Screenwriting

Screenwriting is the craft of telling stories through the specific language of moving image, whether for cinema, television, streaming platforms, or other screen-based forms. A screenplay is not simply a story written down but a technical and creative document that must communicate character, action, dialogue, and visual storytelling in a form that a production team can interpret and realise. The screenwriter must think simultaneously about story structure, character psychology, scene construction, dialogue rhythm, and the visual possibilities of the medium, making it a discipline that demands both creative imagination and technical precision.

At the University of Portsmouth you will study this three-year full-time programme, with a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a placement all built into the degree. The sandwich year gives you extended professional experience in the industry or in a related creative sector, while the year abroad exposes you to different storytelling traditions, production cultures, and creative environments. The placement adds a further layer of professional engagement, helping you build networks and demonstrate your abilities in a real-world context.

Across the programme you will study feature film and television screenplay structure, genre conventions, adaptation, comedy writing, and the professional practices of the screen industry. You will write extensively and have your work discussed and critiqued in workshop settings that simulate professional development processes. The typical entry tariff is 104 points.

Graduates from screenwriting programmes work as screenwriters for film and television, often combining original work with commissions and development relationships with production companies. Many graduates also build careers in script editing, script reading, story development, and narrative design for games. The sandwich year and placement experience are particularly valuable in an industry where contacts and produced work are central to getting started.

Further study in screenwriting, film production, or related areas is taken by some graduates as a route to specialist skills or to postgraduate development funding.