I would say to only take this course if you have a real interest in film and/or screenwriting. Professor Marshall is very understanding and enthusiastic about the topic, but the course itself is very disorganized and all over the place. Aside from the major screenplay assignment, each assignment is given with very short notice and a quick turnaround. Usually, the assignments are not very difficult so they can be completed quickly, but if you're not staying up to date with the canvas you can easily fall behind. His lectures are also usually full of him going on tangents...I'd say the lectures are 50% screenwriting-related content and 50% random tangents. Overall, it's not too bad or difficult, but definitely is not for everyone.

Marshall is absolutely wonderful. This is the definition of "take the professor, not the class." He is genuinely one of the sweetest and most caring faculty at U.Va., and you should absolutely take anything he teaches. He left insightful/constructive comments on how I could improve my screenwriting, but ultimately gave me a very good grade. He is a goofy fella and makes a long class interesting/engaging. He inspired me to continue to write, and he also attends students' concerts/games/performances!

#tCFS24