Every film and every series begins with a screenplay.
Characters, stories, story worlds – before they can come to life on a screen, they are created in the imagination of writers.
The Screenwriting study programme teaches the skills needed to tell touching and gripping stories and reach and captivate an audience in a variety of genres and formats. Creativity, imagination and perseverance are just as important as the ability to critique and work in a team.
Screenwriting is a combination of working alone at a desk and having discussions and developing stories and content with project partners – "screenwriting is writing with the door open" (Wolfgang Kohlhaase).
Based on specific projects, the four-year study programme teaches the craft of storytelling. Students write screenplays and develop concepts in various genres and formats. This includes short and feature-length films, series formats as well as writing for advertising, computer games, cross-media formats or animation projects. We support mainstream projects as well as arthouse films and series and encourage students to try out radical approaches.
At the Filmakademie, collaboration between the different crafts and trades takes centre stage. Teamwork, dealing with criticism and conflicts and developing joint ideas are practised in collaborations. Short films are created in collaboration with Directing, Production and Cinematography students, giving them the experience of seeing their own work on the big screen and at festivals.
Students learn how to work in the writers' room as well as how to write in solitude and develop their own narrative voice. Excursions offer the opportunity to come into contact with established personalities from the industry.
It is important to us that the workshops and seminars are led by established screenwriters –because writing is best taught by writers.
The study programme is divided into five years, with the option of a ‘mobility year’ following the undergraduate studies. During this mobility year, students are encouraged to broaden their horizons through travelling, meetings, jobs and internships, regardless of whether they are related or unrelated to their subject.
First year
The first year takes the form of a general studies programme. Together with fellow students from the other study programmes, screenwriting students take courses in directing/cinematography, screenwriting and expermimental film after an introduction to production and research. The students get to know the work and roles on set and deal with film editing, experimental cinematic devices and animation techniques.
Research and screenwriting focus on the core of storytelling: characters and conflicts. Students learn the basics of dramatic storytelling and gain an overview of dramaturgical terms and simple structural models. In weekly acting classes, they experience first-hand what a good script needs.
Second year
During the second year of the study programme, students deepen their knowledge of the basics of dramatic storytelling by working on specific projects and writing screenplays for long, short and series narrative formats.
In the "Short narrative formats" course, Screenwriting students develop a short film script in collaboration with Directing and Production students, which is realised in the summer semester. In the "Long narrative formats" seminar, they write their first screenplay for a feature-length film or series pilot. This involves an intensive examination of their own narrative desire and the challenge of finally turning their own idea into a screenplay. Research, film analyses, lectures and seminars on character psychology, structural models, scene and dialogue accompany the script development. In cooperation with Acting students, the Screenplay students work on their own scenes and dialogue.
Third year
From the third year onwards, students build on what they have learnt in the first two years. The focus shifts to the reality outside the Filmakademie: the German-language film and television market comes into focus. Genres are analysed and editors from broadcasters and streamers introduce themselves to the students.
Together with students from the "Series Producing" programme (in cooperation with UFA), students develop and produce series concepts and practise working in the writers' room on specific projects, such as a series pilot. They are supported by seminars in series dramaturgy and workshops with industry experts.
There is also the opportunity to develop, write and realise further open-format projects together with students from other departments.
Fourth year and diploma
In addition to the projects developed in collaboration, the students write their diploma thesis, a screenplay for a feature film or series.
Intensive identification of content and concepts and research in group lessons precede the long writing phase under individual supervision. The focus is on the time following FABW, including contacts to the industry, agencies and festivals in order to facilitate the students' transition to a successful professional life.
Undergraduate studies
First year
The first year takes the form of a general studies programme. Together with fellow students from the other study programmes, screenwriting students take courses in directing/cinematography, screenwriting and expermimental film after an introduction to production and research. The students get to know the work and roles on set and deal with film editing, experimental cinematic devices and animation techniques.
Research and screenwriting focus on the core of storytelling: characters and conflicts. Students learn the basics of dramatic storytelling and gain an overview of dramaturgical terms and simple structural models. In weekly acting classes, they experience first-hand what a good script needs.
Undergraduate studies
Second year
During the second year of the study programme, students deepen their knowledge of the basics of dramatic storytelling by working on specific projects and writing screenplays for long, short and series narrative formats.
In the "Short narrative formats" course, Screenwriting students develop a short film script in collaboration with Directing and Production students, which is realised in the summer semester. In the "Long narrative formats" seminar, they write their first screenplay for a feature-length film or series pilot. This involves an intensive examination of their own narrative desire and the challenge of finally turning their own idea into a screenplay. Research, film analyses, lectures and seminars on character psychology, structural models, scene and dialogue accompany the script development. In cooperation with Acting students, the Screenplay students work on their own scenes and dialogue.
Graduate studies
Third year
From the third year onwards, students build on what they have learnt in the first two years. The focus shifts to the reality outside the Filmakademie: the German-language film and television market comes into focus. Genres are analysed and editors from broadcasters and streamers introduce themselves to the students.
Together with students from the "Series Producing" programme (in cooperation with UFA), students develop and produce series concepts and practise working in the writers' room on specific projects, such as a series pilot. They are supported by seminars in series dramaturgy and workshops with industry experts.
There is also the opportunity to develop, write and realise further open-format projects together with students from other departments.
Graduate studies
Fourth year and diploma
In addition to the projects developed in collaboration, the students write their diploma thesis, a screenplay for a feature film or series.
Intensive identification of content and concepts and research in group lessons precede the long writing phase under individual supervision. The focus is on the time following FABW, including contacts to the industry, agencies and festivals in order to facilitate the students' transition to a successful professional life.
