UCLA - Professional Programs Reviews & Admissions Statistics

I took this virtually due to the Virus That Shall Not Be Named, so your experience might be a bit different if you're in person. I like to ramble, so feel free to skip to whatever title seems interesting.

Course Structure:
Overall, I enjoyed the program. You have a 3hr workshop once a week and a 1.5hr Q&A session with a professor. The Q&A session is for questions regarding the pre-recorded lecture of the week. Sometimes there are guests in both courses. The guests will depend somewhat on what instructor you have; one professor had guests every week or so, others not at all.

Your courses are as follows: Autumn Quarter - Writing the TV Spec, Winter Quarter - Writing the Original Pilot, Spring Quarter - Writing the Original Pilot. You'll leave with three pilots that should have gone through multiple rounds of feedback and revisions.

There's a variety of experience levels in each class -- some people have never written anything before applying, others write prose or poetry, and others have agents or managers and have been in rooms before.

The Experience:
Not to hammer too much on this, but it being a good experience primarily depends on the professor you have each quarter. I don't think there's a set curriculum for each course. What ends up happening is one instructor might want you to jump right into writing, and you'll need to turn in 5ish pages a week. Another may want to focus on outlining, beat sheets, character write-ups, and so on for a while before writing an act and a half a week. When the entire program met up for those Q&A sessions, it was clear some groups were learning things others didn't learn about until the second or final quarter.

Being a workshop-based program means that if your cohort isn't talkative, feedback may not be as easy to come by. You're in class with the same 5-10 students for the entire program. It was a helpful program for me because it fits with how I typically learn.

Virtual or In Person:
If you're attending virtually, it's super important you keep up with the recorded lectures. If not, finding a free online writer's workshop would be more cost-efficient. Most of the most helpful knowledge I gained all year was from those lectures and one professor who went out of their way to ensure we all got our money's worth.

If you're already in the area or have the funds to be in the area for the length of the course, I'd suggest you take it in person. I know they more frequently had industry guests among other things. In general, workshopping (especially for comedic pieces) is more cohesive when you're all together in one room.

If you're looking for something that would go on a college transcript for academic credit or something that may grade a bit more than simply "Did you turn in a full script at the end of the quarter? Pass," maybe look into the UCLA Extension courses.

Cost:
Since the program isn't for academic credit, you're ineligible for private and federal educational loans, scholarships, and grants. I think the course is just under 7000 dollars now.

Job Outcomes:
They don't offer any career or internship placement during or after the program. There's a big program-wide contest at the end of the year. For this program, you can submit a drama or comedy script, and they will pick one of each to award. I believe the winner got about 1000 dollars, and their name and script logline was published on Deadline. Personally, I think that having it on my resume helped me get a nice coverage position that I might not have been offered otherwise. Outside of that, the primary value was in learning. I'm sure there are more opportunities for networking and the like if you go in person.

Having done the online version of the program, I appreciated how available the instructors made themselves and that the scheduling of the program could be structured around my availability. The online program brought students from all over the world into the program and people from all sorts of industries. As such, the student body was varied -- those considering screenwriting professionally and those considering it a hobby. Applied basic screenwriting knowledge seems to be the minimal requirement for the program -- as in, some peers were writing their first feature. This type of inclusivity is great for the spirit of the program and the caliber of encouraging instructors. It's a great opportunity for a variety of people to learn screenwriting and try their hand at it. But it may be a surprise for some with more extensive screenwriting experience. However, no matter someone's experience, there is something to learn and the workshops are helpful. It fulfills its purpose as a program between undergrad and grad schools.

We were told it is a professional program because it is for those who are already professionals, or who already have a day job. The workload allows for a full-time job, but can be very busy, as well. During the 2021-22 program, passing and earning your CERTIFICATE for the program consisted of attending 8/10 of the weekly workshops for each of the 3 quarters; finishing a first act by the end of the first quarter; finishing a feature first draft by the end of the second quarter; and finishing another feature first draft by the end of the third quarter. The program also consisted of pre-recorded lectures and a Zoom Q&A with instructors, screenwriters, agents, and other industry professionals. Q&A's were recorded to be rewatched at your convenience.

