“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 15th-August 8th, 2024
  • First day of classes begin on Saturday, June 15th.

Application Deadlines

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

Application Fee: $50.00

Tuition Fee

  • $949.00* (If application is received by April 1st)
  • $1,049* (If application is received by May 1st)
  • $1,149.00* (If application is received by June 1st)

*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?

PROGRAM FAQ

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Hollywood Writing Program Faculty

[Subject To Availability]

James Cary

Screenwriter

James Cary is an unusual mix. He is a writer of situation comedy for BBC TV (eg. Miranda, Bluestone ...

Jim Krueger

Author

New York Times best-selling author Jim Krueger is a graduate of Marquette University, an award-winni...

Shun Lee Fong

Actor/Writer/Producer

Shun Lee is an actor, writer, filmmaker, and the CEO and creative principal of Genuine Productions, ...

Paul Guyot

Writer

PAUL GUYOT has written and produced over 200 hours of television. His work includes FELICITY, the Em...

Nathan Scoggins

Writer/Director

Writer/Director NATHAN SCOGGINS has written, produced and/or directed a number of projects over the ...

Clare Sera

Actress/Writer

Clare Sera is an actress and writer, known for Smallfoot (2018), Blended (2014) and The Princess Dia...

Andrea Nasfell

Screenwriter

Andrea Nasfell is an award-winning screenwriter whose most recently released film is the faith-based...

Caleb Brown

Screenwriter/Script Consultant

Caleb Brown is a screenwriter and script consultant. 

His latest film, BLUE RIDGE, was released i...

Bob Smiley

Writer/Author/Producer

Bob is a Writers Guild of America award-winning writer who has written with success in TV, film, and...

Jennifer Dornbush

Screenwriter/Novelist

Jennifer is a screenwriter, author, speaker and forensic specialist who aims to shed light and hope ...

Dallas Jenkins

Writer/Director

Dallas Jenkins is an American film and television director, writer and film producer.

He made his...

Ryan Swanson

Writer/Producer

Ryan Swanson is a writer and producer, known for Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Drop Dead Gorgeous (19...

Christine Swanson

Writer/Director

A visionary storyteller from Detroit, multiple award-winning director Christine Swanson earned her M...

Bill Marsilli

Writer/Producer

Bill Marsilii (Deja Vu) broke into the industry with his first studio pitch. He has successfully pit...

Craig Detweiler

Writer/Author/Filmmaker

Filmmaker and author Craig Detweiler, Ph.D., is dean of the College of Fine Arts and Production at G...

Cheryl McKay Price

Screenwriter

Cheryl McKay Price has been professionally writing since 1997. She has been hired to write approxima...

Marilyn Atlas

Literary Manager

Marilyn R. Atlas is a talent and literary manager and award-winning producer. 

Among her credits ...

Brian Bird

Writer/Producer

Brian Bird is co-creator and executive producer of the top-rated Hallmark Channel series WHEN CALLS ...

Monica Macer

Writer/Producer

Monica Macer is a writer and producer. 

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

Sam Curphey

Entertainment Attorney

Sam Curphey is a Los Angeles-based entertainment attorney. He represents producers, writers, directo...

Karen Hall

Screenwriter

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

Barbara Nicolosi

Screenwriter

Originally from Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Barbara is a screenwriter, producer, columnist, and radio ...

Lauren Snowden

Writer/Director

Lauren C. Snowden earned her B.A. from California State University, Northridge in Radio-TV-Film with...

Jennifer Irons

Writer/Agent

Jennifer Irons is a writer turned talent agent who studied at Act One in Los Angeles, California.

...

Michael Warren

Writer/Producer

Michael Warren began his career writing for television as executive story consultant on the classic ...

Sheryl J. Anderson

Writer/Producer

Sheryl J. Anderson is a television writer/producer. She is currently the executive producer and show...

Liz Suggs

Writer/Producer

Liz Suggs is a writer, producer, director and award-winning lyricist. Her musicals and songs have pl...

Bob Massey

Screenwriter

Bob Massey is a screenwriter.

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

Todd Komarnicki

Writer/Producer

Todd Komarnicki is a writer and producer, known for Sully (2016), The Professor and the Madman (2019...

Sean Gaffney

Writer/Producer

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

Jeremy Howe

Writer/Producer

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

Greg Weidman

Screenwriter

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

Dean Batali

Writer/Producer

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

Scott Teems

Writer/Filmmaker

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

Grant Nieporte

Writer

Grant is best known for writing Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, and Woody Harrels...

Jacob Roman

Screenwriter

Jacob Roman is one half of the Ryan/Roman partnership. He and Kenny Ryan met in screenwriting class ...

Anthony Epling

Writer/Producer

Anthony Epling grew up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains where his mother wasn’t allowed...

Geoff Tock

Screenwriter

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

Tyler Thompson

Writer/Producer

Tyler currently serves as co-writer and executive producer on the TV show The Chosen.

Tyler is al...

Chris Easterly

Writer/Director

Chris Easterly is a screenwriter and independent filmmaker. A graduate of the prestigious Warner Bro...

Quinton Peeples

Writer/Producer

Quinton Peeples is an Executive producer/TV writer; WGA member who most recently served as a co-exec...

Zena Dell Lowe

Writer/Producer/Director

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

Jessica Grasl

Writer/Producer

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

Melissa Glenn

Writer/Producer

Melissa Glenn is a writer/producer who has worked on television shows such as "Citadel," Marvel's "I...

Dan Rupple

Producer/CEO

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

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

Saladin K. Patterson

Screenwriter/Producer

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

Scott Reynolds

Writer/Producer

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

Ann Blanchard

Agent, CAA

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