Just Joined...Aspiring Screenwriter...Advice?

[watersnick10]

I'm an aspiring screenwriter. I'm a junior in high school currently. I plan on attending NYU's Film school after high school. I've been working on a bunch of screenplays of my own but I only finished one script so far. I really love to write. So I was wondering if anyone here had any advice for me as a future screenwriter.

 

[easywriter]

Best advice is to just keep writing...but even better would be to live, try and live on impulse (but try not gettting carried away). You're writing will improve ten fold if you write what you know, so the more you experience the better.
NYU's a great school, try making as many contacts as you can, you never know who might help you get your big break.

 

[watersnick10]

Thanks easywriter I will continue my writing. But do you have any adive on getting into NYU's film school? I heard its very difficult.

 

[jodymichelle]

Here's NYU's fast facts:
http://www.nyu.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/is-nyu-right-for-you/faqs.html
Attend an Open House; Call & meet with a rep from the degree program you're applying for.

Five Towns College is another good film school in New York: http://www.ftc.edu/
Get more info about their Open Houses here: http://www.ftc.edu/Admissions/OpenHouse.html

Another good film school in New York to look into is the School of Visual Arts:
http://www.ftc.edu/Admissions/OpenHouse.html

More film schools in NY can be found here:
http://www.studentfilmmakersforums.com/filmschools/view.php?state=NY

Some good film schools to consider that are not in NY but on the East Coast:

CDIA at Boston University:
http://www.bu-cdia.com/B/index.php?source_code=FILMMA

Regent University in Virginia Beach:
http://www.regent.edu/acad/undergrad/academics/degree/communication/cinema_television.cfm

Maine Media College in Maine:
http://www.mainemedia.edu/college/programs/film

Ohio University of Film:
http://www.finearts.ohio.edu/film/


It's recommended that you apply to several colleges.
In case one school doesn't accept you, or in case you change your mind about a particular school you have other options.



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[jodymichelle]

Yes, I agree: Just keep writing.

Understand that you can't gain 'life experience' overnight, but you can still write about interesting things from your perspective. School papers encourage articles from students. You can learn and experience things in a productive manner - whether by participating in extracurricular activities in school (sports, theatre, book club, yearbook club, etc) - or getting a job that is suitable for young people your age. Don't let the lack of life experience stop you from writing. If you don't know what to write because you 'don't know much' about life, love, or the blues, then turn to non-fiction writing and reporting for a change. Reporting just asks for the facts. In fact reporting can give you an edge if you write a lot - you learn brevity, discipline, getting the facts right, and the anatomy of an article.

Best advice is to just keep writing...but even better would be to live, try and live on impulse (but try not gettting carried away). You're writing will improve ten fold if you write what you know, so the more you experience the better.

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[watersnick10]

Thanks for the recommended film schools. I understand whta you mean by writing about life experience, but I'm more of a fictional writer. I like to write to entertain others. This year I plan on writing for my school paper so that I could get some writing experience under my belt before I apply to college. I also want to write a play for my school but I'm not sure if they accept student written ones yet.

 

[Pippa]

Structure, Structure, Structure.

Structure, Structure, Structure.

I see this sort of answer and response all over the place. The usual answer is to just keep writing.

But that's wrong.

Learn structure first, so that your writing has direction.

Now I would tell you where to go to get a handle on that structure, but I'll get a slap on the wrist for posting links.