Much of the program's experience comes from the workshop instructors -- keeping the same instructor through the first two quarters and receiving a new one for the third quarter. Each instructor will run their workshop differently and each has their own unique insight to add to your work and about the industry and craft. Different instructor styles will work for different students and will influence the finished product of your drafts.

I was a self-taught screenwriter with four completed (unproduced) features under my belt. This was my first experience of formal instruction. My biggest takeaways were knowledge of screenwriting structure and the workshop experience. It's exciting to see others' insights affect your work and for your own insights to affect their work.

If you are curious about screenwriting or want more practice, this program is a strong RECOMMEND from me. The instructors and students it generally attracts are supportive and kind and the instruction is helpful. I used a screenplay I wrote in the program as my application to grad schools and one of my instructors was a recommender. The program is a great stepping stone towards grad school.

I loved my time at the UCLA PP in Producing! Each night, a different lecturer from a different part of the industry comes in and gives a talk. If you have just moved to LA and want a thorough understanding of the industry, as well as some connections, this is a great program at a not too steep price (not cheap though!). This program offers some amazing guest lecturers. I got to meet and participate in Q&As with the VP of Current at NBC and an exec at Marvel, among countless others.

One of the lecturers of the program while I attended was a former exec at a network (and Academy Award winner), who became a great mentor to everyone in the class. He took the time to set up individual meetings with all of us so he could learn about who we are and what we wanted from the program. Even now, months after finishing the program, I still email him and ask him for advice.

You're told right away that the most valuable takeaway from the program is the community you build with your fellow students. We hung out regularly, touring movie studios and throwing parties together. We even participated as a team together at the LA 48 Hour Film Festival. I still am close with several people from the program. It's nice to not feel alone as you try to find you way into the industry.

Also, I am currently interning at the production company of one of the lecturers who came and spoke with us. I definitely wouldn't have gotten this opportunity if I hadn't been a student at the UCLA PP.

If you can afford the program (when I went it was $5500 for the ten week course), I highly recommend it!

(I rated the equipment as one star because there is no equipment for the program. It's all lecture based, with no film assignments.)

Please bear in mind this review is specifically for the Professional Producing Program, NOT for a degree-rewarding program.
Professional Programs | UCLA School of TFT

I discovered the PP at UCLA through this forum when I was graduating from undergrad at The University of Michigan. At the time, I was getting my career started in production and Michigan had a tax incentive and I didn't want to miss out on those opportunities while I pursued a full MFA. The PP are only available to students who have completed their undergrad and they are a lecture based, simplified version of their MFA programs. When I attended in 2012, there were three programs; producing, directing, and screenwriting, They have now added others. I attended the Producing Program along with about 25 other students. There is an admissions process which requires transcripts, a statement of purpose and recommendations.

The lecturers were high ranking industry professionals. I cannot go into many details as to who or what was discussed in specifics because they require you not to disseminate the information in the lectures. This is because you are often given information that is proprietary. I can say that their list on their website is truthful and the lecturers were full of information about budgets, pitches, and the whole Hollywood system. You are not allowed to network with the speakers (you cannot ask them for their contact information), but the students often network with each other and many of my class still keep in touch or work together. In 2012, we also had the opportunity to work on a film which was being line produced by the program TA at the time. For some in the class this was their first time on a real film set. It's a great opportunity to learn how a set works from the ground up. The independent film world in particular in LA is very small and this is certainly a way to meet people involved and to gain valuable information.

If you don't get into an MFA program or you simply don't think a master's is for you, this is a great alternative.

From UCLA ...
COURSE TOPICS
The following topics are typically covered in the Professional Program in Producing: Production Preparation, Line Producing, Financing, Development, Story, Pitching, Contracts/Negotiations, Clearance/Copyright, Legal Issues for Independent Projects, Television Development, Feature Film Marketing, Television Marketing, Alternative Programming, Theatrical Distribution (Domestic and International), Budgeting, The Television Executive, Alternative Distribution, Producing/Directing for TV, Documentary, Post-Production, Producing for Video Games, Producing for Digital Media (Studio and Indie), Multiplatform Storytelling, Virtual Reality.

COURSE WORK & MATERIALS
At this time there are no required materials for this course. In the event that course materials are needed, they will be supplied by UCLA.