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COURSE

SCREENWRITING:
FROM IDEATION TO WRITING YOUR FIRST SCRIPT

Are you an aspiring screenwriter ready to take the next step with your craft? Enroll in "Screenwriting: From Ideation to Writing Your First Script" to learn from industry veteran and USC alum Gabe Sachs, a writer on many hit TV shows and movies, including Freaks & Geeks, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, and many others. In this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of storytelling as you get inspired to draft your own script for a short film.

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  • PROGRAM OVERVIEW

    • Coming up with an idea is something that writers struggle with all the time. But the truth is, ideas are all around you. Gabe Sachs has mastered the art of tapping into real life to bring authentic and captivating stories to the screen. As a writer on many TV shows and films, including Freaks & Geeks, Just Shoot Me, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, and many others, will share his craft to help aspiring screenwriters bring their ideas to fruition.

      Throughout this course, Gabe will offer insights and exercises from his own writing as well as his collaborators in the film industry. Students will practice generating ideas and developing those ideas into a story. Then, students will explore the fundamentals of storytelling, including: how to develop memorable characters, how to structure a story arc, how to write dialogue, how to tell a story visually, and how to bring all these parts together to create a fully realized screenplay.

      In the process of earning a certificate, students will engage in creative writing exercises, hear from industry experts, and learn from clips and case studies of film and television. At the culmination of the course, students will have completed a script for a short film and will get tips on how to start pitching their work and get it out into the world.

      Featured Topics

      • Story Ideas
      • Building Memorable Characters
      • Structuring Your Story
      • Telling Your Story Visually
      • Writing and Rewriting

      Learning Outcomes

      This course will guide students through the screenwriting process from the early stages of coming up with a winning idea to developing a script for a short film that is ready to be pitched. Students will learn tips, techniques, and tools of the trade used by veterans of the film industry in order to hone their own craft.

      Following the completion of the course, students will be able to:

      • Generate story ideas and identify those with the most potential
      • Build memorable characters with emotional arcs
      • Create a roadmap for the beginning, middle, and end of a story
      • Write scenes with dialogue and non-dialogue
      • Tell a story through visual elements
      • Revise a story from synopsis to treatment to first draft
      • Pitch a story

      Format and Course Length

      The course consists of recorded lectures, clips and case studies from film and television, industry connections, and discussions. Each topic provides context for key elements of developing a script from start to finish. Students will engage with creative exercises to generate and revise work in order to complete the course with a screenplay for a short film.

      Combined coursework of recorded lectures, readings, and assignments is approximately 20-25 hours to be completed at the student’s own pace. Students are expected to complete the course in four-weeks but have 90-days of access if more time is needed.

  • INSTRUCTOR AND INDUSTRY EXPERT

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      Gabe Sachs

      Coming up with an idea is something that writers struggle with all the time. But the truth is, ideas are all around you. Gabe Sachs has mastered the art of tapping into real life to bring authentic and captivating stories to the screen. As a writer on many TV shows and films, including Freaks & Geeks, Just Shoot Me, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, and many others, will share his craft to help aspiring screenwriters bring their ideas to fruition.

      Gabe Sachs is a writer and producer known for television projects that include Freaks & Geeks, Just Shoot Me, Undeclared, Life As We know it, 90210 and The Night Shift. He co-wrote the feature films Diary of A Wimpy Kid and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules , which topped the U.S. box office its opening weekend. He was also an executive producer on the movie Magic Camp. Sachs is an avid and accomplished photographer, known for compelling portraits. He co-hosts the podcast I Dream of Cameras, which reviews the most talked about camera equipment and explores camera choice and collecting. He is also a judge for the James Beard Awards, which celebrates American food culture. Sachs is an alumnus of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. His creative partner is writer/director Jeff Judah with whom he co-owns Sachs/Judah Productions.

  • APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS + ELIGIBILITY

    • Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. Applicants who submit a completed application can expect an admission decision within 3 – 5 business days.
      • Include basic contact information from you and your parent(s) or guardian.
      • Tell us why you want to take the course and a little about yourself through a short-answer essay.
      • Share a piece of writing, video or social media content that reveals something about yourself (optional).
      • Submit the $35 application fee.
      • Participants must be at least 14 years old or older.

      INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

      In addition to the requirements listed above, international applicants are expected to be proficient in English. International students who successfully complete an online course will receive a digital Certificate of Completion and by request a USC Online Certificates Program transcript at no additional cost.

      ELIGIBILITY

      Participants must be at least 14 years old or older.

  • DATES, DEADLINES, TUITION + FEES

    • PROGRAM DATES APPLICATION & TUITION DEADLINE
      Monday, January 20, 2025 Wednesday, January 15, 2025
      Monday, February 3, 2025 Wednesday, January 29, 2025
      Monday, February 17, 2025 Wednesday, February 12, 2025
      Monday, March 3, 2025 Wednesday, February 26, 2025
      Monday, March 17, 2025 Wednesday, March 12, 2025
      Monday, March 31, 2025 Wednesday, March 26, 2025

      APPLICATION FEE : $35

      SCREENWRITING TUITION : $1990 Access to online course and materials for (3) months.

      SCREENWRITING + DIRECTING TUITION : $3880 Access to both online course and materials for (6) months.

  • CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS

    • Application fees are nonrefundable. All course cancellations requests must be made in writing to certificates@usc.edu. Any tuition paid to the university will be refunded, not including fees, if requested no more than three (3) days past the course start date. Requests to drop the course more than three (3) days after the start date will not be eligible for a refund.

      The university will not refund tuition for USC Online courses for students who are removed from the program due to a violation of our Letter of Understanding for Online Participation and our Student Code of Conduct.

Apply
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COURSE

DIRECTING:
CREATING YOUR SHORT FILM

Interested in learning how to direct a professional-looking film without a big-scale budget? Enroll in “Directing: Creating Your Short Film” to hone your filmmaking skills and build your portfolio as you learn from industry veteran and USC alum Sanford Bookstaver, the director and producer of hit TV shows and movies, including Dexter: New Blood, House MD, Power, Chicago Fire, and many others. In this course, you’ll be guided through the complete production process as you pick up tricks of the trade to bring your cinematic vision to the screen.

  • PROGRAM OVERVIEW

    • Anyone with a smartphone can make a movie. But if you know how to scout some great locations, where to place the camera, and how to work with actors then you can make a great movie.

      Sanford Bookstaver has worked as a director and producer in film and television for over twenty years on shows like: Dexter: New Blood, House MD, Power, Chicago Fire, and many others. As a USC alum, he’s excited to share his industry experience with aspiring filmmakers and demonstrate how to use creativity in lieu of professional resources.

      Guiding you through the entire process of production, students will learn how to prepare a script for filming, assemble a highly collaborative team, and utilize readily available tools to pull off a successful shoot. Students will then learn how to use those tools to capture classic types of coverage and essential shots to bring their script to life. After shooting, students will learn how to navigate the post-production process to bring all of the parts together for an edited final cut.

      By the end of the filmmaking process, students will earn a certificate of completion, engage in creative exercises, hear from industry experts, and get inspired from film clips and real-world examples of movie-making in action. At the culmination of the course, students will have completed a short film.

        Featured Topics

      • Pre-production
      • Actors and Casting: Bringing Your Characters to Life
      • Production Part 1: Preparing Your Scenes
      • Production Part 2: Using Your Tools
      • Post-production

      Learning Outcomes

      This course guides students through the entire filmmaking process from the early logistical stages of pre-production to successfully executing a film shoot and editing that footage. Through strategically using easily accessible tools and equipment, students will learn how to make a short film as professionally as possible with any budget.

