Deciding on My College Major - Screenwriting

By Trevor Pacelli

There are three different film majors here at Arizona State University, and I had to choose only one. Now, this was a decision I could not take lightly, because whichever one I picked, it would define what my whole career later on will become. Here are the three film majors offered by ASU:

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Film and Media Studies. This is literally the study of movies and the role that they play in our mass media. Subjects for this major would include race and gender, sex and violence, narrative structure, and screenwriting. The one thing that attracted me to this major was screenwriting, since I found that's the one aspect that really excites
me. 

Filmmaking Practices. This is the major that all film students start with, the study of the legalistic and law side of making movies. Subjects for this major would prepare for careers such as being an agent, lawyer, casting director, or any business related side of film. 

Film and Media Production. This is exactly what it sounds like, the making of a movie from developing the idea to filming on set to editing everything in post. I have studied the creative process a bit more, and saw that a usual week of production lasts 12 hours a day, six days a week. This is intense, fast-paced work.

Overall, I have reached the conclusion that I want to pursue Film and Media Studies. How did I reach this conclusion? I asked myself, "When I watch a movie, what do I see in it?" For instance, when watching The Wizard of Oz, do I sit there pondering the process the production crew went through to make a believable tornado appear onscreen? Do I think about the money that could be made off of Judy Garland's new hit wonder? Or do I look into the story and see a tale of a girl's journey to find out what home really is? Honestly, it's the last one that I see, for every movie I watch. While I may be giving up some opportunities by not doing Film and Media Production, I really do feel that I would be much happier by pursuing Film and Media Studies with a concentration in writing screenplays. That way, I can still write a story that potentially makes it to the silver screen, use my creativity skills, see my finished work right in front of my eyes as translated by another, and hopefully win an Oscar someday!