Writing for Film, Television & Games Curriculum

This seven-week course explores the concepts writers need to be aware of and understand to make the choices that best tell their story. Whether directing a documentary or fiction film, VFS students will produce more interesting, complex films when they are aware of, understand or practice the following concepts: the evolution of cinema historically and globally, the significance and characteristics of film form, style, folklore and journey patterns, ideology, anti- narrative film and marginalized voices.

In this hands-on course, students will become completely comfortable with screenwriting software and learn to write screenplays in the correct, up-to-date, industry standard format. The focus here is on writer's drafts, not on shooting scripts, but we will also discuss the differences between them, as well as both feature film and television formats.

The best idea is nothing without the right pitch. This course is designed around structure and delivery of pitches. It is the “how” - how to present ideas dramatically and effectively. Using industry standard methods and practices, students will learn to actively pitch ideas with an eye to concept, theme and genre. This course will consist of lectures, discussions, in-class exercises and out of class prep assignments.

This course provides an overview of the narrative elements that define the dramatic genre and contemporary three act screenplay structure. Students will read and study assigned screenplays to gain an understanding of how narrative elements combine to tell a story and make a screenplay readable. Students will also be introduced to three act structures and learn how to deconstruct a screenplay into three acts. In addition, students will be introduced to the Hero’s Journey as an archetypal structure paradigm.

This is an eight week course in which students will learn how to write an effective short screenplay. In the first 3 classes we will analyse a variety of short films and discuss them in class, breaking them down in terms of character, goals, structure and theme.In the 4th class students will pitch two ideas for a short screenplay to the class and give and listen to feedback. They will then expand their pitch ideas into an 8 - 11 page screenplay, which they will rewrite twice for a total of 3 drafts. All writing is to be done outside of class time. The final 4 classes consist of workshopping drafts 1 and 2 of the short scripts. Students will give and receive feedback before rewriting their drafts.Students will be graded on drafts 2 and 3.

The concept of story is as old as human experience, language, and the desire to make sense of our existence. In this course we’ll explore how to create and deliver causally progressive character driven feature length stories with strong, compelling themes.

In order to write successfully for television, a writer must have a core understanding of genre. Through exploring the various dramatic and comedic formats, students will learn how genre informs the industry in the context and their own writing choices.

In this course, we explore the challenges of incorporating interactive narrative and archetypical folktale patterns through which we gain the secrets to creating powerful interactive worlds that prove irresistible to explore. How do we tell a story for a video game? How do we immerse the player into the game world? How do we make them care for the characters and, most importantly, make the player want to achieve a game’s ultimate goal? We also focus on understanding the techniques of developing a story in a game and giving a step-by-step guideline to creating gaming worlds with interesting problems.

Students will be guided through the various preparatory stages required to write a feature length screenplay. With a pre-selection of one of the low budget story concepts workshopped in Story and Character, the student will be immersed in the process of beating out a clear, uncluttered, causal progression of events, developing the plot into a 26-point beat sheet. The process begins with in-class discussion and whiteboard work on characters, goals, motives and the writer’s story intentions, focusing on character development and key plot points that serve the story and provide the basis of its dramatic structure. When the point of the story is clear and the structure is sound, students will begin work on their beat sheets to explore the possibilities of plot; that is to say, the key, causally progressive events that facilitate character arcs and move the story to an organic conclusion. Attention will be paid to simple questions and simple answers of what happens and why, as opposed to the specifics of how. These 26-point beat sheets (in a document with a 3-page maximum) will then be workshopped and rewritten, moving them from first drafts to viable second drafts in preparation for next term when the student will commence writing pages of their feature.

In this course, students learn the different script formats for half- hour and one-hour television series. They also discover how to write a beat sheet, outline and the first draft of a script for an existing television series. This course consists of screenings, lectures and workshops.

This term two follow up course to Story and Character is delivered in a workshop format and concentrates on further developing character and plotting their arc to fulfill expectations from the low budget feature script assignment from term one.

Plan and Start Writing a Memoir, a Novel, or a Graphic Novel.

Specifically tailored for film, this course will guide students through the steps of writing believable character-driven dialogue. With specific in-class writing exercises, students will be able to identify what makes dialogue interesting, believable and workable. They will create short scenes, from one to three pages long, which they will edit in-between classes. At the end of the course, students are expected to hand in a finished collection of scenes that demonstrate their ability to produce effective film dialogue.

In this course, students will be introduced to the design document, the primary creative document used in the video game industry. Students will learn what goes into a design document, its role within the industry, and how to best use the format as a storyteller. By the end of the course, students will have a completed design document for a game of their own devising.

This genre studies course focuses on close textual analyses of seminal crime dramas, exploring themes and traversing the latitudes and limitations of the genre through a variety of its subgenres, noting how each fulfills specific conventions while still conforming to the classical three act structure and the hero’s journey.

