Scriptwriting: The Short Film (FLM364)

FLM364 Scriptwriting: The Short Film is a highly practical course that builds on the foundation established in FLM361 Scriptwriting: Telling a Compelling Story (the prerequisite course for FLM364). It is a common misconception that a short film is a brief version of a feature film. Students will learn how a short film actually needs to tell a story in imaginative ways that immediately grab attention. Students will go through the process of developing an outline, crafting compelling characters and situations, and writing a script for a short film.

• Why short films matter and why 10- to 15-minute shorts are more in demand than 30-minuters
• Case studies: 2-Act and 3-Act short films
• Genres and the story world
• Innovate: Reinterpret, fuse, create something new
• The Why and What of your story
• Outlining and breaking down the scenes
• Hooking the audience
• Improving character introductions and weaving in back story
• Making characters inhabit their space
• Disguising exposition with the right placement and withholding of information
• Elevating a scene with analogies
• Crafting the dialogue

• Deconstruct story and character.
• Construct an outline that shows clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
• Use screenwriting techniques to hook the audience.
• Develop and refine characters and scenes.
• Experiment with ways of writing exposition.
• Create a script for a short film.