Stony Brook University (SUNY)

I love this program so much. If you are interested in TV Writing this is the best program for it. We have incredibly talented writers and the classes are small and personable. It is very hard to beat this value.

Hello fellow TV Writing and Filmmaking Community,

I’m here to give you my two cents on the TV Writing MFA at Stony Brook University. I’m a working screenwriter in (and from) Brazil, and I found this gem after taking a summer course at Columbia in 2014 with Alan Kingsberg, now the Director of the program at Stony Brook. Needless to say, I’m a big fan of Alan’s approach to writing. Still, the idea of moving continents for two to three years did scare me—I won’t lie. But boy, am I happy I came.

I’m in my second semester and already very impressed by the program. I could write pages on the program (that also features comedy, showrunning, Limited Series, Business of TV and so on) , but to keep it simple, I’ll focus on a recent experience to paint a picture.

Last semester, I wrote a pilot I’m a little bit in love with, based on an idea I had been playing with for a while but never found the time or energy to fully develop. Having the commitment made a huge difference. Every week, we brought in pages – whether it was our series idea, outline or scenes. One week, we’d present to the class; the next, we’d meet one-on-one with the professor in conference. It made all of us want to bring our A game. Not out of competition, but out of respect for our professor, our peers, and ourselves. I found the feedback incredibly valuable in shaping not just mine, but everyone’s work.

A quick note on the cohort: it’s super small. Mine has only nine people, which means you get a LOT of attention on your work and get to genuinely connect with your professors and peers.

This semester, in addition to writing a new pilot and a feature, we’re also taking an Acting for Directors class alongside the Film MFA students. I can’t stress enough how much of a game changer this has been. The professor, Shira-Lee Shalit, is amazing, a true “actor whisperer”. This class is simple, hands-on, and incredibly effective in teaching us how to communicate with actors in a collaborative and practical way. It’s not just about getting better performances (which I’ve seen firsthand), but ultimately about building something together.

Last week, I got to direct a scene from the pilot I worked on last semester. I reached out to two amazing actors from Esper with the help of the school and the whole experience was out of this world! My pilot takes place in an almost dystopian setting, and during the final run, I really felt it—the paranoia, the heat, the deprivation. I also felt one of the characters own “the win”, not just get it because I wrote it on the page. Witnessing the emotional arc land so perfectly was just plain awesome!

Seeing my script come to life got me pumped up in so many ways. I gained a deeper understanding of my characters’ motivations and backstory. I gained insight into things I may have gotten wrong, and others that felt even more right. Overall, it reignited in me the reason why I want to tell this story. Why I want to tell ANY story. And that’s a feeling that doesn’t come along very often.

I’m so grateful to the TV Writing MFA at Stonybrook. Just wanted to share with you all how powerful it can be to study here.

Would absolutely go back in a heartbeat! I loved focusing on Television Writing (rather than Features) and graduated last year with writing samples I can build upon. Due to the small class size, instructors are invested in your success, your classmates work hard to make your writing stronger, and you get real space to grow throughout the semesters. It is a tight-knit space where pursuing your dream won't break your bank account. I won scholarships and a TA position which covered my out-of-state tuition. Also living in NY is fabulous! No regrets.