Where to Take Screenwriting Classes in Florida

Hello, Florida-based screenwriters! Are you looking to grow and develop your skills? Have you been furiously googling “screenwriting classes near me” to no avail? Well, this is the blog for you! Today I’m listing some of the best screenwriting classes in Florida. If you know of a scriptwriting class or program that’s not listed here, please comment with the information below, and we’ll be sure to add it when we update this post!

The New York Film Academy South Beach Screenwriting

A branch of the well-known New York Film Academy, South Beach’s Screenwriting School offers both screenwriting workshops as well as a one-year conservatory program. The Miami Screenwriting School’s courses are designed to provide you with the fundamental skills you’ll need to learn to write for film, television, and web series. The New York Film Academy wants to make it easy for you to transition to working in the film and television industry, so if you’re looking for classes that will put you on a career path in film, look here! They’ve had alumni work as professional screenwriters, script supervisors, showrunners, and development assistants.

Ringling College of Art and Design

If you’re a screenwriter looking for a bachelor’s program, you may want to consider participating in a full-fledged film program as an undergraduate. Career screenwriters will need to know and understand so many different aspects of film production. Being a film major will teach you fundamentals and give you hands-on experience in various production roles. While it is a newer program, the film track at Ringling College of Art and Design has made the industry take notice; It made The Hollywood Reporter’s “Top 25 American Film Schools” list. The program describes its graduates as “expert storytellers” and says students will be fully prepared to work in the film industry upon graduation.

Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts

Florida State University's MFA screenwriting program is a unique conservatory program because it works against the idea of writers working in a vacuum. You’ll take on various filmmaking roles in your first semester, working with students from the production program. While in the program, you’ll build a body of work for both television and film so you’ll have a robust portfolio when you graduate. Class sizes are tiny, between six and eight writers, so that instructors can give plenty of individual attention to each student and their work.

Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts boasts notable alumni such as writer and director Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”), screenwriter T.S. Nowlin (“The Maze Runner” series), and writer Ron J. Friedman (“Brother Bear,” “Chicken Little”).

Screenwriter Meetups in Florida

There are several screenwriting groups in Florida that host their own workshops and classes. I’d recommend going to meetup.com to see which groups and classes are closest to your city. To name a few:

I hope the Floridian screenwriters find this blog helpful! Hopefully, I was able to introduce you to some educational opportunities that you were unaware of.

While there is so much to learn about the craft of screenwriting, one thing you may not need to stress over is the format – that is, if you’re using SoCreate Screenwriting Software. If you’ve tried to write a screenplay, but you’re frustrated by all of the formatting rules, don’t let it be your final draft. Get on the private beta list for SoCreate Screenwriting Software to be the first to try the platform when it comes out soon.

Happy learning and writing!