Sparking the Fire of Learning
TEACHER of FILM STUDIES and FILMMAKING
Steven Jacobson
Mr. Steven Jacobson, film studies teacher at New Roads School, is a USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate and member of the Directors Guild of America, brings extensive film industry experience to his role as an educator at New Roads School in Santa Monica. An accomplished director, he helmed Center Stage: Turn It Up and served as Second Unit Director on Dreamgirls.
Steven has also worked as a film festival programmer, screenplay dialect researcher, and editor of film-related books. Passionate about cinematic storytelling, he teaches film production, theory, and screenwriting to middle and high school students, inspiring the next generation of filmmakers.
My Courses
The Screenwriter’s Craft: Action Screenwriting
t all starts with a script! Screenplays are at the heart of almost every film production, from summer blockbusters to long-running TV series. Screenwriting is also an exciting practice for anyone interested in honing their storytelling skills. This course introduces the fundamental tools and elements every adept screenwriter uses, including the three-act structure, professional screenplay format, brainstorming and character development techniques, and dialogue writing. These skills will be put into practice during the writing of short screenplays in a variety of genres, giving students the experience of crafting their own epic stories in screenplay form and culminating in table reads of the finished scripts.
Film Production
This course will give students the opportunity to work collaboratively as part of their own film crew while they develop, shoot, and edit short narrative films. Each student will take on a variety of responsibilities in turn, gaining experience operating a professional cinema camera, recording sound, acting, and directing, with the course culminating in a screening of the finished movies. Skills refined along the way will include visual storytelling, shot design, the essentials of post-production, and the art of successful collaboration and teamwork.