At its heart, the LIU TV Writers Studio M.F.A. mirrors the real world of a TV writers room: In year one, students are presented with an idea for a TV series. They talk about the characters, the world of the series and its themes, the arc of the show – all of the development issues that a real TV writers room deals with. The students have now formed a TV writers room: They pitch ideas, break stories, write outlines, and by the end of the first year, each student has written a script for this putative show.

In year two, the students move into production: Each student will have a scene from her or his script filmed, utilizing a professional director, DP, casting director, and SAG/AFTRA actors. The students remain at the core of the experience, working as department heads on the shoot (which happens during a one-week intensive in January). In the spring, the students move into post-production, learning how to supervise post on a piece one has written, and end the two year M.F.A. program with a finished piece.

In addition to this central project, students write a minimum of two original pilots of their own, as well as creating their own original web series. Other classes include a History of Television Writing Class, and a Capstone Class: Building A Career, which culminates in pitching a project to a panel of industry experts.

The curriculum is broken down in the following way and will culminate in 48 credits:

Year 1

SEMESTER ONE

WPT 610: TELEVISION SERIES & PROGRAMS (6 credit hours)

The fall semester serves as an introduction to the basics and complexities of television script writing. How is an episode structured? How does a writers room break a story? How does a writer develop a professional outline? The “show runner” (professor) brings in a series idea, and students work as a real writers room would - pitching ideas for episodes, talking about the characters, and breaking stories. There will be foundational work on how to build a strong story, how to develop compelling and rounded characters, and the essential work of thinking deeply about the theme of the show: What dramatic question informs the entire series and how does our writing examine and bring this question to life week after week?

By the end of the semester, students will have pitched their ideas for their own episodes of the series; the class will have broken stories for the episodes, and each student will be poised to start writing an outline for her/his episode.

WPT 622: THE NEW MEDIA: AN INTRODUCTION (3 credit hours)

This class focuses on creating a web series. Each student will create and write her/his own web series, developing characters and stories, plotting out a season and by the end of the semester, each student will have shot and edited the pilot for their web series. 

WPT 612: THE WRITERS TABLE (January Intensive)

For one week in January, first year students meet every day. The intensive experience is tailored to the needs of the individual cohort, and the week can range from a mini-film making experience, to introduce production skills in a hands-on manner, to focusing on comedy writing and becoming a comedy writing table for a week and producing sketches in the fashion of an SNL writing staff.

SEMESTER TWO

WPT 620: TELEVISION SERIES & PROGRAMS – WRITING AND PRE-PRODUCTION

The main project continues its development. Each student now takes the outline that was developed during the fall and writes the script of her/his episode. Following an initial draft, and notes from the room, the students does a second draft, getting the script ready for production in the following year.

WPT 611: THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION

An examination of the development and evolution of television as a creative medium, with an emphasis placed on the role of the writer and producer. How did we get from the dawn of the medium of TV to the digital age? Influential TV programs will be screened and technological advances will be highlighted. Important TV scripts of historical and contemporary importance will be studied.

WPT 698: INDIVIDUAL EPISODE WRITING

Each student pitches an idea for an original series – something that is uniquely their own and not attached to the main project. These original series may be drama or comedy, and intended for the streaming world with its serialized bent, or for cable, or for traditional network television. During the semester, each student will write their original pilot and have a draft and first revision done by the end of the semester.

WPT 699: INTERNSHIP

Each student will do an internship with a television production company; show that is shooting; or with an individual writer/producer. There are a wide variety of internship possibilities in New York City, and past internships have included interning at Comedy Central, The Daily Show, The Children’s Television Workshop, and many other opportunities.

YEAR 2

SEMESTER ONE

WPT 630: TELEVISION SERIES & PROGRAMS – WRITING AND PRODUCING

As the main project closes in on production, the writers room rewrites and polishes their scripts. The necessities of production always require changes to reflect budgetary realities, location issues, and casting opportunities. The students learn how to revise a script as it moves into shooting, and how to tailor revisions to serve the needs of production.

WPT 631: SINGLE CAMERA PRODUCTION

Students learn the nuts and bolts of pre-production through hands on experience: Each student heads up a department of the film shoot coming up in January (i.e. Locations, Art Department, Camera Department, etc.) They learn how to budget a shoot, how to schedule a shoot, and work with a professional director, casting director, and DP. By the end of the semester, the project is ready for shooting in January.

WPT 632: LOCATION PRODUCTION (WINTER INTENSIVE)

The project that the writers room has developed and scripted now shoots. For a solid week, with a professional director, SAG-AFTRA actors, a professional DP, and professionals in key supporting positions, the students shoot their pages. It’s the thrill of seeing your work come to life with professional actors and a crew headed by a veteran cinematographer.

SEMESTER TWO

WPT 642: POST PRODUCTION

In the spring, following the shoot, students learn the craft of post-production by once again, experiencing it hands on. Each student learns enough about editing to do a rough assembly of their material. A professional editor finishes the edit (and sound edit), but students learn how to work with an editor and navigate post-production through to a completed project.

WPT 621: GENRE THEORY AND WRITING THE PILOT

Students write another original pilot, and at the same time, study the various genres that underlie the heart of television. Whether it’s a medical drama, a cop show, a single-camera work place comedy, every project falls into a genre of some sort (even if it’s the avant-garde-refuses-to-be-labeled genre). Students end their second year with a second completed original pilot script.

WPT 643: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND CUTTING THE DEAL

How does a writer build a career? This course gives nuts and bolts advice about acquiring intellectual property, optioning material, building relationships with agents and managers, navigating the various contests and fellowships that are available, and offers a way to construct a plan of attack as students launch their careers.

WPT 700: CAPSTONE COURSE

In the capstone course, students hone their pitching skills by taking one of the projects they have worked on over the two years and developing a pitch for it. At the end of the semester, a panel of industry professionals hears each pitch and offers feedback as the students head into the real world of television writing.

INDUSTRY GUESTS

In addition to class, students participate in lectures and Q&A's given by working professionals in the industry. Check out a selection of these lectures below.