Hello! Welcome to Screenwriting Foundations: Crafting Compelling Stories for Film, the writing component of your Screenwriting Journey. This course is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work as a writer in today’s film industry. Screenwriting Foundations: Crafting Compelling Stories for Film provides insight into the work of a screenwriter – a deep understanding of film storytelling and professional scripts, short-form and full-length scripts, professional working practices, and employment strategies. Specific topics range from story structure and formatting scripts to actually producing the film.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize the basic plot structures, character archetypes, and genres of films
- Construct a screenplay using industry-standard formatting
- Identify resources for developing a script past the first draft
- Understand the process for producing a film
Requirements
Coursework
Complete each lesson in the Screenwriting Foundations: Crafting Compelling Stories for Film course. As you progress through each lesson, make sure to press complete before moving on to the next.
Mentorship
You are in one of the following pair types. You pair type is listed on your GWN Portal profile.
- Mentor/Mentee: Meet 2-3 times per month and, as a pair, attend one of the engagement events listed below at least once per month.
- Peer-to-Peer: Meet 2 times per month and, as a pair, attend one of the engagement events listed below at least once per month.
Engagement Types
Please attend at least one table read workshopping/critique and at least one live event related to the film industry.
- College and Career Chats
- Workshopping/Critique
- Community Studio
Submissions
Submit a draft of a short film (10-45 pages).
Engagement Dates
- February 11, 2025: Orientation Studio (7-8pm ET)
- March 8, 2025: Workshopping/Critique 1 (12:30-1:30pm ET)
- March 9, 2025: We Have the Tools: A Forum on Youth Impact in partnership with Athena Film Festival (10am-2pm ET)
- April 28, 2025: Workshopping/Critique 2 (6-7pm ET)
- April 29, 2025: TV/Film Career Chat (4:45-6pm ET)
- May 24, 2025: Workshopping/Critique 3 (10-11am ET)
- May 27, 2025: Workshopping/Critique 4 (6-7pm ET)
Please check the Announcements tab for information on upcoming live events.
Submissions
Check your email for the link to your folder in Google Drive. There, you can find instructions for formatting a Google Doc. If you decide to use other software, you can upload the script (preferably as a PDF) to your folder. Your short film is due January 31. If you’d like to submit something for publication on the GWN website or the anthology, go to this link (girlswritenow.org/stories/submit/) for instructions on submitting material through the portal.
