FILMMAKING AND TELEVISION WRITING COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FOR FALL 2026
NO PREREQUISITES TO ENROLL IN THESE INTRODUCTORY FILM CLASSES:
FLM 101 INTRODUCTION TO FILMMAKING AND TELEVISION: VISUAL STORYTELLINGSBC: ART
A hands-on introduction to the art of film and television. Students will become familiar with the ideas, materials and technical skills needed for creative expression in these mediums. Participants will learn how to use images in conjunction with sound, text and narrative structure as a basis for communicating ideas on film and TV. Participants will craft ideas into short pieces using Smartphones or comparable devices. Participants also attend a CREATE event, the common-hour film and television series, or an equivalent.
FLM 101.01 #90788 TU/TH 3:30 PM - 4:50 PM Tim O’Connor
FLM 101.02 #90789 TU/TH 2:00 PM - 3:20 PMJing Wang
FLM 101.03 #90790 TU/TH 3:30 PM - 4:50 PMJing Wang
FLM 101.04 #90807 TU/TH 11:00 AM - 1:50 PMTBA
FLM 101.05 #90808 TU 12:30 PM - 3:20 PMAmy Gaipa
FLM 101.06 #90809 TU/TH 12:20 PM - 1:50 PM TBA
FLM 101.07 #90871 M/W 2:00 PM - 3:20 PMConor Demmett
FLM 101.08 #90810 M/W 3:30 PM - 4:50 PMConor Demmett
FLM 101.09 #90836 M 3:30 PM - 6:20 PMTBA
FLM 101.10 #90837 TH 12:30 PM - 3:20 PMTBA
FLM 101.11 #91873 M/W 11:00 AM - 12:20 PMTBA
FLM 101.12 #91874 W 3:30 PM - 6:20 PMTBA
FLM 101.13 #91910 F 11:00 AM - 1:50 PM TBA
FLM 101.14 #92416 TU/TH 11:00 AM - 12:20 PMTBA
FLM 101.15 #92417 TU/TH 11:00 AM - 12:20 PMElizabeth Rohrbaugh
FLM 101.16 #93360 TU/TH 3:30 PM - 4:50 PMTBA
FLM 101.17 #93361 TU/TH 2:00 PM - 3:20 PMWilliam Chandler
FLM 101.18 #95507 M/W 9:30 AM - 10:50 PMTBA
FLM 101.19 #95508 M/W 11:00 AM - 12:20 PMTBA
FLM 102 INTRO TO FILM AND TELEVISION COMPOSITION: HOW FILMS SAY WHAT THEY MEANSBC: HUM
How do filmmakers and TV creators tell their stories on screen? In this course, we will discuss how stories are conveyed from a creator's perspective—from script to screen, from cast to crew. We might understand how a screenwriter conveys story. How about an actor? A production designer? Or an editor? We will also explore films and television series that made an impact on the history of entertainment. After successful completion of this course, you will have created a 3-minute scene on a mobile device using the principles you have learned. And you will be able to view content with a critical eye, appreciating the art and craft of visual storytelling in a whole new light.
FLM 102.01 #90838 FRI 9:30 AM - 12:20 PM with Karen Offitzer
FLM 102.02 #90839 TU/TH 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM with Will Chandler
FLM 102.03 #90841 TU/TH 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM with Will Chandler
FLM 102.04 #91589 M/W 5:00 PM - 6:20 PM with Dave Chan
FLM 102.05 #93345 M/W 6:30 PM - 7:50 PM with Dave Chan
FLM 102.06 #95693 FRI 12:30 PM - 3:20 PM with Karen Offitzer
FLM 201 VISUAL STORYTELLING ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES SBC: STAS
This course introduces visual storytelling as a basic competency, on par with expository writing, as an essential tool for conveying and understanding information across disciplines. We will investigate how the act of telling a story or communicating information with visual content serves as a powerful tool for helping make sense of the world. It will offer the opportunity to develop proficiency in visual storytelling (visual analysis, narrative structure) and foundational technical skills (writing, camera use, lighting, editing, sound) beneficial to communicative and expressive work across, and as a means of fostering links between, the disciplines.
