This online program shares key topics and skills in screenplay development for those new to the art and craft of screenwriting.
The screenplay serves as the basis for most major motion pictures in the modern era. A well-crafted screenplay captures the imagination and inspires other artists to create, while also serving as a basis for budgeting and logistical planning. A mystery for some, the work of the screenwriter requires brainstorming, experimentation, collaboration, and problem-solving.
The Screenwriting Essentials program at California State University, Long Beach provides students with the tools to write and analyze scripts from story conception to a realized first draft of a feature film. In this fast-paced program, material will reference successful motion picture screenplays and notable books on the art and craft of screenwriting. Students will have the opportunity to craft an original screenplay by the end of the program.
Please note: There are no prerequisites for this program. Courses must be taken in consecutive order.
How to generate written story ideas in multiple film genres
How to construct a screenplay from an outline
Composition of a three-act structure
Construction of a character arc
How to develop scenes based on theme and character
How to share and receive feedback that advances your writing craft and that of your peers
Strengthen problem-solving skills
Develop creative and ideation processes
Understand and develop professional standards and practices
New and first-time writers seeking an introduction to screenwriting
Emerging writers wanting the structure, schedule, and feedback to develop a new idea
Individuals exploring a career change in motion pictures
Professionals seeking to develop visual storytelling skills to augment current work assignments
Timely and industry-relevant curriculum
Applying theory toward the development of a screenplay
Structured learning environment facilitated by an industry professional
Networking opportunities for ongoing peer-to-peer relationships
Common analysis language within your course peer group
Convenient course schedule with remote learning
Complete courses 1 and 2
Complete story development exercises (Character, Plot, Theme, Scene Craft, etc.)
Complete skills development exercises (ideation, outing, analyzing, drafting, rewriting, etc.)
Provide feedback to course peers
Complete development assignments:
Draft and pitch a logline
Compose a story outline
Draft a feature length screenplay (90-120 pages)
Program Outline
At the start of the program, we’ll get to know each other and share our interests in motion picture writing. We’ll begin a study of character, plot, conflict, theme, and how structure can help communicate your ideas to your chosen audience. As we cover some foundational theories of screenwriting, we’ll develop your story concept into a story outline. This will require you to complete some assignments in class and at home, so prepare to carve out some time during your week to have a few creative adventures. Then, you will use the lessons, exercises, and story documents to draft a feature-length screenplay. Supplemental exercises will be used to enhance your development and skills attainment. Much of this section will be used to provide group feedback on your pages.
Key deliverables include:
An Elevator Pitch / Logline
Story Outline
Building on Course 1, you will have the opportunity to expand your outline into the first draft of a feature screenplay. While there will be lessons and exercises, most of this course will be built around pages submitted and the workshop. Your writing schedule will intensify, so anticipate weekly due dates that will be important for you to complete your script during the program. We'll cover giving and receiving notes as a key part of the development of your script and your cinematic eye and storytelling skills. We’ll celebrate the major milestone of completing a first draft of your screenplay. As the course concludes, we will also discuss your plan for developing your script beyond the course.
Key deliverables include:
A feature-length screenplay
Your "Next Steps" document
Instructors
Q. Terah Jackson is a Los Angeles-based screenwriter, playwright, director, and alum of AFI and Howard University. His work centers marginalized communities, found families, and historic figures’ trials and triumphs to create justice and belonging in the United States. His screenplay on Bayard Rustin’s mentorship of Martin Luther King, Jr. received awards and recognition from AFI, the WGAW, Film Independent, and The Academy Nicholl Fellowships. He wrote Counter, which screened nationally via PBS and the NAACP's 2020 Virtual Convention. He revised American Anthem, a biopic about legendary contralto Marian Anderson, for Autopilot Entertainment. He was a Lincoln Center’s Directors Lab participant and dramaturg for the All For One Theater’s off-Broadway presentation of Anu Yadav’s Meena's Dream, which he subsequently directed as a video presentation. He has taught at CSULB, Sundance Collab, Chapman University, and New York Film Academy, where he advised students, filmmakers, and competitions on writing for the screen and stage. He is currently developing a limited television series based on the U.S. Welfare Rights movement with Deniese Davis’s Reform Media Group.
