In the final installment of our exclusive admissions interview with WCU's Graduate Program in Creative Writing (GPCW), James Napoli breaks down the key differences between the MFA and MA, and the alumni network, while Fuhrman shares how to strengthen your application, from compelling letters of recommendation to what the team looks for in a good fit.
CMarie Fuhrman (left) and James Napoli (right) help develop seasoned and empowered writers. (Courtesy: Furhman and Napoli)
Read part one of the interview here:
JN: Everybody's first year is the same. We start in the summer with a sense of play, with a sense of improv and experimentation. We don't worry too much about your larger grand design for whatever screenplay or teleplay you want to write.
Then, when the longer semesters start in the fall and spring, that's when our program kicks into a kind of dual track in the first year. One class is on writing a feature screenplay combined with a second class about the feature screenplay structure. You learn and write at the same time, which is duplicated in the spring semester where [...] you're writing the TV pilot. MA students finish up the year and then revise either their feature screenplay or their TV pilot screenplay for their capstone thesis.
The MFA proceeds from there to much more revision work. We do a whole class on revising their pilot or their feature script. And at the same time, students have declared their thesis. So, this brings us to the third and final script they have to write. The thesis requires an entire year of working with a mentor on a biweekly or weekly basis, depending on how busy people are. At the same time, they're revising heavily one of their other scripts, and they are taking enrichment courses — a little bit of film history, a little bit of script analysis.
Super-important is that MFA students wrap up with two big courses on branding yourself in the industry and preparing your portfolio. They also complete a pitch deck of their year-long thesis script, which is presented at the...
CMarie Fuhrman (left) and James Napoli (right) help develop seasoned and empowered writers. (Courtesy: Furhman and Napoli)
Read part one of the interview here:
Inside Western Colorado University's Low-Residency MFA in Screenwriting Within the Graduate Creative Writing Program (Part 1)
Western Colorado University's Graduate Program in Creative Writing (GPCW) prides itself on not making students, but cultivating relationships to help creators realize their artistic potential. The GPCW operates on a low-residency model, offering students in its Screenwriting MFA and MA program a...
- Alexa P.
- Category: Admissions Interviews
What are a few key differences and similarities between the Screenwriting MFA and MA?
JN: Everybody's first year is the same. We start in the summer with a sense of play, with a sense of improv and experimentation. We don't worry too much about your larger grand design for whatever screenplay or teleplay you want to write.
Then, when the longer semesters start in the fall and spring, that's when our program kicks into a kind of dual track in the first year. One class is on writing a feature screenplay combined with a second class about the feature screenplay structure. You learn and write at the same time, which is duplicated in the spring semester where [...] you're writing the TV pilot. MA students finish up the year and then revise either their feature screenplay or their TV pilot screenplay for their capstone thesis.
The MFA proceeds from there to much more revision work. We do a whole class on revising their pilot or their feature script. And at the same time, students have declared their thesis. So, this brings us to the third and final script they have to write. The thesis requires an entire year of working with a mentor on a biweekly or weekly basis, depending on how busy people are. At the same time, they're revising heavily one of their other scripts, and they are taking enrichment courses — a little bit of film history, a little bit of script analysis.
Super-important is that MFA students wrap up with two big courses on branding yourself in the industry and preparing your portfolio. They also complete a pitch deck of their year-long thesis script, which is presented at the...
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