USC/NYU for screenwriting (HELP!)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

<p>Alright guys well let me start off by saying I live in Massachusetts, and I am starting community college first this fall before I plan to transfer anywhere. My goals are to get into either USC, UCLA, NYU or Emerson in boston.</p>

<p>I have a couple of questions that need to be answered. Please help!</p>

<ol>
<li><p>What is the best thing to take in community college that will secure my credits when I transfer? (Creative writing, Communications, etc)</p></li>
<li><p>How do I start building a solid portfolio? What exactly are writing samples?</p></li>
<li><p>Can I major in writing and minor in film?</p></li>
<li><p>Once at uni, what is the best way to find an internship?</p></li>
<li><p>How does the whole "credits" thing work? </p></li>
<li><p>What should I be doing in my 2 years of community college to prepare to apply for a film school?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Please answer all my questions. Thank you in advance!</p>

2

<p>Bump .</p>

3

<p>I would suggest you talk with your CC teachers regarding questions (#2,#3) and counselor regarding (#1,#4,#5 and #6) the university websites for (#2 and #3) as well as research the internet. Good luck!</p>

4

<p>For #1, you can get a sense of the classes you should be taking by going on to each school’s website and browsing for their undergraduate college and/or major/department requirements. Generally speaking, there will be two type of requirements, your major/department requirements, and the college/school’s requirements.
On USC’s website you can find a transfer curriculum that is required for the college/school requirements, and they may or may not have one for the specific major/department you are interested in. Most all schools will tend to list this in their transfer admissions section or in their “academics” section.</p>

<p>General education classes are what will most likely transfer. These type of classes are non-specific courses like Sociology 101, Psych 101, Biology 101, Chemistry 101, English 101, History 101, Poly Sci 101, Philosophy 101, Art History 101, etc. These type of classes are what will transfer to fulfill the school/college requirements. You can get a good sense of what categories to pick from by looking at each school’s college/school requirements. </p>

<h1>4 You will have to visit the career center/offices of your school. The sooner the better. This will help to familiarize yourself with their reference system(be it having access to their online job/career/internships postings, joining mailing lists, etc). In addition to this, other resources might include the city’s craigslist. NYC and LA both have craigslists where people/companies/organizations in the film and theater industry post on.</h1>

<h1>3 You can major in anything. You can major in writing, and minor in film. You can even major in English(or any major) and take writing classes on the side(some schools allow you to take up creative writing or screen writing as minors without having to be in the film department). I personally would have a back up plan if you plan to only apply to the film departments at some of these schools. If your dead set on writing as a career, sometimes what is most important is who you know in the industry. The resources and connections that you have access to by simply attending target schools can trump having the “correct” or “right” major at non-target schools. I think being either a non writing or non film major(and taking writing classes or film classes as electives/or on the side) at schools like USC and NYU, can take your farther than being dead set on being a film or writing major(in the film department) at other schools. I’m not going to dissuade you from applying as a film or writing(in the film department) major at USC and NYU, but be aware (I’m assuming) that admissions into these departments is extremely competitive. If your admissions chances into these departments are less than (for example) 10% it might be smarter/safer to seek admissions into a department/major where your chances of admissions will be higher. Often time the English department will have a writing major or minor. UCLA has a creative writing minor, which I believe is limited to English majors(i may be wrong, you’d have to check).</h1>

<p>Lastly, a good resource that may be of service to you is looking at the UC’s “I.G.E.T.C.” I know you’re not attending a community college in california, but I think UC’s IGETC is a very good broad curriculum that covers most of the general education requirements at most schools. (This is why so many students who tend to apply to UCs for transfer, also apply to USC). By looking at the classes that fit the curriculum, you can get a sense of what is similar at your community college.
To give you an idea of what a film school may require, read the following, which is from assist.org for UCLA’s film department.
Undergraduates in the film and television program take courses in: critical
studies- the history, theory, and aesthetics of both film and television;
production- film, television (studio and field), digital, experimental, and
animation; and film and television craft- writing, directing , cinematography,
and editing. Recommended courses prior to entrance include: American film
history, European film history, American television history , and one theater
course.
As you can see most of the above classes aren’t really specific, they’re “academic” classes. Of course if you need help developing a writing portfolio before applying to some of the schools that will require a portfolio, taking classes(even if they don’t transfer) in writing/communications may help.</p>