Q. Terah Jackson, Writer, Director
Frequently Asked Questions
You are all set, just wait for the email to be sent a week before the start of the first class. It will contain further information and updates about the program.
No, books are not required. However, it is strongly recommended that you use a screenwriting software for drafting of the screenplay.
Materials will be downloadable through BeachBoard, the learning management system at CSULB. The following writing applications are provided with the cost of the program:
You may use these writing applications if you submit assignments as PDF files:
Final Draft
WriterDuet
Highland
Movie Magic Screenwriter
Trelby
FadeIn
Arc Studio
Please email QTerah Jackson and Ashley Cartwright to let them know in advance. They will determine if it will count against your attendance or not.
Participants will need a computer and reliable internet access. For the purposes of in-class assignments, your computer and internet connection must allow for you to download materials from BeachBoard, search the internet, stream videos, and use a writing application while on Zoom. If this is a challenge, or you need special accommodations, please contact your instructor before the start of the first class.
You will also need to have the latest Flash Player to access the animations and some graphics. Both of these items are available as free downloads from the Microsoft, Mozilla, and Adobe websites.
Our Technology Enhanced Learning Center will be able to assist you with locating, downloading, and installing the browser and the player. For more detailed information specific to these online course technical requirements, call the CPaCE Help Desk at (562) 985-2900.
This is at the discretion of the instructor. In addition to their course work, our faculty are active in motion picture careers. While there is an interest to support your growth and develop, it is common for filmmakers to be available for short periods of the course and unavailable thereafter for long stretches of time due to intense work demands. For this reason, we highly encourage you to organize your schedules and questions to take full advantage of this opportunity during the 12 weeks of the course. In addition, the course is organized for you to develop skills and relationships with your peers, which has proven to be the greatest source of professional and artistic development for generations of filmmakers.
While there are no direct job announcements and career placement opportunities available through this program, the skills and materials developed in this program may serve as an orientation to a career in screenwriting. In addition, your instructor may provide professional advice on developing your entrepreneurial skills as you plot your own professional career plan.
Screenwriting 1 - The Fundamentals
At the start of the program, we’ll get to know each other and share our interests in motion picture writing. We’ll begin a study of character, plot, conflict, theme, and how structure can help communicate your ideas to your chosen audience. As we cover some foundational theories of screenwriting, we’ll develop your story concept into a story outline. This will require you to complete some assignments in class and at home, so prepare to carve out some time during your week to have a few creative adventures. Then, you will use the lessons, exercises, and story documents to draft a feature-length screenplay. Supplemental exercises will be used to enhance your development and skills attainment. Much of this section will be used to provide group feedback on your pages.
Key deliverables include:
An Elevator Pitch / Logline
Story Outline
Offerings of this program have either started or are under development. Please check back for information on the next offering or email cpace-info@csulb.edu.
Screenwriting 2 - Scripting, Finishing and Further Development
Building on Course 1, you will have the opportunity to expand your outline into the first draft of a feature screenplay. While there will be lessons and exercises, most of this course will be built around pages submitted and the workshop. Your writing schedule will intensify, so anticipate weekly due dates that will be important for you to complete your script during the program. We'll cover giving and receiving notes as a key part of the development of your script and your cinematic eye and storytelling skills. We’ll celebrate the major milestone of completing a first draft of your screenplay. As the course concludes, we will also discuss your plan for developing your script beyond the course.
Key deliverables include:
A feature-length screenplay
Your "Next Steps" document
Offerings of this program have either started or are under development. Please check back for information on the next offering or email cpace-info@csulb.edu.
