The purpose of this course is to prepare students to write a feature length screenplay by introducing them to the building blocks of cinematic storytelling. By the end of the semester students should have a solid foundation in screenwriting format, three act dramatic structure, character conception and development, the difference between plot and story, and the best way to put all of this information to use in the actual writing of a treatment and screenplay. In this course, students will write a treatment for a feature-length film (8-12 pages, single-spaced) and the first act of that screenplay in master scenes form (25-30 pages).