76-269 Introduction to Screenwriting

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

This is a course in screenplay narrative. The screenplay has a certain format observed by every screenwriter. It is not so difficult to learn the format. The difficulty is in developing a screen story populated by believable characters, creating an expressive and logical relationship between the scenes by manipulating screen space and screen time (knowing what to omit from the story and what to emphasize), and finally writing dialogue that sounds real, but that does not simply copy everyday speech. The class will be structured into weekly writing exercises, discussion of the narratives under consideration, presentation and discussion of student work, and a final writing project.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Spring 2027, Fall 2026, Spring 2026, Fall 2025

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