<p>*After submitting the above, I went back and reread your post. You will find that most creative writing programs are a part of an English department. The type of classes you need for English majors, will often be literature classes. These literature classes will also tend to count for the general education requirements a college/school may require of you. You can find UCLA’s english requirements on assist.org.</p>

5

<h1>2: If you need to ask what writing samples are, you might want to reconsider going into writing. A writing sample is exactly what it sounds like: a sample of your writing. Write often, write well to build a portfolio. You should already be writing a lot (and have a few pieces finished, be they scripts, poems or short stories) if you’re really interested in creative writing of any sort.</h1>

<h1>3: Confused at what you’re asking. At USC, being in the BFA Screenwriting program and minoring in film would be superfluous; many of the classes required for any major within SCA (Production, Writing, Critical Studies) are also required of the film minor. You’ll get enough production experience being a WST major at USC and you’ll have access to take many production classes. It’s much more in your favor to minor in something non-film related as a way to improve your resume and/or your writing skills.</h1>

<h1>4: You find internships by applying to internship postings. SCA has a job board that regularly posts internships for film students. It can also come through networking. There’s really no clear path to getting a film internship, but if you’re smart and dedicated, getting one from being an SCA student won’t be difficult. Finding a beneficial film internship, however, can be hard.</h1>

<h1>6: If you’re trying to apply to screenwriting, the best think you can do is WRITE. A LOT. ALL THE TIME. Get people to read your writing, read your writing in public forums (like poetry readings, etc), publish your writing in your CC’s newspaper or lit mag or magazine. Start a blog. Keep a journal or notebook with you at all times. Write, write, write.</h1>

<p>I was a BFA WST major at USC; I also applied to Emerson and NYU for screenwriting. You should also know that all three programs are VERY different from one another. I sort of regret doing screenwriting at USC (but I don’t regret attending USC) because their program is very oriented towards big-budget “Hollywood” scripts. NYU, on the other hand, is more for writers with an “independent” voice. Emerson splits the difference, but if you want a job – USC or NYU is the way to go.</p>

<p>The other things aren’t so much “screenwriting” specific as they are general CC transfer specific. Can’t really help you out there.</p>

6

<p>I actually just transferred to USC after a year of community college, so I can give you some advice on that one but the rest I don’t know much about. UCLA is very hard to get into if you are out of state and is IMO not worth the cost. I got into NYU as a high school senior (rejected from USC and UCLA) and they have THE WORST FINANCIAL AID EVER. They expected me to pay OUT OF POCKET an amount that was 10k over my family’s income, while USC gave me a full university grant to cover my tuition (plus loans that I ended up not even having to take out and extra grant money for books). If money is an issue for you and your family, don’t even bother with UCLA and NYU. Emerson also has ok financial aid. I have a friend who goes there and likes it so far. Lifelong debt is not worth it so keep that in mind!</p>

