Writing

An intensive writing class exploring and applying the fundamentals of screenwriting for narrative features. We will go from basic story idea through the development of a three-act outline, full treatment, and a polished first act for a feature-length screenplay. Students will learn how to move from a compelling idea to a solid narrative structure, develop and sustain a central theme, build believable characters and craft authentic dialogue, all while satisfying the technical requirements of a modern screenplay. There will be weekly writing assignments designed to build toward a polished first act by the end of the semester, and each class meeting will serve as a workshop for student work. The course will also include weekly script analysis, examining one feature-length script per week for its style, structure, thematic coherence, character development and scene work.

This cross-disciplinary course brings together our Writing and Immersive Storytelling & Emerging Technologies concentrations to collaboratively develop, design and build an interactive XR game experience. Students will engage with technologies such as mixed and augmented reality, 360-degree navigable environments, WebXR, volumetric capture and 3D scanning. The course will include group and individual assignments outside of class to expand and challenge the student's exploration of the intersection between creativity and technical prowess. This course blends storytelling, character development, worldbuilding, and emerging technologies to create an immersive experience. ** This class requires Approval from the Course Instructors (Jason Gray and Sig Libowitz, who are co-teaching the class) to be admitted. Interested students should answer the three questions sent to you by Program Director, Sig Libowitz, and send their answers to both Professors Gray and Libowitz (at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively).

This course will expose students to the mechanics and realities of writing an original pilot for a television series, from concept through beat sheet to draft. Each student will finish the semester with a mini-series bible, a detailed outline and the first half the draft of the pilot. Dramatic goals, character arcs, operational themes will be a few of the many subjects covered.

Imagine your one hour dramatic pilot script has just been picked up to series, congratulations. Find out what really happens in the writers room to turn one pilot into many episodes. Learn how to add depth to your original characters, create new ones and develop future storylines. Having already completed or substantially completed a one hour dramatic pilot script is a plus, but not required. Taught by Tammy Ader Green, a writers room veteran and the creator/showrunner of the long-running Sony series “Strong Medicine.”

By dynamically using real-life case studies as a basis for discussion and learning, students in this course will explore the legal and business affairs aspect of filmmaking. We will examine the meaning and structure of copyright law, fair use, option & purchase agreements, key crew & talent agreements, distribution agreements, tax credit/rebate statutes, music licensing and product placement deals, among other topics.

In this hands on course, students will learn the basics of documentary filmmaking from development through post production and social impact. Through a series of screenings, discussions and real-time filmmaking exercises, students will engage in a process of exploration and discovery focused on honing each filmmakers personal voice. There will be a strong focus on telling stories with a clear and provocative point of view. Students will leave the course with a strong bio and personal statement, and having completed 3-5 minute documentary on the subject of their choosing.

Through in-class projects, interactions with working producers, line producers and AD’s and on-going independent productions, students will be exposed to the myriad responsibilities of producers, from the creative and on-the-field perspectives. We will explore the many elements that make up the creation of films and television shows, with a focus on a producer’s creative input from development to post production to a producer’s understanding of the nuts and bolts fundamentals of how to budget and schedule.

Successfully pitching your prospective film, video game, pilot script or web-series is a key factor in making your dream a reality. A strong pitch can attract financing, distribution and star cast attachments. How do you craft a pitch that is compelling and engaging, while also concise and leaves them wanting more? Over the course of the semester, you will pitch multiple projects in different mediums and learn from observing your colleagues pitch their projects. You will create look-books, pitch-decks and sizzle reels. We’ll consider the use of visuals, music and props, and hear from successful writers, directors and producers about their techniques and insights from the front lines of professional pitching.

In this introductory course, students will ultimately create their own short podcasts around stories that are meaningful to them and their intended audiences. Students will enact principles of listener-centered design, they’ll work to find stories worth telling, and they’ll learn to tell those stories powerfully. This course will build competency in recording and editing techniques, interviewing skills, creating story structure, and understanding the potential social impact of documentary work. Students will also study current monetization strategies in the booming podcast market and learn how to find, keep, and grow an audience.

