One of the most popular articles we have ever had on No Film School was a free short screenwriting course offered by NYU Professor John Warren that happened way back in March. Writing the Short guided students through the process of writing a short film screenplay over five weeks. It was made free to support writers during the global pandemic. However, after the enthusiastic reception from aspiring screenwriters, Professor Warren left the course free permanently.

Now he's back with a more insular look at writing scenes. And he's still teaching for free, which is something we really believe in! 


Writing the Scene is a free, self-paced online course that contains over two hours of exclusive video content that covers foundational and advanced-level strategies for scene-writing, such as:

  • Professor Warren’s approach to writing a scene, including his insights from more than 40 years of industry experience
  • In-depth analysis of scenes from Whiplash and Tootsie
  • Breakdowns of basic scene elements and formatting conventions
  • Strategies for enhancing readability and impact of scenes during the revision process

Here's where I think this gets amazing. Not only do you get all of that stuff, but every student may submit an original scene for personal feedback from the Young Screenwriters’ feedback team.

This kind of personal attention is unheard of. 

“I wish something like Writing the Scene had been around when I was first starting out,” Professor Warren said. “It would have saved me a lot of frustration—and more than a few drafts. But that’s why we made it. To give up-and-coming screenwriters the tools to hone their craft, regardless of where they are in the world or their financial means.”

If this sounds like a good deal for you, we encourage you to sign up. 

Writing the Scene is accessible here

Happy writing!

Source: Young Screenwriters