Diploma of Screen and Media - Screenwriting
OVERVIEW
New York Film Academy Australia delivers the nationally recognised program CUA51020 - Diploma of Screen and Media with selected subjects focusing on screenwriting.
New York Film Academy Australia recognises the critical role writers play in the creation of every film and television show. Yet, writing talent alone is not enough to create successful work in these mediums. Screenwriting is a learned craft, and a writer must write every day to train for the demands of this field, and to truly understand the elements that make a screenplay or teleplay functional, as well as engaging.
In addition to learning the conventions of the writing craft, students are given the support and structure to write and meet deadlines. Students write intensively throughout the course and complete several projects with the assistance of constructive critique from instructors, as well as peers.
WHAT MAKES OUR SCREENWRITING PROGRAMS UNIQUE?
Over the course of the program, each student writes a feature-length screenplay, plus one television "spec" script, along with the possibility to workshop additional treatments. As part of a fully integrated program, students explore related areas of filmmaking that help to improve their screenplays and put them into a real-world context. Thus, in addition to writing classes, students study film craft, acting, pitching, and cinema studies, as they apply to screenwriting.
Upon completion of the program, students not only understand story structure, character, conflict and dialogue, but also leave the Academy with finished products that they can pitch, produce, and try to sell.
In the New York Film Academy Australia’s Screenwriting program, students are taught the art of screenwriting through courses in both film studies and screenplay/script analysis.
Students are assigned several writing projects. These projects are subject to critique from instructors and peers during in-class workshops.
CUA51020 - DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA - SCREENWRITING: SEMESTER ONE
Screenwriters are cinematic storytellers. The genesis of any film project is an idea or concept that must be fleshed out into a fully formed screenplay deemed worthy of production. During Semester One, students are introduced to the screenwriter's tools, and develop the skills necessary for writing. Students are encouraged to be creative, but are also taught to think of the screenplay as a tool—the definitive industry tool-- used to articulate an idea or concept to a production team, including producers, financiers, directors, and actors. Standard formatting and industry expectations are studied and analyzed during writing workshops and lectures.
LEARNING GOALS
- In depth study of classic screenplay structure, character arcs, theme, conflict, flashbacks, voiceover, subtext, style, tone, visualization, discipline, and genre.
- Fundamentals of writing and story generation.
- Fundamentals of film production.
- Theory and practice of acting to understand good dialogue and appropriate behavior.
WRITING GOALS
- Write a treatment for a feature-length film.
- Write an outline for a feature-length film.
- Write a full draft of a feature-length film.
- Write a treatment for a television screenplay.
- Write an outline for a television screenplay.
- Write a full draft for a television screenplay.
CUA51020 - DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA - SCREENWRITING: SEMESTER TWO
The second semester challenges students to develop their craft artistically and technically, and to progress beyond their earlier experiments with the feature length screenplay. In a workshop setting, students begin writing and revising a feature length screenplay. Students are expected to share revised or newly written material with their instructors and classmates for critique. During this semester, students also broaden their understanding of the medium of motion pictures through the creation of material for television.
LEARNING GOALS
- Fundamentals of film directing.
- In depth look at treatment writing.
- In depth study of the pitch.
- Standard conventions of TV writing.
WRITING GOALS
- Revise draft of "spec" or write a new "spec" television script.
- Revise draft of "spec" or write a new "spec" feature film script.
- Direct a short film or scene.
- Direct and work with actors for a live “table read” performance of your work.
CUA51020 - DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA - SCREENWRITING: APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested students are invited to complete the application form, with a personal statement, and attend an interview to determine entrance to the program.
This program is delivered in-person at our Gold Coast campus. Click here to learn more about our Online Screenwriting option.