Course Title: Genre Writing

Part A: Course Overview

Course ID: 035757

Course Title: Genre Writing

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COMM2171	City Campus	Postgraduate	345H Creative Media	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006

Course Coordinator: Dr Lisa Dethridge

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925

Course Coordinator Email: lisa.dethridge@rmit.edu.au

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

    Within the program model, there will be five  courses which directly link capabilities to Genre Writing. Within the Screenwriting stream, Genre Writing will develop both technical and communication capabilities in  the following five courses  –
1)    Storytelling
 2) Screenwriting Theory and Analysis
3)    Screenwriting Workshop
4)    And further developed in:
5)    M.A. Exegesis
6)    M.A.Research Project

Course Description

    This course is designed to contribute essential understanding of the technical and creative parameters of Genre as it influences the screenwriting process.  Genre describes the relationship between audience and screenwriter, providing a set of conventions and rules that govern the screenwriting process.  A knowledge of these conventions and rules informs the approach of the screenwriter by providing a set of guidelines for story development.  

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

    Within the program model, there will be five  courses which directly link capabilities to Genre Writing. Within the Screenwriting stream, Genre Writing will develop both technical and communication capabilities in  the following five courses  –
1)    Storytelling
 2) Screenwriting Theory and Analysis
3)    Screenwriting Workshop
4)    And further developed in:
5)    M.A. Exegesis
6)    M.A.Research Project

Genre Writing  may provide common groundwork for students across various  streams of the Master of Creative Media program.. In addition, Genre Writing may also form a nexus for two other Master of Creative Media streams including
1)    Novel Writing
2)    Screen (Film and TV Production.)

 
By the end of the Genre Writing course, students should be able to achieve the following aims and outcomes:

•    learn major theories of Genre with a focus on key authors in the field.
•    develop skills in the utilization of such theory for the practical tasks related to Screenwriting.
•    identify the specific and unique features of the central Genres that inform Screenwriting and other literary practice.  
•    observe; describe; analyse and discuss the ways in which various genres can represent distinctive approaches to the creation of  the screenplay document.
•    include a knowledge of Genre as part of both their exegesis and project courses.

Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities will include seminars and lectures that outline the theory relating to Genre.  Students will be encouraged to conduct their own research into Genre and present findings to fellows and instructor via written work and workshops.  

Learning activities that will foster the development of capabilities to be developed in this course include:
 
    1) Research of and comparison between contemporary and classic models of Genre

    2) Lectures in the general theory that inform the field of Genre as an industrial set of conventions that guide screenwriting practice

Overview of Learning Resources

Students will describe; critically interpret and create film script components according to the requirements of the various Genres used to classify screenplay or literary material.
Students will identify and apply structural criteria related to Genre in  the creation of screenplay/print material
Students will study the generic requirements of the film/publishing industry that inform the best presentation of script materials to both audience and potential producers.

Overview of Assessment

Students will complete research that they will present to their group as well as submit a formal paper.  see section B.