I've seen threads for Stark and Production, but not for this program...so I figured I'd start one and see who else out there applied for USC screenwriting.

Anybody?

Great initiative, Kris.

I didn't discover this program until just a few weeks ago, and will therefore apply for the fall 2012 program instead. Bugger. Anyway, how much time did you spend on creating/collecting your application materials?

hello there kris

i applied for this program as well.i m not too confident though!

Applied for this program too. Felt a lot stronger about the USC app than my Ucla one (which didn't end well), so crossing my fingers. Good luck everyone, let us know when you here anything.

I applied to this program and UCLA's program.

Fingers crossed...

quote:

Originally posted by Cobber:
Great initiative, Kris.

I didn't discover this program until just a few weeks ago, and will therefore apply for the fall 2012 program instead. Bugger. Anyway, how much time did you spend on creating/collecting your application materials?

It varies based on which material you're talking about. I didn't even decide for sure that I was applying until late last spring, and even then all I did before the end of the summer was get one of my recs. My writing samples were things I'd already written, but personal statement/emotional moment/creative challenges were all done in the fall. In fact, for one of the creative challenges I wrote it the night before the application was due.

quote:

Originally posted by KrisKelvin:

It varies based on which material you're talking about. I didn't even decide for sure that I was applying until late last spring, and even then all I did before the end of the summer was get one of my recs. My writing samples were things I'd already written, but personal statement/emotional moment/creative challenges were all done in the fall. In fact, for one of the creative challenges I wrote it the night before the application was due.

Congrats on getting everything on time! What made you certain about applying? Were your writing samples screenplays as well, or were they short stories/poems/etc?

quote:

Originally posted by Cobber:

quote:

Originally posted by KrisKelvin:

It varies based on which material you're talking about. I didn't even decide for sure that I was applying until late last spring, and even then all I did before the end of the summer was get one of my recs. My writing samples were things I'd already written, but personal statement/emotional moment/creative challenges were all done in the fall. In fact, for one of the creative challenges I wrote it the night before the application was due.

Congrats on getting everything on time! What made you certain about applying? Were your writing samples screenplays as well, or were they short stories/poems/etc?

I'd thought about film school for awhile, and had pretty much decided 100% that I wanted to try and become a professional screenwriter (and maybe a director and/or producer down the line, but I have zero experience there). I know I still need time to hone my craft, and seeing as I know very few people in the film/television industry it seems like a good option to enroll in a graduate program. Ideally I'll spend two years in LA at either AFI/UCLA/USC, and come out with a stronger portfolio, a much more extensive network than I have now, and possibly some people I even work with in the future. Much better than finding a PA job on a Z-movie and hoping to work my way up from there...

My two writing samples were a short story and the opening of a screenplay. In retrospect I wish I'd chosen something different for the latter, because I've heard USC prefers non-screenplay writing samples (and due to the length maximum of 15 pages, I couldn't fit much of the screenplay in there anyway). But looking back at my materials now, I feel like they were as strong as I could have made them. If I don't get accepted--which I know is likely based on the low admission rate--I will simply chalk it up to an outstanding applicant pool.

I applied for this program, as well. I'm also not too confident, especially when there are only 32 acceptances! I majored in Lit. Journalism and minored in Film & Media Studies. I've worked on student films, been an extra on some professional sets, and dappled in other corners of the industry but I don't know whether that'll be substantial enough to get in!

Question: other threads show that phone interviews from USC start this week. Is that only for the Peter Stark program? Screenwriting doesn't have interviews, correct? So...the date we're all waiting for is Feb. 26?

Good luck to everybody!

quote:

Originally posted by kalena122:
I applied for this program, as well. I'm also not too confident, especially when there are only 32 acceptances! I majored in Lit. Journalism and minored in Film & Media Studies. I've worked on student films, been an extra on some professional sets, and dappled in other corners of the industry but I don't know whether that'll be substantial enough to get in!

Question: other threads show that phone interviews from USC start this week. Is that only for the Peter Stark program? Screenwriting doesn't have interviews, correct? So...the date we're all waiting for is Feb. 26?

Good luck to everybody!

