Feature Screenwriting I

Get ready to take a deep dive into the craft of writing powerful, industry-ready feature film treatments. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to shape unforgettable stories from the ground up—developing compelling characters, building explosive conflicts, and writing dialogue that leaps off the page.

We’ll break down the eight-sequence structure and the timeless Hero’s Journey, using both to create stories that grab readers from the first line. Along the way, you’ll sharpen your storytelling instincts, master professional formatting, and build the discipline it takes to write at a professional level.

This course welcomes writers of all levels. If you’ve always been curious about screenwriting, or if you’ve experimented with scripts before and want to deepen your understanding, you’ll be right at home here. No prior knowledge is required. The course is structured to support beginners while offering valuable insights for more experienced writers.

Class is scheduled to meet on these dates:  2/9, 2/23, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30, 4/6. Please mark your calendar.

About the instructor: Claude Kerven’s career is highlighted by his Emmy Award-winning work in children’s television, directing over 25 short films for Saturday Night Live, and his most recent directorial work, They Never Found Her, starring Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale). As a screenwriter, Claude co-authored Mortal Thoughts, which starred Bruce Willis, and worked as a staff writer for director/producer Sam Raimi (Spiderman). Clause was chair of the Filmmaking Program at the New York Film Academy from 1994-2022 and continues to teach for the academy online.