Crafting Your Short Film Screenplay
Session: December 2026
About this Self-Paced Course
“I was very unaware of how to write a screenplay. I got into this business as an actor and wanted to expand my knowledge in the film industry. By taking this course, I feel it’ll make me better within my acting career as well as to start crafting projects for myself and the people I meet within this industry.”
—Romeo D., Elk Grove, CA, USA
Short films are a great way to showcase your voice, talent, and storytelling skill. In this eight-week self-paced online course, you will learn the fundamentals of screenwriting and develop your original story idea into a short screenplay with accomplished filmmakers as your guides. Designated homework assignments are reviewed by a Sundance Collab Advisor and designed to move you closer to your completed short screenplay (5–15 pages).
This is a self-paced course. Self-paced courses allow you to watch pre-recorded lectures at your own pace, while working on deadlines to get individualized feedback on your work.
What you bring to the course:
- an idea for a short screenplay that you plan to work on throughout the course.
What you’ll get from the course:
- An application of industry-standard screenplay formatting.
- An understanding of the short film format, including different structures, lengths and genres.
- A shaping of your creative voice and vision.
- An understanding of how to write a scene.
- How to develop and reveal your protagonist, antagonist, and supporting characters.
- How to construct the world and tone for your short screenplay.
- How to craft the structure for your short screenplay.
- How to write action and dialogue.
- How to take notes and approach a rewrite.
This course will:
- offer opportunities for designated homework to be reviewed by a Sundance Collab Advisor. The work is designed to move your project idea through to a draft of your short screenplay.
- analyze a variety of short films across genres and styles.
You will submit your work to a Sundance Advisor for written feedback at two points throughout the 8-week course. For an additional fee, you may elect to meet with your advisor for a 60-minute 1-on-1 session during the course term.
Self-Paced CourseAccessibility
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Accommodations and services are designed to meet the needs of each participant. Submit our Request Accessibility Support form to arrange for services.
Scholarships
Sundance Collab offers a limited number of need-based, partial and full scholarships. Scholarship applications can be submitted until one week before the registration deadline and do not stack with discounts or promotions, including early registration. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course.
Outline
Topics covered include:
- Key Elements of Story & Structure
- Effective Approaches to Short Films
- Writing a Logline
- Outlining and Formatting
Topics covered include:
- Introduction to Character
- The Protagonist, Their Wants, & Needs
- Supporting Characters
- Building The World
Topics covered include:
- Dramatic Problems
- Types of Conflict
- Building Tension
Topics covered include:
- Objectives, Obstacles & Given Circumstances
- Scene Transitions
- Conveying Tone on the Page
Topics covered include:
- Beat Shifts
- Intention vs. Tactic
- Dialogue
- Exposition & Subtext
Topics covered include:
- Opening & Closing Images
- Beginnings
- Endings
Topics covered include:
- Visual Storytelling on the Page
- Story Arcs Through Visual Shifts
- Creating a Lookbook
Topics covered include:
- Receiving Feedback
- Rewriting Process
- Revising Your Logline
- Preparing An Elevator Pitch
- Final Thoughts
Team
Asher Jelinsky
Instructor and Advisor (October 2026)
Asher Jelinsky is a Los Angeles-based writer and director originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. They tell character-driven stories that question gender norms and explore the search for connection amid personal and societal pressures.
Asher’s short film Miller & Son was shortlisted for the Academy Awards-Oscars® and won the gold medal Student Academy Award, the BAFTA Student Film Award, and the gold Cannes Lions Young Director Award. Overall, Asher’s short films have garnered awards and nominations at over 70 film festivals around the world, including Clermont-Ferrand, BFI London, Ashland, and Seattle.
Currently, Asher is developing multiple feature films, including Julian, with support from the SFFILM Rainin Screenwriting Grant, the Cine Qua Non Script Revision Lab, and the California Arts Council Fellowship. They also have an upcoming short film, Pink Noise, which is supported by Breaking Through The Lens, filming later this year.
