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Content Creation · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Platform-Specific Storytelling

“The medium is the message.” This course challenges filmmakers to abandon the “one size fits all” approach and master the art of adapting narratives to specific digital containers. Students will explore how aspect ratios (9:16 vs. 16:9), user behavior (scrolling vs. sitting), and time constraints (15 seconds vs. 90 minutes) fundamentally alter the structure of a story, from TikTok serials to Netflix features.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Analyze user psychology and attention spans across different platforms (IG, YouTube, TV)
  2. Master "Vertical Storytelling" and visual composition for mobile-first audiences
  3. Develop "Transmedia" narratives that span multiple platforms simultaneously
  4. Understand the "Hook" mechanics required for algorithmic discovery
  5. Adapt a single narrative concept into three distinct formats (Short, Series, Feature)
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Ecology of Screens: Cinema to Mobile
  2. 02Vertical Cinema: Composition & Blocking (9:16)
  3. 03The First 3 Seconds: Hooking the Scroller
  4. 04Micro-Storytelling: TikTok & Reels
  5. 05Visual Syntax: Text overlays & UI interaction
  6. 06The Loop: Designing for Infinite Replay
  7. 07Web Series: Writing for the Web
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09YouTube: The Mid-Form Documentary
  10. 10Streaming (SVOD): Bingeworthy Structures
  11. 11Interactive Storytelling (Bandersnatch Model)
  12. 12Transmedia: Building Universes
  13. 13Podcasting: Storytelling without Visuals
  14. 14Serialization: From episodic to serial
  15. 15Emerging Platforms: VR & Metaverse
  16. 16Final Project: The Multi-Platform Pitch

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Multi-Platform Pitch

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. The Art of Immersion by Frank Rose
  2. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide by Henry Jenkins
  3. Hook Point: How to Stand Out in a 3-Second World by Brendan Kane
  4. Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson
  5. Storynomics by Robert McKee
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