NYU's film school has produced some of the best voices working today. People like Spike Lee, Adam F. Goldberg, Reed Morano, and Melina Matsoukas have all graduated under the Tisch banner and gone on to succeed in Hollywood. 

Now, NYU professor John Warren, who is not only a working screenwriter but one who has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the business since the late 80s, is offering a course online for free. The course is not associated directly with NYU, but Warren does teach there. 


He runs a program called Young Screenwriters, which focuses on new and emerging voices who are trying to discover how to tell their stories. 

The program website states: "The world is a better place when more people are empowered to tell their stories. But for too long, quality screenwriting courses were only available to young people who lived in big cities and could afford to pay a premium. That’s why Professor John Warren, an award-winning NYU Tisch professor and professional screenwriter/producer, launched Young Screenwriters—an online writing program that can be used in any classroom or individually by students. Now, young screenwriters can learn to write short films no matter where they are and at a price that’s actually affordable. It’s rigorous, but fun, too. We promise!"

Yes, the program focuses on writing short films, which Warren says are crucial to a young storyteller's voice. 

His website expounds on that idea. Shorts are good because...

  • You can win prestigious screenwriting competitions with a short
  • You can use your short to wow agents, managers, and producers
  • You can realistically shoot a short on your own and add it to your reel
  • You can use your short to apply to world-renown film programs and universities
  • You can test a feature film idea on a smaller scale before investing tons of time and money

How Do You Get into the Free Course? 

Visit the Young Screenwriters website and use the coupon code NYC2020 for your free course. 

Up next? 

If you want more free screenwriting tips and information we've got tons, and a great place to start is this guide on how to write a great screenplay

Happy writing!