CLASSES WILL BE CONDUCTED OVER ZOOM FOR FOUR SESSIONS. It will meet at 5pm PST/8pm ET, Wednesdays July 31, August 7, August 14, August 21.

Sessions will be recorded and made available if you have to miss a class.

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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 master Richard Curtis as a jumping off point for study. We’ll look at the screenplays (provided for the class) for Notting Hill, Bridget Jones' Diary, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, and more, mining them for lessons on structure, humor, ensemble, 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 are using the works of Richard Curtis as a lens and starting point. For so many of us, especially those who came of age in the '90s or early '00s, his movies shaped what we think when we think of rom-coms. He is undoubtedly part of the romantic canon, but many of us are also desperate for a new era of romantic comedies that aren't written by white men, or that do not center straight white women. So we will learn from one the greats of the past—by analyzing their strengths and their flaws—as a way to better learn ourselves, our own tastes, and how to push the genre forward to include a wider variety of voices, perspectives, and fascinations. We are not beholden to this white dude, but his work helped define the modern rom-com, and we can learn from that, rebel against it, and figure out what we need going forward. 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, ensemble work, and more. You'll walk away ready to write your own satisfying rom-com for the ages — or to better understand those that you already love.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

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

- What elements go into crafting a memorable screenplay? 

- How do you seamlessly incorporate an ensemble cast of characters that feel real? 

- How do you build a cinematic world people want to return to again and again? 

- How can we infuse humor into our work — and how do you blend that humor with more dramatic subjects you may explore? 

- 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: Richard Curtis, and how Bridget Jones and Notting Hill approach character & conflict

Week 2: Creating a world and managing an ensemble: Analyzing Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral

Week 3: Tone & the art of blending comedy and drama: Four Weddings and About Time

Week 4: Crafting a strong hook & making your movie sing: Notting Hill, About Time, Love Actually, and Yesterday