Sketch comedy writing is one of the most popular forms of comedic writing and can lead to a successful career in television, radio or on stage. In this class, students will learn how to create and develop original ideas and concepts for writing their own comedic sketches. They will discover the basic tools and techniques for writing comedy, deconstruct what makes a joke funny and learn to understand comedic structure. They will explore writing sketches individually, with partners and with a group in order to understand the unique dynamics of each.

In this six-week course students will develop the treatment they wrote in basic tools into a full-length feature script. A completed first draft will be workshopped in class. This process will then lead the way for second draft revisions in later terms.

In Introduction to Dialogue Design, students will learn the basics of interactive storytelling through the exploration of examples in video games and interactive fiction. This theory will then be put into practice as students build upon the foundations of what they’ve learned in previous terms, by programming their own interactive narratives and dialogue trees using basic coding techniques.

Everything old is new again. How the programs of the past influence the programs we will be writing in the future. To understand the television and video games of today, it’s important to understand their beginnings. Who were the pioneers of these relatively new mediums? We examine how their creative contributions are still resonating in what the public views today. Through viewing and discussions, this course will focus on how television developed as a medium in the 50s, 60s and 70s, and how video games developed in the 90s and 2000s.

The best idea is nothing without the right pitch. This course is designed around process, structure and content. It is the “how” (how to present ideas dramatically and effectively), then the “what” (content). Using industry standard methods and practices, students will learn to actively pitch ideas with an eye to concept, marketplace, media and genre. This course will consist of lectures, discussions, in-class exercises and out of class prep assignments.

This course provides an overview of the narrative elements that define film genre and applies it to comedies by examining specific sub-genres such as Romantic, Teen, Gross-out, Dark, Family and Buddy/Road comedies. Students will study comedy screenplays to gain an understanding of how narrative elements combine to tell a story, make a screenplay readable, what creates laughter and impact on the page and what inspires the reader.

The second act contains the body of a feature script and it is also the place that can cause the most problems. In this course, students will learn how to construct a strong second act, identify places in their features that are weak and find solutions to make their script stronger while avoiding similar problems in future scripts.

Write and pitch for documentary and unscripted (formerly “reality”) television, including feature documentaries and series, lifestyle television, reno shows, game shows, podcasts, etc.

An examination of the history, conventions and styles of storytelling that make up the scientific and fantastical genres of film writing. This course will consist of reading five major screenplays that best integrate the major aspects of the genres, followed by lectures, film clips and student scripts.

Over the course of this term students pitch two story ideas, and then develop one of those ideas into a one-sheet and then a beat sheet. This course consists of 7 intensive workshops with an instructor and a small group of students providing valuable, informed feedback and discussion that will enable the writer to address issues relating to the completion of a first draft of a feature length screenplay.

In this course, students will pitch three ideas for a five-page webisode or short film script conforming to the production parameters set out in Producing for Writers: Production. One of those ideas will then be developed through first and second draft workshops. A third draft will be submitted to the class and after students read all of the scripts, they will vote on their six favourites in order of preference. The voting preferences will serve as the basis for the selection and formation of the six production teams.

Story editing feature films is the practice of coaching screenwriters one-on-one to bring a screenplay from an early draft into a complete, polished, producible draft. It is an iterative process which demands numerous reads and repeated script analysis. This course encourages critical thinking about films and screenplays and the breakdown/analysis of at least one unproduced screenplay. Story Editing in scripted TV and Reality TV are two other types of work for writers which use similar skill sets in different genres with very different work parameters.

In Interactive Narrative 1, students will learn the basics of interactive storytelling through the exploration of examples in video games and interactive fiction. This theory will then be put into practice as students build upon the foundations of what they’ve learned in previous terms, by programming their own interactive narratives and dialogue trees using basic coding techniques.

In this course, students will create an original game narrative that will form the backbone of their creative work for the rest of the year. Students will create the necessary high-level narrative design documents to lay the foundation for story, dialogue, cinematics and environmental storytelling. The focus here will be on creating a design document for an independent game such as Life Is Strange, Edith Finch, or a game from the former Telltale Games Studio.

In many modern games there is not a single narrative for the player to experience, but rather a living, breathing, oftentimes evolving world for the player to experience. It is the game writer’s responsibility to bring this world to life. In Lore 1, students will learn how lore and systems interact in modern game design to allow for emergent narrative. Topics covered include, world building, codex / diary entries, common world building tropes, common world building pitfalls, and how world building and lore must accommodate mechanical systems. Students will then put this theory into practice by writing an industry standard game “module” for an existing game system.

