'll have the chance to ask questions and get advice from the speaker in real time
• You'll receive a copy of the speaker's presentation slides and access to a recording of the presentation

DETAILS

Remember Old Spice’s first video campaign? We do, and so do millions of other people. In this course, you’ll learn to use video as a marketing tool. We'll show you how to think of video as a key element of an online marketing campaign. Throught class, you’ll work on an outline of a video marketing campaign for your brand, business, or client. Learn ho to bring a social video campaign through all the product stages, from conception to execution to measuring success.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Dissect and comprehend the elements that make a video go viral
• Understand what it takes to script, edit, and shoot a video
• Evaluate production costs and work within your budget
• Create a social video contest with user-generated content and tie it to marketing goals
• Assess the merits of VEVO, YouTube, Facebook, and BrightCove
• Measure the effectiveness of your video campaign

By the end of the class, you will have:
An outline for executing your own social video campaign and an understanding of the elements that go into creating a successful social video.

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

Networks are always looking for the next great show. And with so many cable networks actively seeking original programming, the time has never been better to develop and pitch your own series idea.

In this intensive course, you'll learn how to develop your own television pilot idea, express it as a logline, structure the pilot, write a professional outline, and pitch the pilot idea.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Write a logline that will capture a producer's attention
• Create compelling characters
• Apply the rules of TV structure (A story/B story/C story, episodic versus serial programming) to your writing
• How to make your idea sustainable and saleable
• What to include in your pitch -- and what to leave out

By the end of the class, you will have:
A logline, a pitch, and a detailed outline of your project.

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussions: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

Learn how to write a video script and light, shoot, and edit your footage. We'll also show you how to broadcast your brand content or creative project on video-sharing sites like YouTube and Vimeo. 

We'll explore examples of engaging online video, discuss the cameras and microphones you'll need, and teach you the basics of shooting, editing, and distributing your content.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Integrate video into your content plan 
• Draft and edit video scripts 
• Light, record, and shoot video for the web
• Select the software programs you need to know
• Post and tag your entries on YouTube and Vimeo to attract new viewers

By the end of class, you will have:
A video posted to YouTube or Vimeo and the skills to complete new projects going forward.

Students will need their own consumer-grade cameras to complete the assignments for this class. 

DETAILS

Learn how to write video scripts and story outlines, shoot and edit it, and broadcast your work on video-sharing sites like YouTube.com. We'll explore excellent examples of online video, discuss the cameras and microphones you'll need, and teach you to shoot, edit, and encode.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Improve content with video
• Understand which programs you need to know
• Tag your entries to attract new viewers
• Know which formulas you can count on to work for this medium
• Develop a style that keeps viewers coming back for more

By the end of class, you will have:
The skills to shoot, edit and encode video for the web. You will get hands-on experience with a Canon HDV camera, a walkthrough of Final Cut, and skills in shooting and editing.

Note: Equipment will be provided. Students do not need to own cameras.

DETAILS

So you want to break into scripted television? Launching your own series starts with demonstrating your ability to write for someone else's show. To get the attention of TV agents, producers, and networks, you need to produce a spec script.

In this course, you'll produce a compelling spec script ready for submission. We'll review the fundamentals of script writing including structure, plot, character, and dialogue and workshop assignments. The last session will be devoted to reading drafts and learning how to get your script into the right hands. By the end of class, you'll be ready to submit your spec script to potential agents and buyers.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Structure and format for comedies and dramas 
• Write dialogue
• Know where to put subplots and tie them in
• Reflect the existing shows and climate within the marketplace
• Work the behind-the-scenes events of broadcast and cable, including pilot season

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete first draft of a spec script for a drama or sitcom.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussions: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

To land a job as a TV reporter, you need a demo reel. Period. 

In this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of television reporting while you manage tight deadlines, draft news scripts, and deliver news content. You'll prepare two taped appearances to add to your demo reel -- shot by a professional news camera operator. We’ll review piece-structuring techniques, how to deliver live coverage, and how to set up and conduct an on-camera interview. 

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Draft a TV news script that’s informative and entertaining
• Write and speak for a television audience
• Deliver a news stand-up
• Set up feature pieces
• Understand the editing process and translate your needs to editors

By the end of class, you will have:
Two taped appearances.

Students who have taken this class have landed reporting jobs at:
CBS Interactive, Fox Business Channel, Fox Philadelphia, and News 12.

Mediabistro Self-Paced Courses: Learning for the independent-minded. No teachers, no fellow students. Just a rich multimedia curriculum designed to teach you what you need to know.

DETAILS

No matter what your role, you need to be able to communicate effectively on camera. Learn how to prepare for live and taped media appearances, address interview questions clearly, and ensure that you look and sound your best onscreen.

Whether you’re promoting your personal brand, business, or client, we'll cover everything from dealing with difficult questions, to using a teleprompter, to what to wear. You'll work independently, at your own pace, with our video lessons, written assignments, and lists of other resources.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Appear on live television with poise and confidence
• Think and speak in sound bites 
• Understand what to expect when you arrive at a studio
• Prepare notes in advance
• Conceive of video promotion projects

Check out the complete syllabus.

The self-paced course includes:

• A video introduction with Mediabistro's Carmen Scheidel
• Six video lessons with expert advice from Mediabistro instructors who specialize in public speaking, on-camera reporting, and presentation skills
• Written lessons and crib sheets that will help you prepare for your on-camera appearance, whether you have days, weeks, months, or (gulp!) hours to prepare
• Lists of resources to guide your search for more information

By the end of class, you will have:
A thorough understanding of how to prepare for on-camera appearances and experience filming and self-assessing your performance.

How the self-paced classroom works:

• You have access to the course platform for three months. Please note, if you sign up after 6 pm ET Monday-Friday, your email invitation will be sent the following business day.
• Mediabistro's education team is available to answer your questions.
• There are no other students and no instructor. Students are invited to post comments on our community forum of media professionals to interact with others in the field.