This course, offered in conjunction with a Nexus Research Grant sponsored by the Hopkins Bloomberg Center, explores how neuroscience, AI, wearable biometrics, and brain-computer interface (BCI) technology can transform immersive storytelling, interactive media, and live performance. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with an active production that will be in development, rehearsal, and performance at JHU during the 2025-2026 academic year. Initial course meetings will focus on creative research, speculative design, and world-building exercises, utilizing Stanislaw Lem’s iconic science fiction novel Solaris (about an alien planet that can read the brainwaves of humankind) as a source text and springboard for collective imagining. We will juxtapose Lem’s novel with iconic film adaptations (Tarkovsky, Soderbergh) and critical theory about the climate crisis, environmental and synthetic intelligence, planetary-scale computation, and the ontology of “hyperobjects.” Mid-semester, students will work hands-on with neurotechnology and AI, including EEG headsets (Muse, Emotiv, G.Tec), AI tools (Midjourney, Runway, Streaming Diffusion, Hugging Face), and interactive performance platforms (Touch Designer, Isadora). The course culminates in classroom-based, student-led demo performances integrating AI, BCI technologies, and experimental theater techniques (Viewpoints, Wooster Group). Guest artists at the forefront of AI and neurotechnology, along with field trips to the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., will further enrich the experience. Prerequisite: students must have taken at least one ISET course although exceptions will be granted on a case by case basis based on the student's level of experience.

Students develop and workshop short narrative scripts that they write. The course covers working with actors and understanding the filmmaking process from the actor's point of view. Students visualize their scripts so they are prepared to work with a Producer, Director of Photography and additional crew. The course also explores techniques of blocking and staging action for the camera, with emphasis on the practical problems and aesthetic questions that arise.

This course will lead students through the practical applications of documentary filmmaking within a professional environment. Beginning with actual client meetings that define production parameters, students (working with faculty) will take the project through development and preproduction into a collaborative production environment that culminates with a rigorous and detailed postproduction process. Working within strict timelines and a defined budget, students will take on lead roles to produce a series of short documentaries that fulfill (if not exceed) client expectations. The entirety of this process will be documented via a behind the scenes team, who will develop an electronic press kit (EPK) and manage the social media presence of this project. NOTE: Admission to the course requires Instructor and Program Director approval. Students are required to submit formal materials to the Instructors and the Program Director for consideration.

An intensive writing course exploring and applying fundamental and advanced concepts of screenwriting to major projects for film, television and online platforms. Students will bring their own project focus to the course – narrative feature, narrative shorts, web series, series pilots – and engage in weekly workshop readings and critiques of their works-in-progress. The goal will be a complete and polished script or series of scripts by the end of the course. The course will also include weekly topics of in-depth instruction on structure, character development, authentic dialogue, scenes and sequences, thematic coherence, and finding your voice as a writer, all tailored to the projects selected by students.

This course will lead students through the practical applications of documentary post-production within a professional environment. Students, working experientially with faculty, will take the designated project through a rigorous and detailed postproduction process (including potential production opportunities for additional interviews, b-roll and reshoots). Working within strict timelines and a defined budget, students will be provided the opportunity to earn key crew roles that fulfill (if not exceed) client expectations. The entirety of this process will be documented via a behind the scenes team, who will develop an electronic press kit (EPK) and manage the social media presence of this project.

Why are we drawn to stories … and why do we react so emotionally, viscerally, even physically to flickering images on screens (of all sizes)? What techniques do the most skillful, most agile cinematic storytellers apply to affect their audience and compel us to journey alongside? This course will examine cinematic “storytellers” and the multiple creative decisions they make in some of the most impactful films of the past 50 years. By “storytellers”, we include directors (of course) but also the writers, cinematographers, composers, editors, actors and other key personnel (sometimes creative producers as well) who join with the director to collaborate and elevate a story and the characters who dwell within. Discover how choices in sound, lighting, acting, music, shot selection and story/character development can dynamically and instrumentally affect the audience. Cinema provides a deeply personal lens, coupled with an enormous public reach, acting as both a reflection of - and an agent for - shifting perspectives on the world around us and our society. Together we will explore and analyze how cinematic storytellers' distinct choices on character, composition and conflict humanize our perspective on others' lives , different cultures, and complex issues far removed from our own --- and how you as developing storytellers can learn from such creative decision-making to craft your own stories.

Movie Magic is a specialized software used throughout the industry to schedule and budget films and television. Gain practical knowledge and training for the professional world to boost your job opportunities and experience. Over the semester, you will schedule & budget multiple projects including, for example: a short film, a commercial, a documentary, etc. and learn how to properly assess and budget for travel, locations, production departments, union positions (i.e., SAG-AFTRA, DGA, WGA and IATSE) and their corresponding Pension, Health & Welfare requirements.