<p>I'm not sure where to start with screenwriting. I'm a sophomore and high school and since the summer I have been really interested in it. There is limited opportunities for me since I'm only 16, but what should I do to practice more and gain more experience? If I really wanted to pursue screenwriting what college would be the best and what major? I want something to fall back on like a lit or business degree. I just can't get screenwriting out of my mind. I have no former experience with cameras and shooting films and/or acting. I'm open to it, but I think I'm interested most in script writing for television shows like Supernatural( A show with a good plot and good characterization)
Do any film/screenwriting majors have any advice or stories?</p>
<p>Hi! I’m also a screenwriting applicant, so maybe I can help a little. If you’re 100% sure about wanting to be a screenwriter, you can apply as a Screenwriting major. The problem is, however, that as an undergraduate, there are only about four schools that offer it, and all of them are extremely competitive. There’s USC, Emerson, NYU and Chapman. </p>
<p>USC SCA was voted the top film school, but it accepts about 4% and has 26 places for Writing for Screen & Television each year. It also focuses on the Hollywood-type cinema.
Emerson is only about $50,000 a year, so it’s cheaper than the other schools. However, it’s quite a small LAC in Boston, and lately a lot of people are complaining about how bad the job prospects are after graduation. I don’t know too much about that, though. It does a pretty good job, however, with balancing indie & Hollywood cinema.
NYU has Dramatic Writing, which is both playwriting and screenwriting. It’s also more focused on independent cinema. Tisch is really expensive, though, and NYU is not too great with financial aid.
I don’t know much about Chapman, I’m sorry.
Screenwriting majors are usually BFA, which is really intensive and doesn’t really let you double major or even minor most of the time. I think Chapman’s degree is BA & Emerson has both BA and BFA, but don’t take this for granted. NYU and USC are definitely BFA. So if you want something to fall back on, I don’t advise you to do screenwriting as a major. Or Film Production, as a matter of fact (although you have more options with that).
Perhaps do Film Studies/Critical Studies, which is film theory, and double major. You can take screenwriting classes too. Or get a minor in Screenwriting. I know USC & NYU offer it.
As on experience, you don’t really need it. A lot of film students didn’t have any before getting accepted.
Hope I could help.</p>
<p>Thank you so much it did! I hope you get into the program you want to. I really want to get into USC, but I don’t know how I would possibly get into something that is 4 percent admittance. I feel like some people have wanted to be screenwriters their whole lives, and I’m a little late.</p>
<p>No, you’re definitely not late. Although I’d been writing whole my life, I never thought about becoming a screenwriter until the beginning of junior year. I had always wanted to be an actor. It doesn’t matter when you start, once you’re into it, you’re on the right track! Good luck!</p>
<p>Oh, I forgot to mention that Drexel has a Playwriting and Screenwriting major as well, though I have to admit I don’t know much about it and couldn’t really find anything online. I don’t know how highly regarded it is in the area, but I find the silence around it slightly alarming.</p>
<p>SUNY Purchase has a Playwriting/Screenwriting major and as a state school is much cheaper than those mentioned. It’s a BA program in the Theatre Conservatory although jointly administered with the Film School. A My daughter is a freshman so I can’t talk too much about it since she’s still in her first semester, but so far she’s very happy. She was very involved in theatre in high school and was the script coordinator in her high school drama club as well as in many plays and musicals but had never written any kind of script before starting the program. Many of the professors work in NYC in theatre and teach part time.</p>