“Act One is all you need to succeed in Hollywood as a writer. Don’t waste your time in a four-year screenwriting program. You can do it better and faster with Act One.”

 

We hear this a lot from alums about our writing program.

How are we uniquely distinctive?

1

Large Team

We draw from a large (amazing!) team of teachers who are also professional, working writers. They come off the lots, off the set, and out of the writers' rooms to teach you the basics (character, dialogue, formatting, structure) and more advanced topics. They share their industry “secrets” openly and are driven to make you the best writer you can be.
2

Values Driven

Our community of teachers, mentors, and writers are, in large part, professionals who hold Christian values and desire to see those instilled in their creative work, no matter what genre or storytelling arena. They offer a transparent and supportive environment in which to tell redemptive stories grounded in a Biblical worldview.
3

Concentrated Training

Our training is concentrated and extremely thorough. We incorporate a variety of teaching modalities--- lecture, video, writer panels and interviews, small groups, real-world writing exercises, and mentorships with professional working writers. We focus on getting you to mine great ideas, find your voice, develop memorable characters, and so much more.
4

Alumni Community

As an alumnus of Act One, we welcome you as part of a lifelong community of entertainment professionals. Act Oners are a close-knit group that continues to support and encourage each other in our professional creative journeys.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Over the 8-weeks, screenwriting basics (plot, character, dialogue, structure, world building, and more) will be taught via video courses, group Zoom sessions and one-on-one mentoring. The 8-weeks are structured like this:

  • -Video-based Lessons
  • -Weekly Live Zoom Classes
  • -Bi-Weekly One-on-one Mentoring via phone or Zoom
  • -Weekly writing assignments
  • -Weekly film viewing assignments
  • -Reading assignments (Screenplays, The Hollywood Standard, Making a Good Script Great, etc.)

COURSE DATES & TUITION

Course Dates

  • -June 10th-July 31st, 2025
  • -First day of classes begin on Tuesday, June 10th.

Application Deadlines

  • -Early Registration Deadline: April 1st
  • -Registration Deadline: May 1st
  • -Late Registration Deadline: June 1st

Application Fee: $50.00

Tuition Fee

  • -$1,100*
  • -(Applicants who apply by April 1st will receive $100 off tuition)

*Deposit of 50% of the tuition cost is required upon acceptance into the program to hold your spot. The remainder of the tuition balance MUST be paid before the first day of class.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

#1: Writing Sample of 5 pages (any narrative content)

#2: 2 Loglines (Original Ideas)

#3: Resume

#4: Statement of Faith: No more than 3 pages detailing the following: (1) Briefly describe your spiritual journey and your belief in Jesus Christ. (2) Why do you, as a Christian, want to write for movies or TV in Hollywood? (3) Cite examples of movies or TV shows that are most like what you aspire to write, and tell us why. (4) What are you hoping to learn at Act One? (5) What are your plans upon completion of the program?

SAMPLE SCHEDULESUBMIT APPLICATION
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Hollywood Writing Program Faculty

[Subject To Availability]

Christine Swanson

Christine Swanson

Writer/Director

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Andrea Nasfell

Andrea Nasfell

Screenwriter

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Liz Suggs

Liz Suggs

Writer/Producer

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Jacob Roman

Jacob Roman

Screenwriter

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Brian Bird

Brian Bird

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Grant Nieporte

Grant Nieporte

Writer

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Sam Curphey

Sam Curphey

Entertainment Attorney

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Craig Detweiler

Craig Detweiler

Writer/Author/Filmmaker

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Saladin K. Patterson

Saladin K. Patterson

Screenwriter/Producer

Saladin K. Patterson is currently the showrunner of the new King of the Hill reboot on Hulu. Recentl...

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Jim Krueger

Jim Krueger

Author

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Bob Massey

Bob Massey

Screenwriter

Bob Massey is a screenwriter.

Kim Sherman (YOU’RE NEXT, V/H/S) is slated to direct his feature ad...

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Geoff Tock

Geoff Tock

Screenwriter

Geoff Tock is the writing partner of Gregory Weidman. They are moderately successful film & TV writer...

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Anthony Epling

Anthony Epling

Writer/Producer

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Clare Sera

Clare Sera

Actress/Writer

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Dallas Jenkins

Dallas Jenkins

Writer/Director

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He made his...

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Jennifer Irons

Jennifer Irons

Writer/Agent

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Ryan Swanson

Ryan Swanson

Writer/Producer

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Nathan Scoggins

Nathan Scoggins

Writer/Director

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Michael Warren

Michael Warren

Writer/Producer

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Jennifer Dornbush

Jennifer Dornbush

Screenwriter/Novelist

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Greg Weidman

Greg Weidman

Screenwriter

Greg Weidman is the writing partner of Geoff Tock. They are moderately successful film & TV writers w...

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Jeremy Howe

Jeremy Howe

Writer/Producer

Born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Jeremy moved to Los Angeles in 2002 for an internship at “Th...

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Marilyn Atlas

Marilyn Atlas

Literary Manager

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Among her credits ...

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Karen Hall

Karen Hall

Screenwriter

In her career as a screenwriter, producer and creative consultant, Karen Hall has worked on numerous...

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James Cary

James Cary

Screenwriter

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Todd Komarnicki

Todd Komarnicki

Writer/Producer

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Lauren Snowden

Lauren Snowden

Writer/Director

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Ann Blanchard

Ann Blanchard

Agent, CAA

Ann Develin Blanchard is an Agent in the TV Literary and Packaging department at leading entertainme...

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Dean Batali

Dean Batali

Writer/Producer

Dean Batali is a producer and writer, known for That '70s Show (1998), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (199...

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Scott Reynolds

Scott Reynolds

Writer/Producer

Scott is a writer/producer who has written for such television shows as Dexter, Jessica Jones, The F...

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Dan Rupple

Dan Rupple

Producer/CEO

Dan Rupple has worked in the media industry for over 40 years.

For over ten years, he was at CBS ...

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Cheryl McKay Price

Cheryl McKay Price

Screenwriter

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Paul Guyot

Paul Guyot

Writer

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Tyler Thompson

Tyler Thompson

Writer/Producer

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Tyler is al...

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Zena Dell Lowe

Zena Dell Lowe

Writer/Producer/Director

Zena has worked professionally in the entertainment industry for over 20 years as a writer, producer...

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Scott Teems

Scott Teems

Writer/Filmmaker

A Georgia-born filmmaker whose upcoming projects include HALLOWEEN KILLS, which he co-wrote with Dan...

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Jessica Grasl

Jessica Grasl

Writer/Producer

Jessica Grasl has been a writer/producer on "Leverage" and "Hawaii Five-0," with then-partner (and f...

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Monica Macer

Monica Macer

Writer/Producer

Monica Macer is a writer and producer. 

She worked as an assistant at Nickelodeon Movies and a cr...

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Bill Marsilli

Bill Marsilli

Writer/Producer

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Shun Lee Fong

Shun Lee Fong

Actor/Writer/Producer

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Sean Gaffney

Sean Gaffney

Writer/Producer

Sean Gaffney has authored thirty produced plays, two feature films, four commissioned television pil...

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Quinton Peeples

Quinton Peeples

Writer/Producer

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Melissa Glenn

Melissa Glenn

Writer/Producer

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Chris Easterly

Chris Easterly

Writer/Director

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Caleb Brown

Caleb Brown

Screenwriter/Script Consultant

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Bob Smiley

Bob Smiley

Writer/Author/Producer

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Barbara Nicolosi

Barbara Nicolosi

Screenwriter

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