CLASSES WILL BE CONDUCTED OVER ZOOM FOR FOUR SESSIONS. They will last between an hour and a half and two hours, and be hosted Thursdays August 1, 8, 15, 22 at 5pm PST/8pm ET.

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Love is a backbone of the human experience. Laughter is a necessary force for life. It makes sense, then, that romantic comedy is one of the best-selling, most-viewed, most beloved genres—and yet baffles that it is not often given the public reverence of craft that it deserves. Love stories run through everything. Once you’ve learned how to craft a compelling rom-com you will have the toolbox to do anything—to create the tension and cathartic fulfillment that lies across all kinds of love stories, whether platonic, familial, or romantic.

This four week seminar will use the work of romantic comedy masters Nancy Meyers and Nora Ephron as a jumping off point for study. We’ll look at the screenplays (provided for the class) for When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday, and more, mining them for lessons on structure, humor, and id to inspire students in crafting their own rom-com.

You do not need to know how to write a screenplay to participate in this class; we will excavate the basics of crafting compelling relationships and character arcs for the screen. You can be an established writer, an aspiring one, or simply someone who loves to talk about film — all are welcome!

Like the iconic women we’ll be studying, we’ll also learn how to insert our own flair and signature voice into our work. Nancy and Nora are only a starting point. From learning from the greats of the past—by analyzing their strengths and their hang-ups—we can better learn ourselves, our own tastes, and how to push the genre forward to include a wider variety of voices, perspectives, and fascinations. This class is meant to be a supportive environment to give you the groundwork to craft your own great rom-com.

Students will leave this seminar with a deeper understanding of how to craft a rom-com screenplay, including outlining, scene structure, character arcs, banter, and more. You'll walk away ready to write your own satisfying rom-com for the ages.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

- How do we craft tension in key relationships in a story? How do we do this for the screen specifically, showing instead of telling?

- What makes a compelling romance, and what pays it off?

- How can we infuse humor into our work, and how do we make that humor fit the characters and story we are telling?

- What are the elements of a successful rom-com?

- How do we move the genre of the rom-com forward? How do we blast the genre open to include the voices that have historically been shut out?

COURSE EXPECTATIONS:

Students will read screenplays outside of class time to discuss in class. During class time we will discuss these screenplays and others (which we will read and display together) and dissect their elements.

COURSE SKELETON:

Week 1: An intro: Nancy, Nora, and the basics of the rom-com for the screen

Week 2: Voice, character, and motion: Analyzing When Harry Met Sally

Week 3: Structure, tension, and the antihero

Week 4: The crucial catharsis; making it sing and moving it forward