FLM 201.01 #92313 TU 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM with Kate Levitt
FLM 201.02 #92314 TH 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM with Kate Levitt
FLM 201.03 #92418 TU 11:00 AM - 1:50 PM with Kate Levitt
FLM 203 PODCAST: AUDIO STORYTELLING SKILLS FOR FILMMAKERS
SBC: SPK
Audio Storytelling Skills for Filmmakers Podcasting is the next step in the technological liberation of storytelling via digital means. It is a companion and complement to video and filmmaking. In this introductory course, you will learn how to craft your own podcast--visualizing your stories with audio only--and present it to the world. You'll gain experience in writing for sound, interviewing styles and techniques, recording and editing basics, pitching ideas, marketing, branding, distribution, monetization and more. The focus is on learning and developing new storytelling and entrepreneurial skills, and strengthening oral communication and presenting skills by researching, writing and presenting proposals and pitches and participating in the evaluation of peer oral presentations of researched proposals and pitches.
FLM 203.01 #90860 TU/TH 9:30 AM - 10:50 AM with Amanda McLoughlin
FLM 203.02 #95690 TU/TH 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM with Amanda McLoughlin
If you’ve taken FLM 101, you can enroll in any of these 3-credit 200 level courses:
FLM 215 Forms of Scriptwriting SBC: HFA+
FLM 215.01 #90843 W 3:30 PM - 6:20 PM with TBA
Study and practice of scriptwriting for film and television through readings, screenings, discussions and regular submission of original work. FALL 2026 215.01 will focus on WRITING FOR TELEVISION.
FLM 215.02 #91872 TH 11:00 AM - 1:50 PM with Tim O’Connor
This section of Film 215 will focus on the initial, crucial phases of writing a feature length screenplay— from idea generation through the drafting of a treatment and initial script pages. We'll explore how to generate story ideas, nurture them through research, expand them through exercise and then craft them into a working structure. A significant portion of the semester will be dedicated to workshopping student work, and we’ll dive into what it means to live the life of a writer.
*Students may repeat FLM 215 as topic changes to fulfill requirements
** TV Writing minors must take TV Writing Topic
***Creative Writing majors and minors: FLM 215 is the equivalent of CWL 315 and will count as a workshop for the BFA or Creative Writing minor. If you’ve completed CWL 202 we will issue you permission to enroll. Please email Liz McRae (elizabeth.mcrae@stonybrook.edu) and provide ID # and course section.
FLM 220 Documentary Filmmaking SBC: HFA+
FLM 220.01 #95511 TU 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM Social Impact Documentary Filmmaking with Elizabeth Rohrbaugh
In "Social Impact Documentary Filmmaking," students will embark on a transformative journey that delves into the world of socially conscious storytelling through the lens of documentary filmmaking. This course aims to explore the powerful intersection between media, social impact, and catalyzing positive change in society. Through an immersive and hands-on approach, students will learn the essential principles of documentary filmmaking and storytelling techniques while channeling their creativity towards projects that can inspire action and drive social progress.
FLM 221 Fiction Filmmaking SBC: HFA+
FLM 221.02 #95510 TH 12:30 PM - 3:20 PM with Elizabeth Rohrbaugh
Study and practice of fiction filmmaking from story to production and post-production, through readings, screenings, discussion and regular submission of original fiction filmmaking projects. Topics include: Short Fiction, Film Animation, American Hollywood Film, Genre Filmmaking, Indie Filmmaking.
If you’ve taken FLM 215 or CWL 315, you can enroll in this 3-credit 200 level course:
TVW 221 THE WRITER’S ROOM SBC: HFA+, WRTD
TVW 221.01 #90866 W 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM with Dave Chan
In The Writers Room course, we will "break" Season 1 of a television series and each of its episodes. We will develop character and story arcs over the course of the season as well as ABC stories in each episode. Television is the "little big screen" and though it follows the same principles of traditional storytelling, there are nuances that make this medium entirely unique. After successful completion of this course, you will understand the process of breaking episodes of a season, character/story arcs, and write one episode.