Hey, good luck to you too!

Answer: there are no interviews for this program, so we're just stuck waiting until decisions are made.

And a question right back at you: where did you see February 26th? I recall perusing a thread from last year where people were hearing March 8th or so. And I remember seeing that in the past they didn't send out decisions until April! But I wouldn't mind hearing February 26th, that's for sure.

quote:

And a question right back at you: where did you see February 26th? I recall perusing a thread from last year where people were hearing March 8th or so. And I remember seeing that in the past they didn't send out decisions until April! But I wouldn't mind hearing February 26th, that's for sure.

Oops. After further inspection, those dates actually referred to USC's production program- sorry. Gah! I hope we don't have to wait until April!!

Anyone hear anything?? Getting more and more unnerved by the day

quote:

Originally posted by SDsurfer:
Anyone hear anything?? Getting more and more unnerved by the day

Nothing here, though since there are no interviews I don't expect anything until the big yea or nay. I'm tempted to call the office and ask when that day will be, but I'm afraid it could hurt my chances (yes, I'm uber-paranoid right now). Last year it was something like March 8, though in previous years it was as late as April. Stark Program hears in under two weeks, so hopefully we won't be long after that...

Yeah so this is the big one huh? I applied, am hopeful, lost out to UCLA but still got 4 more in the burner.

quote:

Originally posted by RobbieBlock:
Yeah so this is the big one huh? I applied, am hopeful, lost out to UCLA but still got 4 more in the burner.

I wouldn't say it is THE big one, but yes it's definitely among the top programs around. I just wish they gave some indication of whether we were all in the running (as UCLA/AFI did with interviews), rather than make us wait until decisions to have any idea!

I wish someone would hear something this is becong unbearable. The alcohol does not help. What were your guys emotional moments about? I'm afraid mine was not dealing with something monumental but rather juxtaposing a stupid event with a strong emotional response, sort of the last straw in a string of events. But the literary content was there. Here's to wishing everyone the best of luck, and knowing that each pf you will read my drunken ramblings despite it's pointlessness because we are all so desperately seeking some news

quote:

Originally posted by SDsurfer:
I wish someone would hear something this is becong unbearable. The alcohol does not help. What were your guys emotional moments about? I'm afraid mine was not dealing with something monumental but rather juxtaposing a stupid event with a strong emotional response, sort of the last straw in a string of events. But the literary content was there. Here's to wishing everyone the best of luck, and knowing that each pf you will read my drunken ramblings despite it's pointlessness because we are all so desperately seeking some news

I'm sure we could get some info by calling the admissions office...I just don't want to be the one to do it!

My emotional moment was about something that happened to me when I was much younger, an event that at least to a degree convinced me I wanted to get into this business. If you've ever seen "Sullivan's Travels" (which I highly recommend), my emotional moment ended kind of like that movie does when Sullivan's talking about the value in making people laugh. I definitely embellished some--mainly in how I made myself out to be far more aware of what was going on than I was at the time--but it's still truthful and hopefully brings out the crux of who I am.

But I just have no idea where I stand. Hopefully we'll all get good news, even though the numbers are strongly against us.

I'm sure we could get info by calling the office, but I don't know if it would be accurate info.
In my experience, they bend the truth a little to avoid implying the applicant's status over the phone.

My emotional moment was about a huge family event that was a departure from childhood. It didn't get me into film or screenwriting, but it got me craving escapism which led to drawing and making artwork for quite sometime and that led to an eventual interest in screenwriting. It's all about starting out with a blankness and creating a new place to exist in.

The moment bled over to my ACS, but I only referenced the emotional moment in one sentence and talked about lots of other things, artwork as curiosity, etc.

I hope they liked it...I worked on many a draft, esp for the ACS.

sit tight

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Witt,

Yeah, so I think I blew my character profile, it was basically just a personal statement...

My emotional moment was about when my dog died, soudns pretty dumb but I swear it made sense at the time. I was initially really confident about my application but as time wears on I think the nerves are getting to us all.

All I know is I actually enjoyed the creative challenges that we had to do, so even if I get rejected it wasnt all for waste. Good luck to everyone.