Many friends have asked me about my experience with the
UCLA Extension writer's program, so I decided to write a little bit about it here.
I thought I could start by answering a few obvious questions that someone contemplating joining the program might have, and since I once was that someone, I went back in time and met with my former clueless self in order to answer said questions.
Hopefully it can benefit your current, curious selves.
Old Me (OM) - So, can I take online classes at UCLA Extension even if I live outside the United States?
Current Me (CM) - Absolutely. Even though most of the classmates I met over the course of the program were living somewhere in the States, I met many Canadians, some Europeans and South Americans, even one or two Indians. And the way I understand this, they all paid the same price for their classes.
OM - Neat, but what about time differences?
CM - Simple, classes are structured in a way that does not require you to dial-in at a specific time, so time zones are irrelevant. As long as you post your weekly assignments in time and respect deadlines, you can work at your own pace and on your own time.
OM - Cool, but can I afford it?
CM - Well, obviously it depends, but very likely, yes. Especially if you live in the U.S.
OM - How so?
CM - The tuition costs themselves are not incredibly high to begin with, but thanks to federal programs like the Lifetime Learning Credit, you can get a good chunk of your tuition expenses refunded when you produce your tax declaration, which makes it even more affordable. I'll have to look back into my past taxes to get an exact figure, but I know for a fact that more than half of my tuition costs were refunded over the two years I took classes.
OM - Sweeeet! So how much is it really going to cost me?
CM - The estimated tuition for the Feature Film Writing (FFW) program is about 3500$. Cut that in half and you're looking at less than 2000$, quite less actually. Of course I can't tell you how it is in other countries, but it's worth looking into it as you might find similar programs.
OM - Sold. So how long is this going to take me?
CM - A typical certificate program requires you to accrue 18 units to graduate. That's six classes. I recommend taking one class per session, which is more than enough work, especially if you are also working full time. There are four sessions per year and classes typically run for about ten weeks, so you get a little break in between each session. At that rhythm, you should complete the program in a year and a half, providing you get a passing grade (C) in each of your classes.
OM - Okay. So these six classes, what are they about exactly?
CM - Well, the first four are mandatory and are called Writing The First Screenplay I to IV. The last two are electives, meaning you can choose any two classes of your choice among the ones available not only in the FFW program but also in the Television Writing program. A few examples of what these might be are Crafting The Thriller, Writing For Emotional Impact or Writing The Half-Hour Comedy.
OM - Sounds neat, but what exactly do you do in these first four mandatory classes?
CM - The main goal of the program is to take you through the steps of creating a complete screenplay, so that's what these first four classes do. In the first class you will be required to read a lot of screenplays, which is always a good thing, and watch the movies they were made into. This is meant to help you see how what's on the page translates onto the screen, and help you develop a critical eye. In that class you will also create an outline for your first screenplay, so coming in with an idea of what you might want to write helps a lot.
OM - And then? And then?
CM - Excited aren't we? Well, over the course of the next three classes you will proceed to write the first, second and third acts for your script, ideally based on the outline you created in the first class. Things always change a bit along the way, but the closer you can stick to your original plan the better. Just don't expect it to be spectacular..., it won't be. But that's okay, there will we plenty of time to rewrite it later and make it better.
OM - Wait, what? Rewrite? Why rewrite it? Can 't I just sell it to Hollywood for a million dollars?
CM - Oh boy...
to be continued...