This course supports students in the creation of an original, sustainable premise for a television series. Using examples from existing TV series, students learn how to pitch, create series bibles and write outlines for original pilot episodes and a second episode of their pilot concept. Students study pilot scripts and watch TV pilot screenings in order to identify key concepts and techniques that will assist them in the development of pilot episodes for their original TV series.

This course tracks the history and development of the Action/Adventure genre over 100 years of cinema. Students will examine Action/Adventure screenplays and films to learn the common patterns and themes of the genre and its sub genres. Students will study organic action techniques to develop antagonists and protagonists specific to this genre. Students will explore Action/Adventure writing techniques such as pacing, suspense, reversals, rug pulls, twists, action gags, and use of the chase, rescue, and escape themes.

Every good writer knows that writing is about rewriting and discovering the story’s potential through focused thought and clear intentions. It’s also about the logical application of craft. This is a two-term course designed to facilitate the rewriting of the students’ low budget feature scripts, with a focus on the set-up to ensure it is a compelling, causally progressive kickass entry into the story. This means a focus on a clear through-line and dramatic arcs based on well developed characters. As each story has its own demands, and some are just a tougher nut to crack than others, students will advance in the rewrite process at their own speed. The ideal outcome would be a complete second draft, but it is rare that things work out that easily. The primary expectation is that each student will have at the least, a complete first act that effectively sets up expectations for Act Two and Act Three, enabling the student to complete the second draft with a clear idea of the climax and resolution. Each student gets three 50-minute workshops per term for a total of 6.

Over the course of two terms this course prepares students for the task of writing their first self-directed, feature length screenplay. In Term 5, students take their beat sheets completed in Term 4, and write a complete first draft meeting with their group every 20 pages. In Term 6, students will take notes given in Term 5 to write a second draft and meet one-on-one with their instructors before workshopping their script in the final half of the term. Combined, this course consists of 14 intensive workshops with an instructor and a small group of students providing valuable, informed feedback and discussion that will enable the writer to address issues relating to the completion of a first draft of a feature length screenplay.

In Lore 2, students will expand on what they learned in Lore 1 by creating a new setting and narrative framework for an existing game system, or for a new game system of their own devising. Topics covered include: ludological systems, threaded narratives, and ludonarrative synergy.

This course will expand the design documents created in Narrative Design 1 to include a 30-page game script with gameplay, dialogue barks and cinematics. The design documents and game scripts will be workshopped and prepped for industry mentors. This process will mirror real life scenarios that narrative teams use to review narrative with senior management at game companies.

Leveraging the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5, students will immerse themselves in the intricate process of scene, actor, and character implementation. The course encapsulates the paramount skill set of a narrative designer: transposing a literary narrative into a tangible, playable experience. The class starts with understanding the engine's basic controls and interface, advancing to blueprints, sequencing, and scripted cameras. The course offers a holistic insight into creating riveting narrative events within the Unreal Engine 5 gaming framework.

Comics and graphic novels are fast becoming a well-respected part of the media industry. Their highly visual nature and relatively low cost of production allow creators to tell a wide variety of stories from traditional “high-concept” superhero tales to smaller, more personal experimental fare – stories that would be prohibitively expensive or difficult to produce in any other medium. In Writing for Comics, students will learn the fundamentals of writing for comic books and graphic novels as well as the basics of online comic production. As part of the course, each student will write and produce in conjunction with the VFS Foundation Program, a segment of an online comic anthology. Students will also write an industry- standard script for a mini-series or graphic novel.

Continuing with the outlines created in TV Pilot 1, this course will develop the outline through to the first draft of an original pilot episode for television. This course will further enhance students’ skills in structure, dialogue, and characterization, while also encouraging them to explore their creativity and discover their own style.

The course will develop the students' first draft of a television speculative (spec) script into a second draft, utilizing the process and structure of a real television story department. In order to become a successful candidate and valuable contributor to a story department, the student will acquire skills in story editing and rewriting their own and other students' television spec scripts.

Many producers and screenwriters are inspired by stories from different mediums (short story, novel, play, or video game), and for many reasons (good story, compelling characters, built-in audience), they want to develop it into a screenplay. The process of adaptation, however, can be a difficult one. Often in trying to remain faithful to the specifics of the original work, the writer creates a technically proficient but often lifeless imitation. Students gain a fundamental understanding of the principles of adaptation including exposition, back-story, theme, point-of-view storytelling, screenplay structure, and the legalities of adapting other mediums and true-life stories. Key exercises include creating step outlines, adapting classic works to new genres, and creating new scenes in a screenplay medium.

If you've written FADE OUT at the end of a 110-page screenplay but find your mind wandering after the first paragraph of an option agreement, this is the course for you. Career Launch, in combination with After the First Draft: The Business Side of Screenwriting - TO GO, will tell you everything you need to know about the nuts and bolts of the screenwriting business

This seven-week course explores the concepts writers need to be aware of and understand to make the choices that best tell their story in the horror or thriller genre. We will examine the history and conventions that make up the horror and thriller genres. This course will consist of reading major screenplays that best integrate the major aspects of the genres, followed by lectures, film clips and student presentations.