Asher earned an MFA in Directing from the American Film Institute Conservatory and won the Franklin J. Schaffner Fellow Award for Directing, presented by AFI Fest. They also hold a BA with honors in Media Studies and Public Health from Pitzer College. Along with their professional practice, Asher teaches filmmaking at Sundance Collab and Temple University and is an active BAFTA member.
Stephen Lee
Advisor (December 2026)
Stephen is a Filipino-American filmmaker developing several independent features, including his debut film. His short films include At Little Wheelie Three Days Ago (Locarno 2022) and Manila Is Full Of Men Named Boy (Venice 2018).
He is part of the producing team of Uncle Hiep's Casino, shooting 2026.
As an editor, Stephen cut the feature Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) (Berlinale, Forum 2020), acquired by Janus Films for the Criterion Collection. He cut the shorts Al Borde del Volcán (Cannes Critics' Week 2026), Birdie (Sundance 2026), The Pass (Cannes & TIFF 2022), and Entré tu y Milagros (Venice, Orrizonti Prize 2020).
Stephen also teaches filmmaking at Columbia University (MFA) and Hunter College (BA). He is a former Development and Production Executive at Cinema Inutile. Prior to film, Stephen learned and worked under Magnum photographer Jim Goldberg.
Stephen is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
FAQ
Sundance Collab’s Self-paced courses provide flexibility to complete the work on your own time, but also within a structured timeline that helps you to advance your project. You will travel through the course with a cohort of creators like yourself, and - if applicable - are given assignments with due dates during key weeks of the course:
- Each week you will view pre-recorded lectures by the instructor structured around key topics.
- Post-Video Activities after each session are designed to apply concepts to your own work, and move your project to the next stage.
- If assigned, a course advisor will give you feedback on elements of your work.
- You will have the opportunity to join live class exercises or group office hours, hosted by Sundance Collab Advisors, at critical points in the course to ask questions and discuss concepts.
- In some courses, you will have the opportunity to purchase a 1-on-1 Zoom session with your assigned course advisor.
All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to take Sundance Collab Self-paced courses. Please review the course description to ensure the course is a good fit. If you have any questions about a course, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Note that each Self-paced course has a registration deadline, so please check the date and time to ensure you don’t miss the cut-off. If the registration window is open, you will see a "Register” button on the course page.
We do not allow creative partners to do our Self-paced courses as a team. However, both creators can individually register for the course.
We often offer a limited number of need-based, full or partial scholarships. Check the course description to see if that course currently has scholarships available. Scholarships are prioritized for one per person per year (from the date of issue). Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline. To apply for a scholarship, complete the registration form by clicking the REGISTER button above and selecting the scholarship option, if available.
Applicants will be notified about their scholarship decision prior to the first day of the course. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course.In this case, depending on the course, payment plans may be available and can be selected at checkout.
Yes, we offer two or three-part payment plans for Self-paced courses, depending on the length of the course. In all cases, the first payment is due at the point of registration. The remaining payment(s) are spread out throughout the course term. For specific payment plan dates for a course, please reach out to our team at: collab_courses@sundance.org.
In courses with live class exercises or group office hours, the sessions are recorded and usually made available within two business days. The videos will also contain the chat and transcript from the session, viewable in the video playbar.
Participants will have access to the lecture recordings and course materials for one year following the last class session.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion.
You can find any courses that you are enrolled in or have already completed in the profile section of your Collab account under “Courses.”
You can access the course videos via a computer or mobile device. All of our live class exercises and group office hour sessions are conducted via Zoom.
Download and set up the Zoom software (https://zoom.us/download) and make sure you have the latest update. Here are some great resources from Zoom’s Knowledge Base to take a deeper dive into using Zoom:
- Watch Zoom's Video Tutorials or review training materials on the Getting Started page
- Join a Live Training from Zoom
If you have any further questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.