<ol>
<li><p>What is the best thing to take in community college that will secure my credits when I transfer? Google “USC articulation history” and look up your school. My community college (which was in northwest Chicago) had TONS of classes that students had previously transferred there, which helped me out a lot when I was picking out classes. I took 30 credits at my CC and all 30 of them transferred. You want to stick to broad surveys like Intro to Sociology and Intro to Psychology that you know have lower-division equivalents in the USC course catalog.</p></li>
<li><p>How do I start building a solid portfolio? What exactly are writing samples?
It really depends on the specific program you’re applying to. Critical Studies is the program I’m in and for our writing sample we basically had to write a review of anything film-related. I wrote about the miniseries John Adams, it was about 6 pages long I think. I had used the same review for an AP US History paper the year before so all I did was edit it a little bit. I also used the same sample when I applied to NYU’s Cinema Studies program. If you haven’t already made some movies that you’re confident in, then you should start now. If you don’t think you can make a good short film by the time you have to apply or you don’t have access to the right equipment or something then don’t apply to a Production-based program. That was my problem – I love film but I don’t really have access to a camera or any real editing software. Luckily the Critical Studies supplement only required writing samples. And Critical Studies majors have access to equipment and are allowed to take Production courses too, so you are in no way limited by the major you choose (at least at USC).</p></li>
<li><p>Can I major in writing and minor in film?
Technically… yes. You can major in USC’s Writing for Screen & TV program and minor in Cinematic Arts, but what good would that do you? When I first applied I had hoped to major in Production and minor in Screenwriting but in the year that I had to rework my application I realized how BORING that must have sounded to the people reading my essays! If you are majoring in any of the film programs you can easily take classes from the other programs (and sometimes it’s required, like all Critical Studies majors have to take two Production courses). Like I said, you’re NOT restricted by the program you choose because you will still have access to the same resources as everyone else in the school. What I’m doing now is majoring in film and minoring in something called Consumer Behavior (through the school of business, very similar to Marketing/Advertising). Pick a minor that will help you learn more about the world around you so that you make better movies! Seriously! USC even has a scholarship for people who major/minor in completely different areas.</p></li>
<li><p>Once at uni, what is the best way to find an internship?
USC has something called the SCA Community which is basically a portal that gives you access to their job board. I’m looking at the job board right now and there are 300 internships listed. It’s really not difficult to FIND one, it’s getting one that’s hard. But USC also has “career meetings” that you can go to where they help you improve your resume so that you CAN get a good internship. :slight_smile: Plus, you’re in LA and you have the Trojan Mafia backing you up.</p></li>
<li><p>How does the whole “credits” thing work?
Like… college credits? Each class you take is a certain amount of credits/units/chocolate coins/whatever. At my CC it was basically the amount of hours you spent in that class per week = the amount of credit you got for that class, roughly. Most classes at USC are 4 units, some of the writing and production classes are 2 or 3 because they have to be taken together. Here a lot of my classes are 4 hour lectures in which you listen to the professor for a little bit, then watch a movie, and then discuss it. I don’t really know what else you’re asking, hahaha. As far as transferring credit (and this was a problem for me), the amount of credit you take a class for at your CC is the amount of credit you get, even if USC’s equivalent to that class is worth a different amount. For example, I took Sociology 101 for 3 credits but at USC the same class (SOCI 200) is worth 4 units. They only gave me 3 units for it even though they gave me credit for the same class on my transfer credit report.</p></li>
<li><p>What should I be doing in my 2 years of community college to prepare to apply for a film school?
You don’t even have to stay for two years. I only stayed for one. The best thing that you can do is get your gen eds out of the way! USC doesn’t accept film production type classes for transfer credit so taking those will not do you any good. Look up your school’s articulation history with USC and then look up USC’s general education requirements. You can easily get those out of the way and then have plenty of room to take all of the film classes you need to take to graduate. However, like I said, I recommend only doing CC for one year because that’s plenty of time to get everything done. I don’t know about the other schools, but for me I had to squeeze a lot of classes into my three years at USC in order to major and minor. I wanted to study abroad too, which is VERY difficult to do if you’re at CC for two years and intend to graduate in four years.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Hope that helped! :)</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>OP was asking specifically about portfolios to SCREENWRITING programs; both USC and NYU’s writing programs ask for a portfolio of WRITING (nothing else) that’s about 40 pages long. USC’s WST BFA application also requires you write scenes and pieces structured around a prompt or scenario. No films necessary.</p>

<p>The portfolio doesn’t need to have scripts, either. Mine was all short stories and a few scenes from a play I had put on in HS.</p>

8

<p>Sorry, must’ve missed the part where they said the major. Assumed they were asking about Production.</p>

9

<p>It’s in the thread title… ;)</p>

10

<p>Hiya. I might be the person you want to talk to. I am a transfer to the Writing for Screen and Television program at USC in my first semester. A year ago I was in your shoes. </p>