Specifically tailored for fiction podcasting and audio drama, this course will guide students through the necessary steps to write compelling, character driven audio drama for a variety of audio genres. Students will examine audio story-telling techniques used by industry audio writers and apply them to their own work. Students will write an audio script conforming to the audio production parameters set out by the instructor. A number of these scripts will be developed through workshops and recorded. Students will be given an overview in audio editing and encouraged to edit and submit a final version.

Write the First Draft of a Memoir, a Novel, or a Graphic Novel.

Professional screenwriters need the ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with filmmakers and vice versa. The purpose of this course is to enable writing students to work collaboratively and creatively towards the final execution of a film concept without needing to create or control every aspect of the process. By engaging in a professional working process with fellow students, participants in this course will engage in concept generation of viable cinematic material, accept world-building notes for individual stories, and (with workshop discussion and delivery of notes) lead in the writing of six short scripts for production in the next term of Film Production. The course is delivered through lectures, small group discussions, workshops, and pitch sessions. Major deliverables include the scripts and world building notes.

In this course students will function as producers instead of writers. Working in teams of 5, the student producers will oversee the entire production process of the stories selected from Producing for Writers: Story Development. They will be charged with hiring crew, disbursing budget funds, scheduling production, securing locations, casting actors, supervising post production and assessing the marketability of their properties. Through learning basic management strategies as well as leadership skills, the students will be placed at the forefront of the projects. During this micro- production, the students will also be instructed in the high-level concepts of each stage as it relates to larger, big-budget productions.

Sketch comedy writing is one of the most popular forms of comedic writing and can lead to a successful career in television, radio or on stage. In this class, students will continue to develop original ideas and concepts for writing their own comedic sketches. They will discover the basics tools and techniques required to rewrite their original comedic sketches as they are prepared for a live exhibition.

Writing for Animation is a unique screenwriting form which leaves room for experimentation and creativity. In this course, we’ll discuss the differences and similarities between writing for animation and writing for live action. Students will complete a series pitch, beat sheet, outline, and polished script for an 11-minute animation series which will be workshopped with their peers. We’ll discuss career building strategies and pitch strategies, portfolio building and networking.

Writing MOWs offers a clear path for students to establish themselves as screenwriters, both in Canada and the US. MOW 1 & 2 are designed to not add too much to the students’ existing homework assignments with reading and writing assigned and where possible it’s kept to a minimum. One of the positives of MOW writing is that the format is naturally written in 8-to-10-page segments or acts and is a hybrid of TV writing and Film writing. MOW is an ideal set of new skills for students taking any stream.

Writing MOWs offers a clear path for students to establish themselves as screenwriters, both in Canada and the US. MOW 1 & 2 are designed to not add too much to the students’ existing homework assignments with reading and writing assigned and where possible it’s kept to a minimum. One of the positives of MOW writing is that the format is naturally written in 8-to-10-page segments or acts and is a hybrid of TV writing and Film writing. MOW is an ideal set of new skills for students taking any stream.

As the industry moves away from cinematics in games, much of the experience happens while players are in control. One of the techniques used by game writers and narrative designers is Environmental Storytelling, IE, gameplay scenarios that invite participation, curiosity and observation. Environmental Storytelling ensures that the player remains constantly connected to the narrative through uninterrupted gameplay and immersive surroundings. The act of staging the environment to serve the narrative allows players to draw meaningful conclusions without resorting to cut-scenes or cinematics. This process means working intimately with designers and artists to ensure each department has the same goals for the story.

In Interactive Narrative 2, students will expand on the skills developed in Interactive Narrative 1 and Lore 1 to create and implement playable quests for a modern AAA title. Topics covered include, in-engine implementation of narrative concepts, working with developer toolsets, dialogue design, and implementing “narrative support techniques” such as “barks,” side quests, and diegetic lore.

Using original narrative content students will create a short cinematic scene using performance capture technology and the Unreal game engine. Students will write, pre-viz, cast the actors, rehearse and then shoot the scene at the Beyond Capture stage. Following the shoot, students will do post-production using Premiere editing software.

In this course, students will write the first draft of the second episode of their TV Pilot idea, continuing from the outline they developed in Term 5.

In this course, students will continue working on the pilot they’ve created in Terms 4 and 5, writing and workshopping a second draft of their teleplay. Students will also discuss marketing possibilities of their series.

In this course, students will break down episodes of an existing television series to understand the structure, plot, characters, tone, and central drive. The students will then collaboratively pitch, write and re-write an episode in a simulated writers’ room.