If you’ve taken FLM 102, you can enroll in this 3-credit, 300 level course:
FLM 301 FILMMAKER’S TOOLBOX SBC: TECH
FLM 301.01 #90844 TU 12:30 PM - 3:20 PM with Tim O’Connor
A hands-on course exploring the techniques and technology of visual storytelling, examining tools filmmakers use to create compelling images and stories. With a focus on inventive low budget production, we will dive into the key aspects of making movies: cinematography, sound recording, lighting, editing and directing.
If you’ve taken FLM 101, you can enroll in either of these 3-credit, 300 level courses:
FLM 302 PRODUCING PRACTICES FOR FILM AND TELEVISION SBC: SPK
FLM 302.01 #90859 MON 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM with Amy Gaipa
Today’s indie producer is a problem-solving entrepreneur, navigating storytelling in an ever-changing industry. Producers often have to wear all the hats at one point or another while discovering/developing stories to tell; pitching to garner interest and funding; as well as packaging their work for a strategic festival run and distribution.
We will explore how projects are conceived, developed, pitched, packaged, financed and marketed with an eye on targeting festival submissions and releasing work on alternative digital outlets. This class has proven to be beneficial in preparing past participants who have pursued high-level internships after graduation.
FLM 304 Launching Your Podcast / Advanced Production Class SBC: TECH
FLM 304.01 #95516 TH 11:00 AM - 1:50 PM with Kerry Donahue and Kathleen Russo
Audio storytelling is a craft, and the skills that make a great podcast episode also translate to film, journalism, and narrative writing. In this advanced workshop, you'll build those skills through hands-on exercises: pitching and developing a story, recording interviews, gathering sound in the field, writing for the ear, and editing it all together. In the second half of the semester, the class collectively chooses a theme, and you each produce a 6–8-minute narrative profile for a shared podcast, taking on real production roles along the way: executive producer, host, producer. Weekly listening diaries keep you engaged with the form outside of class. By the end, you'll be able to answer the question every podcaster needs to answer: What do you want your listeners to think, feel, and do when they finish an episode?
Prerequisites: 200-level course in podcasting, journalism, film, or writing.
If you’ve taken FLM 102 and one 200 level or higher FLM or Equivalent, you can enroll in this 3-credit, 300 level course:
FLM 320 TOPICS IN FILM SBC: HFA+
FLM 320.01 #90861 TU 11:00 AM - 1:50 PM East Asian Cinema with Jing Wang
This course explores the rich and diverse cinematic traditions of East Asia, focusing on major works, genres, and film movements from Mainland China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Through screenings, readings, and discussions, we will analyze films ranging from classical masterpieces to contemporary global hits. By examining films within their historical and cultural contexts, students will gain insights into East Asian cultures, aesthetic traditions, and ethical values, as well as the political and economic forces shaping film production and transnational audience reception.
IF YOU ARE READY TO COMPLETE THE CAPSTONE (with permission of the Director)
FLM 402 CAPSTONE PROJECT SBC: EXP+
FLM 402.01 WED 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM with Amy Gaipa
Students, having completed their primary course load for the filmmaking minor will continue to deepen their practice in visual storytelling, screen/television writing or experience in the field by choosing and planning a production and/or writing strategy that culminates in a “final” project approved through the submission of a drafted proposal for approval including an annotated bibliography. A midterm and final project portfolio will be created encapsulating your Capstone progress and experience. Drawing upon the skills acquired thus far, students will be working independently while checking in for guidance, feedback and critique while also occasionally assembling as a class to share personal experiences, troubleshoot, and discuss each other's unique artistic process. The culmination of each student's work will be presented and celebrated at the Stony Brook Film and Television Writing Capstone Festival Screening.
