Students who elect to pursue the screenwriting specialization will learn the key elements of creating scripts for film, serial media (TV, Webisodes, Mobisodes) and video games. Starting with the fundamentals, students will focus on story structure, plot, scene development, characterization and dialogue. As students advance through the required and elective courses, they will begin to hone their voice through a series of writing assignments designed to guide students toward mastering the basics of narrative storytelling in an environment designed to simulate the world of the professional screenwriter.
To complete the learning experience and help students prepare for the job market, all students pursuing the screenwriting specialization are expected to compile a portfolio. COM 327 Scriptwriter in Development and Production and FVS 489 Senior Colloquium are designed to facilitate this goal.
Those students wishing to continue on to graduate film school may also want to complete an independent scriptwriting project. FVS 492 Practicum and FVS 496 Individual Study are designed to fill this role.
Students must maintain a 2.4 GPA or higher with a minimum grade of C- in all courses counted toward fulfilling the film and video studies major or minor requirements.