What major is appropriate for screenwriting? Film studies or English (creative writing)?

Answer 1

Clearly film studies. The reason is that neither focuses on storytelling but at least film studies will show you more clearly the aspects of storytelling than creative writing which focuses more on abstract literary analysis which frankly has nothing to do with storytelling.

Since the 1960s schools have moved towards the extrinsics of storytelling and focus on psychology of the author, gender identity, literary analysis, beat, and everything that writers don't consider when they actually write a story. That used to not be the case and it's more than a coincidence that the Golden Age of American storytelling on page, screen, and stage ended in the 1960s.

If they did offer storytelling, dramaturgy, and other prose arts it would be great...as a painter maximizes talent with craft by taking art classes or a musician takes music classes, you can maximize your talent by taking storytelling courses.

But the classes no longer exist.

To get published, either as a novelist or as a screenwriter, you simply must have a story well-told. It doesn't have to be eloquent prose (doesn't hurt) but it can't be purple prose!

Focus on how to write a story and you'll do well. Forget about going to college to learn how to write a story as you'll be wasting your time (college is better suited for other things). There is one exception to this. Film schools still teach about how to write a story. You could focus on screenwriting and learn about how to write a story but that's really not required and they don't really offer enough courses as they should, but at least it would offer you more than any other college or university.

There are lots of websites and message boards with tutorials and articles to help you. They will be infinitely better than any college writing course.

Additionally, I highly recommend "Story" by Robert McKee and "Screenplay" by Syd Field. You can buy them on Amazon or in your bookstore. These books are used as textbooks at the top film schools. Although they have "screenwriting" in the names, they focus on storytelling, not form which should be far from your mind if you're writing a story anyhow.

Read that book. Read fiction. Watch movies. And write. That will do you far greater than taking any creative writing or English courses that aren't actually about storytelling.

Answer 2

Film studies is more appropriate simply because a screenplay is a work that is written for film; it is a different type of creative writing. An English creative writing course won't hurt to hone your craft either, but if you've ever written a screenplay, you'd know that it requires an entirely different style of writing - that is - it isn't prose style.

I am a screenwriter. I would advise that you take both if you can; if not, take film studies. Learning film theory and the art of scriptwriting is specialized training. Go to your local bookstore or library and look at some screenplays in the Film & TV section.

Answer 3

you type of want both somewhat, yet English analyze first, as this can get you moist in the back of the ears about content fabric in writing and effectiveness and so on. I worked in movie making in Toronto years in the past and to position in writing for movie you want to make certain about how video clips are made and shot and so on. Writing for exhibit is an total international unto itself. you may be a robust author yet lack understand-how of a thanks to exhibit screen it even as it contains movie writing. that is an truly seen artwork. And that ought to be kept in ideas. In a e book we ought to imagine what is going on and use the words to inform us. In a movie we've sound and sight expressing the words. more effective multi-dimensional. although the words ought to operate to what we are already given, no longer continuously say what we see and hear love a parrot. because that is an truly aggressive international, your script can ought to outshine human beings's. something which could grant you with the facet is large. Why no longer get some ideas on the courses provided earlier you're making up your ideas. good success!

Answer 4

Major in writing and minor in film studies.