Want to go to film school, but don’t have the time?

LEARN SCREENWRITING

Turn your idea into a SCRIPT-ready outline with our self-paced course
built how Hollywood actually develops stories.

Enroll in The Academy Online

"Do yourself a favor and JOIN THIS CLASS! The experience was a fantastic grounding I desperately needed, both in how I generated my content and how I scheduled myself to do so. Bottom line, I feel more like I have a chance at being in a writer's room or being a creative in general by taking this class."

- Tyler

STOP PRACTICING.
START PRODUCING.
AT YOUR OWN PACE.

The Academy Online is real film-school training without the tuition

Learn the our proven method, finish an outline, and start writing on your schedule.

  • Build a complete idea → outline roadmap

  • Lessons on structure, character and plot development

  • The Business of Hollywood - Explained

  • Download templates and samples you can steal from 😉

  • Formats covered: Features, 1hr and 1/2hr single-camera TV

ENROLL OW

This is what your new film school looks like.

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

  • SHANNAN E. JOHNSON, CEO + HEAD CONSULTANT

    Former TV Executive turned screenwriter and script consultant, Shannan is a quitter and a hater. An 80s baby, she didn’t know Hollywood existed until her mother sent her a magazine article about a black, female TV writer during the last semester of her senior year in college. She was later redirected from writing to development due to her ability to see plot holes like math equations and easily solve them. So, Shannan became a TV executive through the NBCU Entertainment Associates program at The Syfy Channel.

    Then, she quit. For 8 years, Shannan toured the world in dance companies (Step Afrika!, Sole DEFINED) and Broadway shows (Ghost, Amazing Grace). Didn't see that coming, huh? When she returned to L.A. to recharge her executive career, her access to Hollywood – the largest gated community in the world – was denied. So, she built The Professional Pen, the first black-owned script consultancy, to develop screenwriters and streamline scripted teams’ development processes.

    As a professional hater, Shannan provides straight-shot, no-chaser feedback to screenwriters and analysis on produced works to teach screenwriting via TPP’s social media channels.

    Partnership Highlights: The Syfy Channel, Amazon Prime Studios, FOX Writers Incubator, ScreenCraft, The Hallmark Media, Florida State University, New York Film Academy, Stage 32

    Fun Facts:
    Hometown: Houston, TX
    Favorite Film: THE BEST MAN written by Malcolm D. Lee
    Favorite Screenplay: A QUIET PLACE written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
    Favorite Series: “Friday Night Lights” developed by Peter Berg

Enroll in The Academy Online
for a One-Time Payment of $199.

Save thousands on film school tuition and get a master’s-level understanding in just 5 clear, easy-to-follow modules.

1/2HR TV PILOTS

For TV scripts that typically run 22–35 minutes and are often episodic, but include light serialization through ongoing relationships or themes.

Course Includes:

  • 5 modules of hands-on lessons

  • The Idea to Outline 1/2hr TV Pilot Workbook

  • Beat sheet and outline templates

  • Case Study: "Abbott Elementary" by Quinta Brunson

  • Option to Add-on live coaching

Enroll 1/2hr TV Course

1HR TV PILOTS

For TV scripts that typically run 42–60 minutes and usually follow a serialized structure with ongoing character arcs and season-long storylines.

Course Includes:

  • 5 modules of hands-on lessons

  • The Idea to Outline 1hr TV Pilot Workbook

  • Beat sheet and outline templates

  • Case Study: "Scandal" by Shonda Rhimes

  • Option to Add-on live coaching

Enroll 1hr TV Course

FEATURES

For feature screenplays that typically run 90–120 minutes, depending on the genre, and delivers a complete emotional and narrative arc by the end.

Course Includes:

  • 5 modules of hands-on lessons

  • The Idea to Outline 1hr TV Pilot Workbook

  • Beat sheet and outline templates

  • Case Study: BLACK PANTHER by Ryan Coogler + Joe Robert Cole

  • Option to Add-on live coaching

Enroll In Feature Course

What’s inside the Idea to Outline Workbook?

  • Digital Access

    Use it anywhere, anytime, for every script you write.

  • 3 black and green blocks numbered 1, 2, and 3 on a green circular background.

    Act Structure

    Break down your story into the beats Hollywood expects.

  • Stylized digital illustration of a muscular, bald male figure with green skin, flexing his biceps.

    Chracter Development

    Build characters that drive the story forward.

  • Archery target with three arrows embedded in the center area, set against a green background

    Plot Development

    Shape your story into a clear, workable spine.

  • Illustration of a map with a location pin, dotted path, and pushpin marker, set against a green circular background.

    Outline Guide

    Learn how to organize your beats into a professional outline.

  • A graphic illustration of a teal-colored open book on a dark green circular background.

    Screenwriting Glossary

    Speak the language of the industry with confidence.

  • Illustration of a scientist in safety goggles conducting chemistry experiments with a beaker emitting green smoke and a conical flask with bubbling green liquid, set against a green circular background.

    BONUS: The Pixar Formula - RELOADED

    Discover the tool that powers some of Hollywood’s most successful films.

  • Cartoon green brain with large eyes, holding a magnifying glass and reading a black book, set against a green circular background.

    BONUS: Case Study

    Study real scripts to see structure and technique in action.

  • A woman, Shannan Johnson with curly hair smiling during a video call on a laptop screen, with a play button overlay.

    Homework Help

    Get guided explanations to walk you through each step.

you’ve got questions. we’ve got answers.

Browse our FAQs — or chat 1:1 with a Story Expert to get your questions answered.

Schedule a Story Jam

  • No. This course is designed for beginners and emerging writers. If you have an idea and are willing to learn, you’re in the right place.

  • No problem. The course includes guidance to help you generate and refine an idea before moving into structure and outlining.

  • By the end of the course, you’ll have a complete, structured outline for your film or TV project — ready for development, feedback, or writing pages.

  • It’s self-paced. Some writers finish in a few weeks, others take longer depending on their schedule. You can move as quickly or as slowly as you need.

  • Once your outline is complete, you can submit it for an Outline Review to receive professional written notes and find out if your story is ready to move to script; just like in the studio development process.

  • If you get stuck or want to talk through your story at anytime during the course, you can schedule a Story Jam with a Story Expert. There are links to schedule available in the course.

  • Yes. If you decide you want real-time guidance and feedback, you can enroll in The Academy Live when the next cohort opens.

  • Writers are invited into The Script Development Lab through The Academy Live, our 6-week live version of this course. Writers who complete the Live program and are approved to script may be invited to work 1:1 from outline to script — with an opportunity to pitch their completed project to industry professionals. Learn more.

hollywood

hollywood

THEY MADE IT.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN.

These working writers didn’t wait to be discovered.
They built, pitched, and developed their way in.
You can too—with the right game plan. We gotchu.

ENROLL NOW