Tuesday, July 07, 2026
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Virtual Event
Tri-C’s Film Academy is an intensive program that offers a streamlined series of courses designed to maximize professional instruction in a fraction of the time.
Register
In the world of independent film, a short script is more than just a story — it is a professional calling card. This course is designed for writers and aspiring filmmakers who want to hone their short-form storytelling skills while staying grounded in the realities of production.
Through a blend of lecture and in-class feedback from their instructor and peers, participants will transform an initial seed of an idea into a polished screenplay. We will focus on maximizing narrative tension with limited locations and cast sizes, ensuring each script is both artistically ambitious and producible. By the end of this course, participants will have developed a structured 12-page (or less) short film script and gained a practical understanding of how to write stories that are achievable on an independent budget.
Week 1: What defines a short film, and why it's a unique medium. Factors that affect producibility.
Week 2: World building, loglines, and character development.
Week 3: Outlining and structure: transforming an idea to a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
Week 4: Scene work, pacing, and dialogue. Industry-standard software and formatting.
Week 5: Dealing with feedback and working with a director. How to end your story with a bang.
Week 6: Next steps: first jobs in the industry, career tracks for writers.
Contact for more info about workshops and scholarships: olivia.villasenor@tri-c.edu