John Warren is a teacher and academic director in the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television. He has worked as a screenwriter, producer and director in Los Angeles for nearly 25 years. This summer, he will be teaching the course Preparing the Screenplay as part of the Writing in Florence program.
What exactly is Preparing the Screenplay about? We’ve asked John Warren to break it down for us:
“Preparing the Screenplay takes students from the inception of an idea, through the development of the story and, finally, to a full beat-sheet (outline) for a screenplay. I will include lectures on the practical aspects of the film and TV business (how Hollywood works). I will talk about how to get an agent or manager, what to expect from an agent or manger. I will walk you through steps of a Hollywood pitch meeting. I will discuss optioning material, adaptation, working with a producer, director, studio executive and actors, and more. By the end of our stay in Florence you will be ready to write your feature screenplay or TV pilot.
La Pietra in Florence
The class will operate as a workshop: students will collaborate with one another on all aspects of creating and developing their stories. Of course, I will lead discussions and give lectures on subjects such as elements of story, genre writing, developing the character, writing the scene, writing a treatment and so on. You will be encouraged to meet and work together in small groups outside of class. For instance, in an exercise called ‘writing the scene’, you might write a scene, rehearse it will fellow students (outside class), receive notes and do a rewrite before having the scene acted out in class.
What will students need? Students should arrive in Florence with several ideas for either a feature screenplay or a TV pilot. The first lecture will be on the art of pitching. And, during the first week, you will be expected to pitch your idea(s).”
Ready to apply? Writing in Florence is open to not only NYU Tisch students, but also visiting students from other colleges and universities.
The application deadline is March 4! Click here for Tisch Summer Study Abroad Admissions information. Learn more about John Warren.