        Following the completion of the course, students will be able to:

      • Build a collaborative film team, scout locations, and prepare sets
      • Conceptualize a script through creating a storyboard, shot list, and schedule
      • Audition, rehearse, and prepare actors to get the performances you need
      • Understand professional filmmaking tools and how to use alternative DIY equipment
      • Execute the most classic types of coverage to capture a master shot
      • Use different camera movements, lighting setups, filters, and lens to achieve a range of cinematic styles
      • Undergo post-production to assemble footage, edit, apply elements of sound design and music to arrive at a final cut

      Format and Course Length

      The course consists of recorded lectures and demonstrations, film clips, industry connections, and discussions. Each topic provides context for key elements of creating a short film from pre-production to post. Students will engage with creative exercises to generate and revise work in order to complete the course with a final cut of a short film.

      Combined coursework of recorded lectures, readings, and assignments is approximately 20-25 hours to be completed at the student’s own pace. Students are expected to complete the course in four-weeks but have 90-days of access if more time is needed.

  • INSTRUCTOR AND INDUSTRY EXPERT

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      Sanford Bookstaver

      Being a Director is the best job in the world.

      Sanford Bookstaver has worked as a director and producer in film and television for over twenty years on shows like: Dexter: New Blood, House MD, Power, Chicago Fire, and many others. He fell in love with movies at an early age and throughout his career has collaborated with some of the most creative and talented people in Hollywood.

      He enrolled in the School of Cinematic Arts at USC and began his journey towards becoming a director. He paid his dues working as an assistant at DreamWorks for Jeffrey Katzenberg and while working there co-wrote and directed his short film Scriptfellas a parody on Martin Scorcese’s Goodfellas. He shared this film with Katzenberg who later shared it with Spielberg and one week later his lifelong dream would become a reality as a director on the NBC show “The Others”.

      Bookstaver has been nominated for several awards for his directing talents and has also lent his time to teaching other aspiring young filmmakers whenever he can.

  • APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS + ELIGIBILITY

    • Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. Applicants who submit a completed application can expect an admission decision within 3 – 5 business days.
      • Include basic contact information from you and your parent(s) or guardian.
      • Tell us why you want to take the course and a little about yourself through a short-answer essay.
      • Share a piece of writing, video or social media content that reveals something about yourself (optional).
      • Submit the $35 application fee.
      • Participants must be at least 14 years old or older.

      INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

      In addition to the requirements listed above, international applicants are expected to be proficient in English. International students who successfully complete an online course will receive a digital Certificate of Completion and by request a USC Online Certificates Program transcript at no additional cost.

      ELIGIBILITY

      Participants must be at least 14 years old or older.

  • DATES, DEADLINES, TUITION + FEES

    • PROGRAM DATES APPLICATION & TUITION DEADLINE
      Monday, January 20, 2025 Wednesday, January 15, 2025
      Monday, February 3, 2025 Wednesday, January 29, 2025
      Monday, February 17, 2025 Wednesday, February 12, 2025
      Monday, March 3, 2025 Wednesday, February 26, 2025
      Monday, March 17, 2025 Wednesday, March 12, 2025
      Monday, March 31, 2025 Wednesday, March 26, 2025

      APPLICATION FEE : $35

      DIRECTING TUITION : $1990 Access to online course and materials for (3) months.

      DIRECTING + SCREENWRITING TUITION : $3880 Access to both online course and materials for (6) months.

  • CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS

    • Application fees are nonrefundable. All course cancellations requests must be made in writing to certificates@usc.edu. Any tuition paid to the university will be refunded, not including fees, if requested no more than three (3) days past the course start date. Requests to drop the course more than three (3) days after the start date will not be eligible for a refund.

      The university will not refund tuition for USC Online courses for students who are removed from the program due to a violation of our Letter of Understanding for Online Participation and our Student Code of Conduct.

Apply

Frequently Asked Questions | certificates@usc.edu

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