Course Title: Screenwriting Essentials

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Screenwriting Essentials

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COMM2818	RMIT University Vietnam	Undergraduate	840H School of Communication and Design	Face-to-Face	Viet2 2020, Viet1 2021, Viet1 2022, Viet1 2023, Viet1 2024

Course Coordinator: David Moore

Course Coordinator Phone: n/a

Course Coordinator Email: david.moore@rmit.edu.vn

Course Coordinator Location: VNSGS

Course Coordinator Availability: by appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

 

None 

Course Description

This course will introduce screenwriting principles and strategies through the analysis of existing short- and feature-length screenplays from multiple media including film, video, television, web and advertising. You will learn how to progress a film or video project from script to screen through the identification of basic structure including scenes, actions, characters, dialogue and transitions. By translating an existing treatment into a short screenplay, you will learn how to apply standard screenwriting conventions to the process of storytelling. 

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes: 

PLO3: Develop narratives and screenplays and achieve storytelling outcomes for digital film and video 

PLO4: Select and use contemporary tools, methods and approaches to envision, develop and produce digital film and video work 

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to: 

CLO1: Identify and define screenwriting principles and strategies. 

CLO2: Critically analyse fiction and non-fiction narrative.  

CLO3: Use screenwriting conventions to generate original screenplays.

Overview of Learning Activities

In this course you will engage in a range of group activities and individual work to develop your knowledge of screenwriting conventions, approaches and techniques, and to develop a screenplay based on an existing story. This will involve workshopping approaches, undertaking collaborative tasks in various roles, and participation in peer review and feedback sessions.

Overview of Learning Resources

sound recording equipment and editing tools, as well as studio-based learning spaces.  You will be provided with diverse learning and teaching resources, including web-based resources, library collections, and online learning content. You will also be provided with a range of educational support services, including peer-led academic mentoring, tutorials, and internship and mobility support services. 

Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. 

Assessment Tasks 

Assessment Task 1: Screenplay analysis, 25%, Addresses CLO 1. 

Assessment Task 2: Screenplay exercise, 25%, Addresses CLOs 1 &,2. 

Assessment Task 3 Screenplay development, 50%, Addresses CLO 3. 

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks. 

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more. 

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.