<p>1. What is the best thing to take in community college that will secure my credits when I transfer? (Creative writing, Communications, etc)
The first thing you want to do is look up the articulation agreement USC has with your community college. Then, go over that articulation and knock out ALL OF THE GENERAL ED CLASSES YOU CAN! I cannot stress this enough! I arrived at USC with all the general ed’s done (with the exception of the two you HAVE to take at USC) and I am in a pretty sweet place right now. In the screenwriting program, GE’s are spaced out each year. Knock them all out now and you won’t have to do one each semester. You can instead focus on your writing/film. I’m able to do this. It’s awesome. </p>

<p>Keep in mind that USC will not take screenwriting classes that you took at your community college. That being said - take them anyway if you have time. How else will you be able to present the admissions staff a good sample of your writing? </p>

<p>2. How do I start building a solid portfolio? What exactly are writing samples?
…which brings us to question 2. Take a screenwriting/creative writing class once a semester if you can. Work with your teacher and have them help you out. That’s what they’re there for. I owe it all to my teacher at my community college for where I am today. They’re valuable resources - use them! </p>

<p>3. Can I major in writing and minor in film?
You definitely can. But…why? You’ll be able to take other film-related classes when you make it to USC. Also, you probably won’t even get to talk about minoring until after your first year. Hold off on that for a bit. </p>

<p>4. Once at uni, what is the best way to find an internship?
USC SCA has a job board for this. Also, you won’t get to intern your first year. I’m not able to anyway, and I have most of my general ed’s done! Worry about that later too. </p>

<p>5. How does the whole “credits” thing work?
The way it works at other community colleges and universities. As you’ll later read (and stress over), it takes 30 units/credits at your community college to keep USC from basing their admission decision primarily on your HS record. Focus on spending two years at your community college to be safe.</p>

<p>A NOTE: I recently discovered than when my decision was made, the admissions people only saw 27 credits on my transcript! Mind you, I had a horrible HS record and no SAT scores. This is just my little note to you that while you should keep your grades up as best as you can, your entry into the SCA is based on your portfolio first, grades second. </p>

<p>6. What should I be doing in my 2 years of community college to prepare to apply for a film school?
It’s hard to say. I would personally just spend my free time learning more about the craft of screenwriting outside of class. Read books. Read scripts. Read news. Focus on what makes a story good (characters, three act structure, non-lengthy dialogue, etc). Go from there. Be creative. Work a job - most of my writing comes from working horrible customer service jobs. </p>

<p>TL;DR: Focus on your GE’s with writing on the side for the first year. I’d recommend two years at the community college, but that’s just me.</p>

11

<p>Zelda - well, they said they wanted to major in writing and minor in film so I assumed the thread title was a generic question about the film programs. ;)</p>

<p>imaginationiskey - I misunderstood your intent the first time. If you are 100% set on applying to the Writing BFA program then keep in mind that REGARDLESS of how many credits you transfer, you will still have to spend four years at USC because the curriculum for that specific program is structured that way. If you can’t take on that financial burden or don’t want to spend six years working on an undergraduate degree, then I recommend majoring in Production or Critical Studies and just taking some writing classes.</p>

12

<p>Thank you very much guys. I have finished my first semester very poorly. It’s time to step up my game. I have recently switched majors from Criminal Justice to Communications and my schedule is as following:</p>

<p>Psychology for Success</p>

<p>Intro to Psych</p>

<p>Film, video and society</p>

<p>English Composition 2: An Intro To Literature</p>

<p>This is my second semester as a “freshman” in CC. Is it looking good? </p>

<p>I have recently decided I either want to go to Emerson in Boston (I live in Mass) or USC in L.A (my cousin lives in L.A so it wouldn’t be too bad) and i’m interesting in their screenwriting programs.</p>

<p>I currently attend Middlesex Community College in Lowell, MA. I looked at the articulation history, but it confuses me extremely. Can somebody post what GE classes I need in order to be able to transfer to USC and Emerson in an easier way to understand? Thanks for your help and support guys.</p>

13

<p>Is English your second language?</p>

<p>Please be aware all these schools have competitive admissions. Your portfolio and application must stand out among hundreds of highly talented individuals. Be sure to select a “safety school” when it is time to apply that is an academic safety as well as a financial safety.</p>

<p>It is all right to ask questions, but expect to do quite a bit of research on your own about various schools, programs, financial aid, admission requirements and internship opportunities.</p>