MA Screenwriting

Our one-year MA Screenwriting degree is perfect for those, who are looking to pursue screenwriting training embedded in an industry setting, delivered at a postgraduate level. It is an ideal option for aspiring creative writers that not only wish to hone their screenwriting skills but also find a destination for their scripts on the big or small screen.

This course provides you with the resources to prepare for a career in screenwriting with tailored, purposeful guidance and training which will develop your writing craft for film and television. In addition to lectures and seminars dedicated to genre, story, world-building, character, plot and dialogue, you will receive mentorship from scriptwriting professionals to develop feature and television projects. All our tutors and guest speakers are professional screenwriters, agents or producers, and you will be exposed to the realities of the industry, empowering you with a greater understanding of the pathways available to you.

"The best academy for intense courses. Great teachers that are professionals from the industry that give practical lessons. They reward hard work and keep helping people beyond the course. Couldn't be more grateful and proud to be one of their students" Alice Rosso, award-winning screenwriter and LFA Screenwriting Diploma graduate

MA Screenwriting Key Features

• Intensive and in-depth practical training in the craft of screenwriting
• Development of a substantial writing portfolio - a feature film script and television script and bible
• Training on the evolving landscape of storytelling platforms
• Workshopping your scripts with professional directors and actors
• Direct access to the industry with an expenses-paid trip to a leading UK film festival
• Development of pitching technique and other important soft skills
• Training and mentoring by practising film & TV industry tutors and guest speakers
• Masterclasses and Q&As with prominent filmmakers
• Advanced critical thinking to inform your screenwriting practice
• Excellent tutor-to-student ratios
• Final Draft license or equivalent
• Focus on future screenwriting career and employability

Are you ready to push your screenwriting ability?

We're looking for creative individuals who can demonstrate a strong instinct for the grammar of visual storytelling, as well as show a passion for a professional career in screenwriting. You must be self-motivated, thrive in a collaborative environment and be willing to challenge your perceptions of the landscape of film.

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LFA is a registered higher education provider with the Office for Students (OfS) and listed on their Register, meaning that we meet the OfS requirements for academic standards, course quality, student support, and student protection.

This course is subject to validation by the University of Derby. As a partner student, you will be granted access to the University’s online learning environment ‘University of Derby Online (UDo)’ where you will be able to access programme resources related to your programme, the University’s library and your grades.

Course Overview

• Duration: 1 year (12 months, including holidays)
• Intakes: September each year
• Hours: 30 per week (plus additional hours, including evenings and weekends)

Our ethos is to learn by doing and we will help you develop multiple projects in order to build your portfolio, plan a career path and further your understanding of the industry at an advanced level.

The research focus of this practical master’s centres around your individual career progression and will equip you with the skills to employ critical thinking and how it influences your writing, as well as the ability to confidently engage in debate around the landscape of film. You will be challenged to further your theoretical understanding of the craft of screenwriting and be asked to contextualise it through practice. By doing so you will cultivate new research and development skills that will enable you to create scripts with depth, addressing issues, ideas and established structures that are important to you throughout your career. We pride ourselves on our pioneering approach - our mission is to produce world-class screenwriters who have compelling stories to tell.

Module One: Feature Film Development

Students learn how to research and prepare for feature projects by writing treatments, synopses, beat sheets and scene-by-scene breakdowns. This material forms the foundation of the writing process, as well as a selling tool when pitching to film and TV industry companies after graduation. The development and individual feedback sessions integral to the module are overseen by a range of screenwriters working in the feature film industry. By the end of module one, participants will have completed a feature-length script (80+ pages).

Module Two: Writing for Television

Students produce a TV Bible for an original series in addition to writing and developing an accompanying TV episode script. Industry-led discussions from working writers, producers and directors will offer insight on a variety of television formats and genres. You will undertake detailed academic and industry-led workshops and research in order to help you realise and reflect on your own work in the context of the wider cultural and academic landscape. Pitching sessions serve as a rehearsal for the actual industry pitching panel that you will encounter in the later stages of the course. This panel consists of film and TV industry professionals and is followed by a one-to-one tutorial to discuss the merits and challenges of proposed ideas.

"Exactly what I needed to build the foundations of my screenwriting career. The lectures are very informative and small classes allow them to be very interactive"
Samy Souissi, Screenwriter and LFA Screenwriting Diploma Graduate

Module Three: Research by Practice

The final module has a professional focus on students' prioritising next steps and employability. It also enables students to contextualise their creations within the relevant critical framework and adhere to sound ethical principles. Students will design and undertake a personal research project (a negotiated dissertation), aligned to their professional ambitions. These dissertations an include work placements and scripts as research.

Additionally, students attend events, festivals and screenings as part of the module, providing an opportunity to gain tangible, practical experience in a nurturing industry environment and gain first-hand insight on the current industry trends and practices. This course will run hand in hand with MA Filmmaking, giving students the opportunity to collaborate, have their work realised through projects with filmmaking students, and build a lasting network of creative peers.