short film workshop

six weeks. six students. six production-ready short film scripts.

now enrolling!!

February - March 2025

Tuesdays, 6:30pm PT - 2/18, 2/25, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25

(on Zoom)

class will be up to 3 hours depending on enrollment

(+ weekly office hours at a time TBD that works for everyone!)

$1200 - sign up here

Based on Sonya’s material for short filmmakers – which has already been used to teach shorts at film schools around the world – we are pleased to offer this intimate, info-packed workshop for creatives who want to make a short. This class is designed for students to join with an idea, part of an idea, or no idea and leave with two things:

1. a production-ready, bulletproof short film script and

2. all the information you need to put it into production: financing, crew, casting, pre-production, shooting, editing, and release.

Why might you want to make a short film? 

• you want a unique work sample to get staffed in a writer’s room

• you want to eventually make a feature

• you want to fight stagnancy from industry burnout

• you want to get reps as a director

• you want to get better at writing

• you want to direct narrative but haven't been given an opportunity by anyone else

If any of the above apply to you, read on… 

A short that works well can change the trajectory of your career — but you shouldn’t go into production unless the script works. Production is costly and high-stakes, but writing is free.

Shorts that work are worth everything they cost - they get programmed, selected, and shared.  But if the script doesn’t work yet, don’t even spend $100 of your own money on production — not until it works. 

Additionally, many filmmakers don't realize that the role of the script is to get everyone to want to work on your film — from the producer, to the cinematographer, to the actors, to the entire crew. The better your script, the better team you can attract. You want the best collaborators possible to fall in love with the project - so they’re excited to spend their time on it, and bring their A game. And how will they fall in love with it? By reading your script.

This workshop is designed to get you a 10-page or less short film script that works, and prepare you to go into production with it. Julia and Sonya will be right there every step of the way, sharing their expertise and checking your work to make sure your script is ready to go. 

Class Outline

• We will start with part one of Sonya’s signature lecture series, designed to inspire you and help you truly understand the short film form and how it differs from other types of media (features, pilots, etc).

• Next, we’ll workshop your short film ideas and get you ready to pitch them to your friends.

• Then we’ll help you make any changes to your idea based on your pitches, and prepare you to write your script.

• The next two classes are dedicated to your script - hearing it out loud and making sure it works. (Certified script surgeon Julia is here to ensure your vision is making it onto the page.)

• We’ll wrap up with part two of Sonya’s lecture series, which equips you with everything you need to know to actually go into production and beyond (festivals/release). The lectures will be recorded so you will have the option to replay as many times as you want. 

The class is limited to six students, so you’ll get plenty of individual attention and opportunities to ask questions and get feedback along the way. 

View syllabus here (syllabus subject to change)

Ready to sign up? click here!

Not sure if this is for you? let’s chat!