Course Title: Screenplay Studio

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Screenplay Studio

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

COMM2401

City Campus

Undergraduate

345H Media and Communication

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2010,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 2 2013,
Sem 2 2014

Course Coordinator: Dr Craig Batty

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2456

Course Coordinator Email: craig.batty@rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

You should have satisifactorily completed the prerequisite courses COMM2227 Advanced Scriptwriting and/or COMM2397 Anatomy of a Screenplay before you commence this course. Note it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisites before enrolling in a course.


Course Description

This course follows on from COMM2227 Advanced Scriptwriting and COMM2397 Anatomy of a Screenplay to further develop capabilities in the drafting of script formats with a focus on key structures including character, plot and premise. You will use these structures to draft and craft your own script material.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

In this course you will develop the following program capabilities:

  • Create a written work that reflects intention and ideas
  • Edit to develop and improve your writing, solve problems effectively and creatively
  • Work with others in a professional context, developing story material
  • Offer feedback on a range of projects. 


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
•    Research and create the key technical components of your screenplay project, writing character biographies and story outlines that reflect industry forms
•    Manage and present the documentation necessary for the preparation of script material, including treatment, outlines and sample scenes
•    Edit to develop and improve your screenwriting skills
•    Communicate in appropriate technical language, reflecting on your own and others’ writing
•    Interact effectively in professional contexts such as the ‘pitch’ and story development meetings.


Overview of Learning Activities

This course is a studio-based course. The semester consists of a series of tutorials and workshops where you will develop your scriptwriting skills in relation to the writing of your own work. You will work independently in self-directed exercises as well as work in a group on creative activities and explorations to read, critique and develop your scripts and those of your fellow classmates. In order to enhance your thinking and experience of scriptwriting you will be reading scripts and viewing film excerpts.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. You will be required to read film scripts to further your understanding of screenwriting. You will be expected to refer to different practitioners and studies of scriptwriting in order to assist in the development of your own scripts when making decisions about approaches to the craft. From time to time some film extracts will be shown in class as a way to explore different approaches to scriptwriting.


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program capabilities. Assessment in this course aims to test your abilities in developing an original script of your own through a studio based practice. It tests your creative thinking, your ability to develop ideas and engage critically with them, your capacity to successfully execute an idea in this particular form. You will also be tested on your understanding of the field and your skills in preparing background material to accompany your script. Feedback will be given on all assessments.

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 director or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

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