______________________________________________________________________________
INSTRUCTOR BIOS:
Conor Demmettis a filmmaker and educator from NY. He received a BA in Film Studies & Production from Hofstra University and an MFA in Screenwriting from Stony Brook Graduate School. He presented for the Dogme Group which took 1st-place in the 2020 SUNY PACC pitch contest, winning the $10,000 grant. In his 10 years experience working in film, Conor has written/directed several short films and currently has a slate of feature films in various stages of production.
Dave Chanis an award-winning Asian American screenwriter and filmmaker who holds an MFA in Television Writing from Stony Brook University–Killer Films. He was selected as a Finalist from over 2,700 applicants in the Paramount Writers Mentoring Program, the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship, and the Television Academy Internship Program. He also produced the episodic proof-of-concept A Father's Son starring Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians) and Tzi Ma (The Farewell). Dave teaches and inspires future storytellers at Stony Brook University in his undergraduate Film and Television Writing courses.
Will Chandler, an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences NICHOLL FELLOWSHIP in SCREENWRITING winner, has sold scripts and worked on assignments for major studios and independent producers. His Nicholl-winning script CYRANO OF LINDEN VIEW was optioned by writer/producer Michael Schiffer, his spec script THUMB was sold to Sony Pictures in a preemptive bid, and actor Russell Crowe hired him for BUSHRANGER, a sweeping historical drama based on the life of Australian outlaw Ben Hall. Will has also written for The Jim Henson Company, L-Squared Entertainment and others. Before that, Will was a Script Development executive in movies and miniseries for Green-Epstein Productions, where he guided dozens of projects for ABC, CBS, NBC and HBO. Will got his start in the entertainment business as a story analyst/script doctor for CBS, Viacom, Harpo Productions, New World Pictures, Lifetime and more. In addition to screenwriting, maintaining his scriptwriting column and teaching, Will is a judge for an internationally recognized screenwriting competition.
Kerry Donahue is the lead instructor of the Stony Brook Podcast Incubator, a graduate-level podcast training program, and teaches undergraduate podcast production. She is committed to keeping podcasting open to new voices and perspectives by providing training and support for early- and mid-stage podcasters. She is the executive producer of Spooler Media, an audio tech start-up working to increase the transparency of the US Supreme Court. Currently, Kerry is editing an audio doc about copper mining in Zambia with the South African-based Radio Workshop and developing a related video series on narrative audio journalism. Her production credits include Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin, WNYC, PRX, and she started her pro audio career at Audible.com, producing "recurrent, downloadable" programs before podcasting became a term. She has worked at WNYC, Marketplace, and PRX. Originally from Maine, she lives in NYC and appreciates the LIRR.
Amy Gaipa's love of independent and developmental projects includes ACTING in The Swords, Dirty Rhetoric, Girl in the Straw Hat, Good Grief, Silver Tongues, La Vida Inesperada, Trudy Bolt in TITANIC, the Sloane readings at the Tribeca Film Festival, a slew of roles onstage including New York Madness, The Visiting Hours, and a summer stint at Steppenwolf; PRODUCING The Swords, Dirty Rhetoric, Trilogy of Lamentations (in development), Good Grief, Whiskey Kills The Hunger (post); Mastic Beach Mini Indie Film Festival (2019-present); PRODUCTION DESIGN The Swords, Cop Shop (documentary reenactments),The Circle (Brooklyn Sci-Fi Festival and Nightmares Film Festival), Dirty Rhetoric, Poor Arthur, WKH, Div Kid, Christmas: 1987, Brennen, Good Grief, and MBMIFF. Amy graduated summa cum laude with an MFA in Film Direction from Stony Brook University which has deepened her dedication to the craft of storytelling both in front of and behind the camera. Amy is a member of SAG-AFTRA, ACTOR’S EQUITY, and very proud to be the 2021 recipient of the NYWIFT, New York Women In Film & Television award.
