MSCR 3389 — Screenwriting: Short Film
4 semester hoursUndergraduateLectureNUpath EIusually offered: fall, springBostonTraditional
Approaches the unique narrative form of the dramatic short film, with the goal of having students produce a short film screenplay (under 20 minutes in length) that could eventually be shot. Takes students through the storytelling process─from conception to visualization, dramatization, characterization, and dialogue─ending in a project that should reflect the student’s own personal voice and unique vision. Offers students an opportunity to work on many writing exercises involving free association, visualizations, and character explorations and to evaluate and critique each other’s work in a workshop setting.
Offering history
| Term | Sections | Enrolled | Capacity | Full | Open seats/section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | 2 | 24 | 30 | 80% | 3.0 |
| Spring 2024 | 2 | 26 | 30 | 87% | 2.0 |
| Fall 2024 | 2 | 27 | 30 | 90% | 1.5 |
| Spring 2025 | 2 | 28 | 30 | 93% | 1.0 |
| Fall 2025 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 100% | 0.0 |
| Spring 2026 | 1 | 13 | 16 | 81% | 3.0 |
Snapshots from scheduled scrapes — not live seat availability. "Full" can exceed 100% when sections over-enroll.
Meeting times
Share of recent sections by weekday: M 31% · T 10% · W 49% · Th 10% · F 10%
Common patterns: W (49% of sections), M (31% of sections), R (10% of sections), TF (10% of sections) — in patterns, R means Thursday
Professors
Fall
- Ellen Fontana (100% of students) · reviews
Spring
- Ellen Fontana (100% of students) · reviews
Percentages are each professor's average share of the season's enrolled students in recent terms.
Links
Official catalog (MSCR course descriptions) · Student reviews on RateMyHusky · All MSCR courses · Plan it at numap.app