Screenwriters’ Lab in Aotearoa, New Zealand
Program Dates
May 15 through June 13, 2025*
*Students will need to depart USA May 13
Program Overview
The small island nation of Aotearoa New Zealand, located in the Pacific Ocean, is the setting for this 4-week intensive screenwriting course. The Screenwriters’ Lab offers a select number of VMA/WLP students the opportunity to concentrate on and improve their film and television writing skills through regular workshops, discussions, writing exercises, and focused blocks of time for creative work. Creative work is complemented and informed by an introduction to New Zealand’s domestic and global screen cultures and a wide range of co-curricular activities that utilize the country’s unique landscapes, storytelling traditions, and robust media industries. The program will begin on the North Island, with visits to Auckland and Wellington, focusing on an introduction to indigenous Māori culture and history, as well as a visit to the Hobbiton movie set. The majority of the lab will then be based on the South Island in Christchurch, known for its architecture, street art, and cafes. The lab will culminate in a writing retreat in Kinloch outside of Queenstown.
Program Eligibility & Admission
- Open to rising juniors and rising seniors.
- Recommended for Visual & Media Arts; Writing, Literature, & Publishing; and Comedic Arts students.
- Limited to 20 students.
- Prerequisite for admission to the program is completion of one of the following courses: VM 220, VM221, or VM222. (Substitutions considered for WLP students.)
Course Information
Total of 8 credits. Students will be required to be enrolled by Emerson College in the following two courses:
- VM 420 - Topics in Media Arts Practice: Screenwriting in Aotearoa New Zealand (4 credits)
- VM 400 - Topics in Visual & Media Arts Studies: Screen Cultures and Storytelling in Aotearoa New Zealand (4 credits)
Course Materials
Students must arrive with the following:
- Laptop with wireless capability
- Screenwriting software, preferably the most recent version of Final Draft (although Celtx or Movie Magic Screenwriter are acceptable)
- Notebooks
Academic Highlights
- The program format includes cultural excursions, screenings, film analysis and discussions, as well as workshops, writing exercises, cold readings, and focused blocks of time set aside for writing.
- The program also includes regular assignments and ongoing deadlines for both creative and academic work.
- Class meetings are held twice a day, in the morning and afternoons for the majority of the program.
Cultural Highlights
- Traditional Māori welcome and cultural introduction at Auckland University of Technology
- Visit to the Hobbiton movie set
- Te Pā Tū, a Māori storytelling experience and shared meal in Rotorua
- Wētā Experience Tour and Workshop in Wellington
- Te Papa National Museum
- Writers retreat in Kinloch, outside of Queenstown
Cost & Inclusions
Program Fee: $TBD
Included in Program Fee
- Tuition (8 credits)
- Registration Fee
- Housing
- Some meals
- Ground transportation
- In-country airfare between cities
Not Included in Program Fee
- Round-trip airfare to/from Auckland, New Zealand (Est. $1,500-$2,000)
- Most meals and incidental or personal expenses
- Course materials
- Passports (or visas, if required)
- International Health Insurance*
*May be waived by those with alternate comparable insurance.
*Health Insurance Coverage: Participants must have an insurance plan that provides coverage while abroad. If you feel your current insurance is not adequate, please research a plan that is.
For information on Supplemental Health Plans, please visit our Health Insurance Requirements page.