Intro to Screenwriting Prof. Knouse - Eng 323 SNHU

It’s week seven—the big one—and your final scripts are due! There’s no discussion board this week so you can focus all your energy on revising, refining, and completing your screenplay. I’ve finished reading through your drafts and provided detailed feedback, especially on formatting, which is a crucial element in the industry. Along with your final script, don’t forget to submit your feedback journal reflecting on the suggestions you used or chose to skip. Keep pushing forward, and don’t hesitate

Week six is here, which means you're in the home stretch! I’ve graded your rough drafts and kept formatting expectations flexible, but be prepared for a more detailed critique on your final drafts. This week, we’re diving into the importance of screenplay formatting—especially dialogue placement and action description—and how these elements serve the visual and collaborative nature of film. You'll also be writing coverage, a valuable industry skill used by agents and production companies to

Week four marks a significant transition in the course from analyzing to actively writing your short films. It's crucial now to focus on proper screenplay formatting, which signals professionalism to producers, agents, and directors. If you haven't already, securing screenwriting software like Final Draft or Celtx is essential; these tools help ensure your script adheres to industry standards, where one page approximately equals one minute of screen time. Formatting helps predict production elements

Welcome to Week 3! Last week, we began shaping your ideas, and I provided feedback on your summaries and loglines. This week, we're diving into how to structure those ideas using the classic three-act structure, a narrative model refined over millennia, originating from Aristotle's principles. Understanding this structure is crucial, as it is foundational to storytelling, with variations ranging from Shakespeare’s five acts to Blake Snyder’s 15 beats in "Save the Cat." However, for the short films

Week 1 saw impressive loglines from everyone, and now Week 2 focuses on deepening your screenwriting skills. This week, you need to post a logline and summary of your short film on the discussion board for peer review. The majority of your grade (90%) hinges on the quality of the feedback you provide, highlighting strengths, identifying areas for improvement, and making constructive suggestions. Ensure your feedback is thorough to not only help your peers but to also meet the grading

Welcome to English 323: Introduction to Screenwriting, led by your instructor, Dustin Knouse. Based in Los Angeles, Dustin is an active screenwriter and film professional who also runs a podcast production company. This course is tailored to immerse you in the screenwriting process, focusing on writing, watching, and critiquing films to hone your skills. You'll be tasked with writing a short screenplay, reviewing peer work, and refining your script based on feedback, a crucial skill in the