Kate Levitt is an award-winning screenwriter, script editor, and curator who focuses on nontraditional, coming-of-age narratives and experimental media. Her drama pilot, Living, won Showtime Network’s Tony Cox Award for Best Scripted 60-minute pilot in 2019. Her scripts have also finaled in the Atlanta Film Festival, and the Page International Screenwriting Competition and have placed in the Austin Film Fest as well. Her new-media feature, Me,Me - a collage of social media footage - premiered earlier this year at Foxy Production Gallery. As a curator, Kate has worked with eminent video artists such as Paul McCarthy, Ryan Trecartin, and Petra Cortright.
Amanda McLoughlin is the CEO of Multitude, a podcast collective, production company, and ad sales provider. A digital creator since 2004 whose career started in finance and business services, she created Multitude in 2018 to support fellow creators in making a living on their own terms. She was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 Media honoree in 2021, she currently co-hosts three podcasts (Spirits, Join the Party, Attach Your Résumé) and Executive Produces several more.
Tim O’Connoris a filmmaker based in New York City. His work as a television director, producer and writer has aired on HBO, Hulu, ABC, Discovery ID and Oxygen. His first feature film as a writer & director, THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, was released via indie streaming platform NoBudge in 2019 and his award-winning short film, WE WANTED CHILDREN played at festivals across the country in 2022, including Brooklyn Horror, FilmQuest and Flickers Rhode Island. As a screenwriter, Tim has been an artist-in-residence at the Millay Colony for the Arts and Willapa Bay AiR. His comedy feature script BLUESHIFT won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Award in 2017 and his television pilot CEREMONY was selected for the 2022 Blue List. He holds an MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University and teaches film production and screenwriting at NYU Tisch and Stony Brook University.
Elizabeth (Liz) Rohrbaugh is a writer and director from Brooklyn, NY. Her film Becks, an independent musical drama starting Lena Hall, Mena Suvari, Christine Lahti, and Dan Fogler premiered at the 2017 LA Film Festival, where is won Best US Narrative Film. Becks was released in theaters, Showtime Networks, and on VOD and other streaming platforms. It holds a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received positive reviews from The New York Times, Variety, The Los Angeles Times and the Hollywood Reporter. Elizabeth’s short film DYLAN, which played at a number of prestigious Queer and mainstream film festivals around the world and was a Vimeo Staff Pick and a Vimeo Short Of The Week. Elizabeth works as a freelance director for commercials, promos and PSAs. She spent a decade as a writer, director and editor at MTV in their On-Air Promos department, where she won an Emmy Award and several Telly Awards for her work on some of their biggest shows, movies and brand integrations.
Kathleen Russo is the Director of the Audio Podcast Fellows Program at Stony Brook Southampton. She curates the Writer Speaks Wednesday Series and special events for the Summer Writers Conference at Stony Brook. In addition, she is currently in production for a new Hillary Clinton podcast with iheart radio to be launched soon. She was the executive producer with Tina Brown of the podcast TBD by Wondery, nominated one of the best podcasts of 2019 in Cosmopolitan, and created and produced the podcast/radio show Here’s The Thing with Alec Baldwin (WNYC production). She has been a contributor to The Moth, This American Life and StoryCorps. Past producing credits include: two movies with Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh (Gray’s Anatomy, And Everything Is Going Fine) and an Obie Award-winning play called Spalding Gray: Stories Left To Tell.
Jing Wang is a New York-based independent filmmaker whose work focuses on the immigrant experience, reflecting her deep commitment to both her craft and her community. Her films have been showcased at the Museum of the City of New York, the Rooftop Film Festival, and WNYC’s The Greene Space. Her work has also been featured in prominent publications like The New York Times, Gothamist, World Journal, and China Press. In 2023, Jing received the prestigious Sundance Documentary Fund Grant for her feature documentary Ride with Delivery Workers. She has been invited to speak at esteemed institutions such as NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Hofstra University, and the CUNY Graduate Center. Jing is an active member of New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective, and the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc). She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Integrated Media Arts from Hunter College. Jing teaches as an adjunct assistant professor at several CUNY and SUNY colleges, where she shares her expertise with the next generation of filmmakers.
