<p>I'm currently a sophomore in high school and want to get a major in screen writing so I can become a writer for TV. What do I have to do in order to get into USC School of Cinematic Arts?</p>
<p>Hey! I am also aspiring to go to USC. For now, I can advise:</p>
<p>1) Do well in school. VERY WELL. USC looks not only for talent, but for good academic skills.
2) Write, write, write. Enter writing competitions, keep a daily journal, write reviews of TV shows/movies, ect. Writing would only build your chances of getting into USC.
3) Get involved in other things. Although this seems to contract what I said in #2, it’s still true. But when you do get involved, make sure it’s writing-centered. Write for the school newspaper, write scripts and pitch them for local theaters, ect. </p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>is there anyone who had gone to or is going to USC SCA that can give a few tips???</p>
<p>I got into SCA this year as a transfer for production. I applied last year as a transfer for the writing program and got rejected. I’d second a lot of what tofugirl101 says. </p>
<p>You should do well in school. You don’t have to get straight A’s as SCA seems to look more for talent and creativity imo. I got rejected last year with a 3.82 and accepted with a 3.66 gpa this year. Just do the best you can. If you get a 3.5+ you’ll be fine, sometimes you can get even lower and still have a good shot. I definitely agree with the writing suggestion. Write and read scripts everyday. Screenplay format changes the way one would typically write a story. The requirements for the SCA writing app as of right now are to write three 5 min screenplays, along with some other things you can look up. If you write scripts everyday you’ll have a huge advantage over everyone else. Writing well in screenplay format is difficult, the more you do it the easier it will be. But overall if anything I say that they look for talent and the ability to write a story. Write a good story and you’ll beat out everybody. Learn as much as you can from history, sociology, english, watch movies, read books etc. You’ll be able to tell many more stories the more you know.</p>
<p>tofugirl also makes a good point to do as many ec’s that involve writing. SCA likes to see dedication to writing and film. If you can, I’d even recommend that you maybe write and direct some of your own films; just some cheap crappy ones. Any writing that you do or films you make will only go to making you a stronger story teller and that’s all they’re really looking for; someone with the ability to tell good stories. Sadly, I do think it comes more naturally to some then others but I think that people can learn how to get better.</p>
<p>Write a good story and you’ll get in; well…actually 3 stories and a couple essays. If you have a entertaining story you can take it to any film school and be admitted no problem. The same goes for people trying to get into production. I got into both Tisch and SCA, and I’m sure it was all because of the movie I made.</p>
<p>Look at the thread started by digmedia on the top of this board, advice to future film production majors. In addition to writing, try to be involved with making films. Show your passion for the topic. Work on your own, or work with others. Make films for classes at school, get involved in local film festivals.</p>
<p>Walk around now with a notepad. When you hear dialogue around you that captures your attention, write the phrase down, word-for-word. You’ll learn how to write dialogue that sounds the way people actually speak. </p>
<p>Also if you notice someone says something that causes someone else to take an action, that’s noteworthy. If a friend says, “don’t cry” does the other person really stop crying? Likely not. Perhaps instead they say, “Aw, come here…” or reaches out an arm of comfort. Then she stops crying. </p>
<p>Learn who are the screenwriters you admire; see several of their films; break them apart in your mind as to why they work. Read reviews.</p>
<p>When you see a film based on a novel (an adaptation), find and read the novel. Figure out how the screenwriter turned it into a screenplay. Many films are adapted from novels or short stories.</p>
<p>For fun, take your favorite TV show, write an episode, using the characters as developed already. Or try introducing a brand new character in your episode, and all the current characters react to him/her. Resolve it.</p>
<p>Improve your own storytelling skills while in h.s. When you talk among friends, notice who’s a good (magnetic, convincing, popular) storyteller and watch what they do. When you describe your day to family or friends, narrate it from a clear personal point-of-view. Not only what happened, but set up what you were thinking as it happened; how you felt before, during, after the event; who else was there and why that mattered, etc. </p>
<p>In other words, keep working on your storytelling skills, starting now. Listen much more than you speak, but find people who like to talk film or TV with you intelligently.</p>
<p>If you haven’t seen much of it, see live theater (dramatic or comedic plays), including outside your high school. Look up Community Theater or Regional Theater in your area. It doesn’t cost a fortune for a ticket, and it’ll deepen your outlook on TV shows. Consider volunteering there.</p>
<p>Full Disclosure: I don’t know figs about USC School of Cinematic Arts. My son just graduated Chapman U/Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, with a double major in Screenwriting and History. The schools are competitors. Anything I wrote above is just gleaned from listening to him over the past 4 years, filtered through a parent untrained in these areas. FWIW.</p>
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<p>P.S. This is my own “axe to grind” but I’d like to also suggest, follow the news, either by daily newspaper, daily reading of a major city national newspaper (or two) online, AND find a favorite TV news anchor. (More than, say, Colbert and Stewart, although we’d never miss a day of them either!). Don’t stop with “faux news” although it’s a great genre, isn’t it?</p>
<p>Develop a sense of the nation, globe and its cultures. You’ll have much more to write about than whether or not your girlfriend/boyfriend loves you. YMMV (your mileage may vary) but this happens to be something that I think distinguishes some young screenwriters above others. The news is full of fabulous “stories”, from the recent assasination of Osama bin Laden to human interest features. My brother also tells me that sports journalists have the largest vocabulary and can tell a story brilliantly. How many ways can you say “win” (vanquished, stomped…). LOL.</p>