If you want to check out the possibility of taking screenwriting courses online, UCLA Extension’s Writers’ Program is hosting their annual Cyberhouse event beginning Monday, June 1 through Wednesday, June3. You can go here to register. By the way, it’s free.
I’ve taught online courses through the Writers’ Program since 2002 (at last count, 25 courses in all). There are about 210 online writing classes offered. And I can vouch for the screenwriting instructors, almost all of whom are WGA members and professional writers.
Any of you who have taken courses through the Writers’ Program, how about offering an opinion on your experience.
UPDATE: Per Judy in comments, when you register, you need to do this:
There’s a prompt asking you to select a “credit” option. You must give it a pop, then select “dp not record” — which is the only option there.
Thanks, Judy!
Free opportunity to mix it up with the UCLA facilty — I’m there. Well I did go there, but wasn’t able to register. IF you’ve never taken a class from UCLA before, and want to register for the Cyberhouse event, how’s that work?
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
That doesn’t make sense, E.C. Is this the link you tried?
I did go to this link. Clicking “CHECKOUT” does NOTHING. Entering the cource number in the box above, and pressing enter does nothing. Hence, though try as I did, I could not regsiter for the Cyberhouse event.
Issue still remains. How does one SUCESSFULLY register for the event.
- E.C. Henry
Here’s how…
There’s a prompt asking you to select a “credit” option. You must give it a pop, then select “dp not record” — which is the only option there.
I tried a couple of times before seeing that.
Ypu’ll love it.
Oh,wait. I forgot to respond, Scott.
I’ve taken a bunch of courses through the Writers Program. Spectacular learning goes on in them. Solid instruction. Wonderful experiences critiquing classmates’ work and receiving critiques. Meeting people who are willing — and able — to help you with your screenwriting career goals.
Scott’s the BEST. Yet, when he’s not teaching a course, I have found other terrific pro teachers and have grabbed every bit of knowledge I could from them.
Try it. You’ll… Well, you know.
Judy,
Thanks for the responce. Did go back to Scott’s link and followed your instructions. Got a “Checkout – Acknowldegement: Thank you for your enrollment request. By next buisness day you will receive an e-mail that with confirm (or not) enrollment.”
So thanks to you, Judy, all’s good in the hood.
- E.C. Henry
I’m one of those former students, and I’ll happily proclaim the virtues of the UCLA Extension Writers Program in general, and Scott’s class in particular. We’re all stuck with the level of talent the Almighty gave us, though like any innate skill, it must be exercised and pushed hard in order to develop into a finely honed muscle. But our level of craftsmanship is wide open. The sky’s the limit. And if you read the contributions to Scott’s blog from Story Analysts, they rarely put up with craftsmanship that doesn’t achieve some decent altitude. The Writers Program is a one-two punch for both of these aspects.
Unless you already have an MFA on the wall or a deposit from a studio in your bank account, the Writer’s Program is ineffably invaluable and shockingly accessible. Where else can you and I take screenwriting classes from an elite film school, taught by writers who have actually written for film and TV, with serious students from across the world of similar writing ability, with as much interaction as you’re comfortable with, in the comfort of your own home or local Starbucks? It’s tantamount to joining a near-perfect writing group with your group’s own personal guru.
The classes I took from Scott included, at various times, students from England, Sweden, Australia and the Middle East, an Emmy-winning documentarian, an actor you’ve likely seen, working Script Analysts, a producer of movie trailers, and even writing instructors from other reputable film schools – all pursuing screenwriting and recognizing the phenomenal opportunity of the Writers Program. I didn’t take a class with her, but another of Scott’s students is now a successful Hollywood writer and a partner – writing and otherwise – with an insanely successful writer who, per this former student, would review Scott’s notes of her work and declare along the lines of “This is exactly what I’ve been trying to say…”
The stunner of all this is that they would accept a supremely average Joe with no pedigree or track record – me. And most of my fellow students. I’d be a fool to not take advantage of the UCLA program in my foolhardy attempt to buck the odds. So given I’m a fool regardless, I might as well be a fool with a slightly better chance of succeeding. If stars were rewarded ala movie reviews, the Writers Program is a five star job all the way.
p.s. Sorry Scott — I just saw this post last night, and now it’s already buried in the archives.