The St. Pete Film Workshop
A premier hands-on filmmaking school for adult learners – intensive six-week courses, meeting twice weekly and taught by experienced professional filmmakers. Draft, refine and table-read a script in Introduction to Screenwriting, or crew up and shoot a short film in Film Production 101.
“The St. Pete Film Workshop combines a mission-driven commitment to arts education and mentorship with a sustainable operating model built for long-term growth and community impact – making hands-on filmmaking education more accessible to our community.”
Both courses run on the same six-week schedule and are open to first-time filmmakers as well as anyone looking to sharpen their craft.
A full-pipeline crash course – development, cinematography, directing actors, sound, and editing – built around one goal: crewing up and finishing a short film together. The course ends with a public screening of student films.
$399 tuition
A camera (HD video capable or better) and a laptop capable of editing HD video.
Seats are limited to keep the class small and hands-on.
Enroll or reserve a seat in this courseThe fundamentals of dramatic structure, character, and scene craft, adapted for this workshop from a full-semester course taught for years at the university level – compressed into six focused weeks of writing and table reads.
$399 tuition
A laptop and screenwriting software (Final Draft preferred; other software accepted).
Seats are limited to keep the class small and hands-on.
Enroll or reserve a seat in this courseHere's how each course unfolds.
Choose your script and crew positions, then work with your team to break it down for actors, locations, props, and effects.
Lectures on cameras, lenses, and camera support, plus lighting and grip from a guest professional. Build your shot list and storyboards.
Field audio recording technique from a guest professional, then film budgeting, production scheduling, call sheets, and permits.
In-class rehearsal and directing technique with your cast. Principal photography runs on your team's own schedule from here on, with the instructor available throughout.
A look at the full post-production process and a Foley demo, then lab time in class to cut your film.
Pre-screen your film for class feedback and make final revisions, then close the course with a public screening of every finished student film.
Screenplay format basics – scene headings, action lines, dialogue – plus what makes a good story. Write loglines and premises for your own ideas.
Build a protagonist and antagonist with real backstory and arc, then begin a treatment/outline for your short screenplay.
Three-act structure and how it compresses into short form, why conflict drives drama, and workshopping treatments – then start drafting pages.
"Show, don't tell," writing a scene with no dialogue, and writing authentic dialogue – while you keep drafting your first draft.
Read your first draft aloud for class discussion and feedback, then learn revision techniques – tightening scenes and cutting what doesn't serve the story.
Cast and rehearse your script, then present your finished, polished short screenplay in a full table read with classmates or recruited actors.
Courses are built for first-time filmmakers as well as working artists looking to hone their craft.
Open to ages 18 and up; 17-year-olds may enroll with instructor permission.
No grades, no transcripts – just studio time, mentorship, and a finished piece of work to show for it.
Devin Rice Intro Video
Devin Rice is an award-winning filmmaker, composer, and photographer with over 35 years of professional experience in the film industry, having worked as a director, cinematographer, editor, colorist, composer, and animator. He is an Adjunct Professor of Film at the University of Tampa, where he has taught Screenwriting Fundamentals, Documentary Production, and Motion Capture. He holds an MFA in Film from Vermont College of Fine Arts, a Specialist Certificate in Composition and Orchestration for Film and TV from Berklee College of Music, and a BA in Theatre from Eckerd College.
The Workshop launches October 26, 2026 with Film Production 101 and Introduction to Screenwriting, running six weeks through early December. (More courses coming in 2027.) Reserve a seat in the course you want, or sign up to get updates as enrollment details come together.