5 Months Scriptwriting Course | Prague Film Institute

Semester Screenwriting Course is practical, full-time, suitable for beginners and taught on our campus in Prague, the Czech Republic. This study program will teach you the basics of screenwriting techniques and includes every week screenwriting practising for short films of your classmates as well as writing script for the final high production value film. You will also be required to learn the basics of filmmaking to make you understand the entire process from pre-production to post-production, which is crucial for kick-starting your career in the film industry. The emphasis on scriptwriting specialisation is given mostly during practical classes.

our value proposition

course highlights

Screenwriting Every Week

During the course, you will get a chance to practice writing techniques on dozens of short films of different styles.

High Production Value Film

Write a script for high production value final film shot by your classmates on the most popular cinema cameras such as Red Monstro, Alexa Amira or Sony f55.

Pitching a Script

You will have a chance to pitch your scripts to a panel of industry professionals.

High production value film

During the semester you will invest most of the time practising screenwriting on dozens of short films. At the end of the semester you will write a script for a final film of your classmates which will be of higher production value compared to average school films. Through the guidance of your tutors, you will write scripts that will be produced on the same level as professional film productions. Your movie will be shot with the professional filmmaking equipment at the value of more than 90 000 USD.

what you will study

scriptwriting module

Below you can see the basic topics which you will complete on the course. You will turn into practice all theory acquired in the classroom. During practical exercises, you will equip yourself with basic key skills needed for film scriptwriting and create industry-standard scripts. The curriculum of the Semester Scriptwriting Course is identical to the first semester of the 1 Year Filmmaking Program.

Writing to Theme

Basics of Writing Characters

Basics of Utilizing the Story Frame

Essentials of Dramatic Dialogue

Set-up/Pay-off, Casuality and Cosmology

Twin Tools of Drama: Intrique and Suspense

Introduction to Classic Narrative

Basics of Alternative Story Structures

Episodic Narratives for TV and Webisodes

Short Film Storytelling

Basics of Working with Genre

From Concept to Final Draft

Masterclasses

Learn directly from professionals from the film industry by listening to their personal experiences as scriptwriters.

Consultations with Teachers

Practical Workshops

Practicing screenwriting in the form of stylistic tasks focused on e.g. different genres and character development.

OTHER FILMMAKING MODULES

Cinematography

Principles of Camera and Lens Use in Cinematography
Basics of Safe Setup, Operation and Control of Cameras and Lenses
Practical workshop with Students of Cinematography
Compositional Theory of Cinematography
Features of Lighting in Cinematography in Creating a Visual Language
Different Approaches to Lighting

Directing

Basics of Mise-en-Scene Studies
Directing Actors
Film Theory
Basics of Film History
Mood Boards

Production

Film Crew: Roles and Responsabilities
Introduction to the Business of Film
Basics of Line Producing
Project Planning
Pitching
Casting
Basics of Movie Magic Scheduling Software

Post-production

Usage of Editing Techniques for Different Production Contexts
Types of Shots
Emotional Curve of the Scene
Timing and Pace
Editing for Different Genres
Editing in Da Vinci Resolve Software
Color grading in Da Vinci Resolve Software
Postproduction of Sound

program details

What To Bring?

We recommend that all new Prague Film Institute students purchase their own:

Portable external drive with minimum storage 2 TB
Laptop for self guided learning and post-production practice. Our goal is to teach students how to use their own computer for high quality results. Make sure that you choose a laptop which meets the minimum recommended specification. However, for tasks which requires specialist software tools, you will be also allowed to use Prague Film Institute’s computer equipment.

Component	Minimum Requirement	Recommended Requirement
CPU	Intel COre i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 or M1 PRO	Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 or M2, M3
RAM	12 GB	32 GB+
GPU	6 GB VRAM	8 GB+ VRAM
Media Storage	SSD or RAID	SSD, Direct Attached RAID or NAD RAID (10 GbE)

Budget for your films – our school emphasizes the importance of practical learning by making films. Unlike standard classroom education, the cost of practical filmmaking can vary a lot depending on your script and the vision of the director and cinematographer. For teacher-led workshops the school will cover all or most production costs. However, for shooting of your own films you and your classmates must pay yourselves. As part of our curriculum we will teach you how to be resourceful when it comes to production expenses. Even with clever budgeting, we estimate that you will need approximately 5 – 10 000 CZK per semester for shooting your projects and on top of it a budget for your final films at the end of each semester. The school will provide for you a bundle of filmmaking equipment and a transportation van, but all other production costs will be your responsibility. We encourage you to plan carefully about the budget of your short film. Write or choose a script that matches the funds you have available to produce it.

What is Included

We understand that by choosing to study with us you are making a big financial commitment. We want to make sure you understand exactly what your tuition fee will cover when you decide to become a Prague Film Institute student.

Lectures, workshops & master classes
Teaching materials
Prague Film Institute Certificate
Equipment (see more here)
- Industry standard cinema cameras & equipment
- Full editing suite with post-production software
- Individual licence to Premiere Pro/Da Vinci/AVID Pro Tool
- School car for student projects
Green-screen and cinema room on-site
Field trips to industry partners
Discounts at our industry partners

Not Included

Air fare
Visa fee & health insurance
Living expenses (housing, food, transportation)
Production cost for your films (such as locations, actors, fuel)

Hovewer Prague is still cheaper than many European cities. The capital offers very safe living environment with high rating in housing and healthcare.

keep in touch