Writing the Short Script

Short films offer screenwriters the opportunity to showcase compelling storylines, demonstrate their ability to craft captivating characters and engaging dialogue, and collaborate with directors—without breaking the bank. Using successful short screenplays as study texts, we explore the creative and financial value of writing short scripts, including how they provide an efficient, low-risk form in which to explore an idea, character, or theme; and how the film a short script becomes can be used as a proof-of-concept for a feature film or television show, a calling card to introduce oneself to potential producers, or an effective way to gather attention and cultivate an audience. Our study texts include short scripts that eventually became feature films (like Damien Chazelle's Whiplash and Dee Rees' Pariah), streaming successes (like Sarah Gertrude Shapiro's Sequin Raze (which became UnREAL), and Donald Glover's Clapping for the Wrong Reasons (Atlanta), or both (like Justin Simien's Dear White People). Weekly exercises include journaling, brainstorming, and giving and receiving feedback. By the end of the semester, students have written, workshopped, and table read one 20-page script.