A common refrain in Roberto Marinas' screenwriting courses is "stick to your vision." Marinas, an award-winning writer and producer who has taught at UCLA Extension for the last five years, views himself as a guide to help put students in the best position possible to write the story of their dreams – whether it's a Hollywood blockbuster, a quiet indie, or something in between.

"There are times when I try to offer students both a writing instructor's perspective and a producer's perspective on their work," Marinas said. "The most important thing is the story, but I also like to give students an idea of the dynamics of the film business as it pertains to their scripts, especially if they're preparing to pursue screenwriting as a career."

At UCLA Extension, Marinas has taught courses in screenwriting, dialogue, pitching for film and TV, and more. His courses mix workshops, lectures, screenings – and plenty of laughs – to give students a dynamic sense of the interplay between art and entertainment in Hollywood and beyond. We spoke to him about the craft of screenwriting and his goals in the classroom.

What drew you to screenwriting?

Originally, I was an actor, so in order to secure my own roles I applied and was accepted to UBC Film school. My goal was to produce movies that I could be in. During film school, I stacked all my electives in screenwriting and discovered my love for it. When it was time to go to graduate school, I was fully committed to dramatic writing and have stayed on that track ever since.

How’d you get into the industry?

My big break was being selected for the Walt Disney Screenwriting Fellowship in 2007. That moved me from New York City to L.A. and introduced me to “the biz” of screenwriting. My job was to develop and write an original live action screenplay for Disney Studios. It was an amazing creative and educational experience.

It seems like a complicated time for film (strikes, AI, streaming, etc.). How have you navigated this shifting landscape?

That’s a good question as there have been a lot of substantial events in a relatively short period of time. I think it’s important to be willing to adapt one’s creative and economic approach to filmmaking, so you can quickly pivot as things change in the industry. Even amid all the changes, the need for engaging, original stories hasn’t gone away, so developing one’s craft as a writer is always the right move.

In your screenwriting classes you teach several different approaches to the craft. Why is that?

I teach several approaches because there’s no one right way to write a screenplay. People have different ways of discovering, creating, and expressing stories, so it’s important to provide students with a few options so they can discover a methodology that works best for them.

What does a successful course look like for you?

A successful course is one where students leave with a clear sense of their story and set of practical creative tools that empower them to write it. I love it when a sense of community emerges because people feel safe taking creative risks and sharing their work with each other.