Film & Television Writing, BA/BS

Curriculum

A major in film & television writing leads to either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science and requires a total of 128 credit hours of coursework:

• BELL core requirements: 53 hours
• Major area: 45 hours including 9 hours of major electives
• Minor requirement: 18 hours
• General electives: All remaining hours

See All Program Requirements

Courses You'll Take Include:

• MOT 1010. Cinematic Storytelling
  Introduce basic grammar of Filmmaking - both visual and aural. Short, simple projects will explore how camera, sound and editing convey story and emotion. 
• MOT 1500. History of Television and Digital Media
  Through lecture, reading and discussion, students will learn about the evolution of visual media, from the origins of broadcast network television to today’s digital multi-platforms of cable, pay per view, reality, YouTube channels, etc. The focus is on the aesthetics of small screen and episodic storytelling, audience expectations and participation, and on whether media is an agent and a reflector of social and cultural change.
  OR
  MOT 1110. Film History - Lumiere to Now
  The course will provide an historical survey of American and international film industries, covering such areas as film styles, genres, national cinemas, major directors and film theory from 1895 through 2015. 
  
• MOT 1115. Art of Storytelling
  The course is a basic survey course in the fundamentals of effective storytelling. Although the ultimate focus is storytelling in motion pictures, the course examines the principles of storytelling through several perspectives and includes every aspects of storytelling and all elements -sound, music, lighting, editing, performance-used in film.
• MOT 2130. Screenplay Analysis
  Building on what they learned in Art of Storytelling, students will analyze screenplays to come to a greater understanding of how a narrative story told in visual form is constructed.  
• MOT 2160. Screenwriting I
  Students will have a solid understanding of structure, character arc, pace, dialogue, etc., as well as the nuances of screenplay format. Student will see and analyze multiple movies and pilots. At semester’s end, student will have written 40 pages of a motion picture screenplay or television pilot and a detailed outline for the balance of their script.
• MOT 2213. Story Visualization Workshop
  This teaches writers to understand what happens to their writing when it is produced. Students will arrive with a three-page script that adheres to the rules of dramatic structure and established in Art of Storytelling. Using their phones, students will case, produce and edit a 3 minute narrative film.  
  
• MOT 2214. Screenplay Genres
  The course examines the variety of narrative strategies organic to specific film genres. Students discuss and evaluate the techniques of various genres.  Students will choose their own genre, develop their story and workshop their writing in class.
• MOT 2340. Television Spec Script  
  The course examines the structure and teaches techniques used for writing an hour long drama and half-hour comedy. Students study multiple current shows, analyze season arcs and cases of characters. Each student develops and writes an episode of a current show. The classroom will be run like a writer’s room for professional television series, with each student taking turns running the room.
  
• MOT 3170. Screenwriting II
  Students will have a solid understanding of structure, character arc, pace, dialogue, etc., as well as the nuances of screenplay format. Student will see and analyze multiple movies and pilots. At semester’s end, student will have written 40 pages of a motion picture screenplay or television pilot and a detailed outline for the balance of their script.
• MOT 3172 Television Pilot Script
• MOT 3330 Rewriting the Screenplay
  This course instructs students how to rewrite a script previously finished in Screenwriting II. Students will immerse themselves in the rewriting process, workshop their scripts and develop the skills needed to effectively rewrite screenplays.  
• MOT 4260 Senior Screenwriting Project
  Students will pitch, create sequences for and write a first pass of a feature screenplay or one-hour television pilot and bible, and, and after giving and receiving notes, both from their classmates and professor, will execute those notes and hand in a polished first draft.  
  

Film & television writing students enjoy ample opportunities on campus and around the world to deepen their educational experience and expand their perspectives. You can literally learn at locations across the globe through Belmont's extensive Study Abroad opportunities, and Belmont USA provides study away and internships options in New York, Los Angeles, Oregon and more.

Belmont in Hollywood

Film & TV writing majors often seek to pursue Belmont in Hollywood, a summer work opportunity where you apply classroom learning to specific career goals in the industry. The eight-week program serves as a total immersion experience within the film and TV business industry in which you gain practical skills in state-of-the-art technical facilities and are exposed to the expertise of renowned producers, directors, screenwriters, cinematographers and agents.