Important Notice:

• Students may only take a maximum of 8 units.
• Students cannot take more than one production course.
• Students cannot take a production course with any of the feature writing courses.
• Students cannot take more than one feature writing course.
• No auditing courses.
• The SCA Summer Program courses are intended for students not currently enrolled at USC/SCA
• USC/SCA students will not be granted D-Clearance for SCA Summer Program courses.

Writing the Adapted Short Screenplay - 4 Units

Units: 4
Student Level: All

Jun 23 - Aug 1 Apply
In-Person (Ages 16+)
Schedule: Tue/Thu 9:00am - 12:50pm
Max. Seats: 14
Faculty: Marc Palmieri

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When you hear the word “adaptation,” Hollywood blockbusters might come to mind, where stories leap from page to screen and captivate audiences worldwide. But what if you could harness that same magic and transform your own experiences into powerful, visual-driven screenplays? Welcome to Writing the Adapted Short Screenplay—an immersive journey where your stories take on new life in the vibrant world of film and television.

Course Description

In this dynamic course, you’ll explore the art of adaptation, where original experiences—whether rooted in fiction, journalism, poetry, or even your personal memories—are reimagined and brought to the screen. This process will challenge you to refine your craft, tackle narrative structure, and navigate the unique demands of cinematic storytelling. Here, you’ll learn how to craft compelling screenplays with narrative precision, focusing on the key elements that will resonate most powerfully with your audience.

But this course goes beyond just translating stories from page to screen. You’ll also delve into how your own memories, emotions, and perspectives can become the foundation for original storytelling. Imagine transforming your most vivid memories into scenes that pulse with life, creating narratives that are both personal and universal.

Throughout the course, you’ll analyze successful film adaptations, such as An Incident At Owl Creek Bridge and Away From Her, discovering how these films took their source material and created something entirely new—films that captured the essence of their originals while standing as powerful works of art in their own right. By dissecting these examples, you’ll learn the invaluable skill of ‘finding the movie in it’—identifying the cinematic core of any story, whether it’s a complex novel or a fleeting memory.

Course Objectives

Over six weeks, you will create three 15-minute film scripts: starting with a short story adaptation, then developing a script based on a quirky tabloid story, and finally, crafting a script from a personal memory of a profound realization. The process includes group brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and continuous feedback, allowing for thorough in-class progress.

Whether you aspire to write for the screen or simply want to explore new dimensions of storytelling, this course will empower you to see the world—and your experiences—through the lens of a filmmaker. You’ll develop the confidence to bring your own stories to life, equipped with a toolkit of techniques and insights that will serve you throughout your creative career.

Additional Information

• All projects are created outside of scheduled class time.
• Additional tutorials may be taught outside scheduled class dates and times.
• All dates and times of the course are subject to change.
• SCA has a strict ban on the use of prop weapons during the SCA Summer Program.

So, are you ready to transform your stories into cinematic masterpieces? Join us in Writing the Adapted Short Screenplay and embark on a journey where your imagination meets the silver screen. Let your creativity soar, and watch as your unique voice shapes the future of film and television. Your story deserves to be told—let’s bring it to life together!

Instructor: Marc Palmieri