Advanced Workshops in Screenwriting and Writing for Television

Advanced Workshops

If you have met the requirements to enroll in an advanced workshop, you must email the Professional Programs office at professionalprograms@tft.ucla.edu to enroll. 

We announce our advanced workshops about six weeks before each quarter begins here on this page and on our private alumni page. Enrollment is first-come, first-served.

Students who successfully complete three Advanced Workshops in Screenwriting or Writing for Television receive a certificate of completion. Workshops do not have to be taken consecutively in order to receive the certificate.

All advanced workshops take place online.

 

Spring 2024 Schedule

Spring 2024 ADVANCED ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN.

ADVANCED WORKSHOP

When: Mondays, on Zoom, 7pm to 10pm Pacific Time, beginning April 1, 2024.

Tuition: $1750

Instructor: Michael Colleary

Michael is a screenwriter, producer, educator and screenwriting consultant for more than 3 decades. During his 35-plus year career he’s worked for all major movie studios and TV networks. His produced credits include Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, the family comedy Firehouse Dog; and the TV series Unnatural History. Michael won a Saturn Award for co-writing (with Mike Werb) the John Woo-directed action thriller Face/Off, which the New York Times deemed “one of the best 1000 movies ever made.” Michael is the co-creator and showrunner for the television series Professionals starring Tom Welling and Brendan Fraser which aired on the CW’s Fall 2022 primetime schedule. He is currently attached to write and produce the TV adaptation of the graphic novel series “Razor” for Jeff Most Productions.

Since the mid-90s Michael has been a visiting instructor for the Screenwriting MFA program at UCLA where he teaches the famed 434 screenwriting workshop. His students have gone on to write, direct and/or produce such movies and television series as The Bad Batch, Patriot, Bojack Horseman, The Punisher, Modern Family and many more. For his contributions to the program’s students, UCLA honored him with the Lew and Pamela Hunter/Jonathan and Janice Zakin Chair in Screenwriting. 

Michael was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. His father was Bob Colleary who was head writer of the Baby Boom-generation children’s show, Captain Kangaroo, for which he won the prestigious Peabody Award. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, Michael enrolled in UCLA’s renowned film school where he specialized in screenwriting. While earning his MFA, Michael won the Jack Nicholson Award and the William Morris Award for screenwriting excellence.

Rules for participation in this worksop:

This ten-week workshop will be a mix of screenwriters and TV writers.

All genres are welcome this quarter.

Students who previously completed the Professional Program in Screenwriting may either rewrite a feature screenplay they have already completed, or write an entirely new feature screenplay within the ten-week quarter. (They cannot write TV scripts in this workshop.)

Students who previously completed the Professional Program in Writing for Television may either rewrite an original TV pilot they have already completed, or write an entirely new TV pilot within the ten-week quarter. (They cannot write feature screenplays in this workshop.)

Please note: Advanced workshops in Screenwriting and Writing for Television are only available to students who have successfully completed the Professional Program in Screenwriting or Writing for Television.

This workshop is limited to eight students.

 

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Contact

102 E. Melnitz Hall, Box 951622
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1622
310.825.6124
professionalprograms@tft.ucla.edu