Join us in congratulating Cristina Pippa, assistant professor in the department of communication, media, journalism and film on her feature story in the 2023 issue of Mind’s Eye magazine.
Pippa’s research focuses on writing scripts that tell powerful stories.
An excerpt from the piece:
From a young age, Cristina Pippa felt emboldened by the power of storytelling. She wrote and performed plays for any captive audience, even when her puppy was the only co-star.
In more recent years, she developed a talent scripting for screen and stage. Her resume now boasts more than 30 theatrical productions.
“For playwriting, the writer must convey so much through dialogue and action. The audience’s attention can’t be directed by a close-up,” said Pippa. She’s the graduate program director of Missouri State University’s MFA in dramatic writing and screenwriting certificate programs. “So even for screenwriting, I’ve always leaned on dialogue, but I like to write between the lines, too.”
Telling a fully developed beginning, middle and conclusion of a story arc within the confines of 20 minutes is the challenge short film writers must tackle.