Course Title: Produce Writings - Screenwriting
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2007
Course Code: COMM5404
Course Title: Produce Writings - Screenwriting
School: 345T Creative Media
Campus: City Campus
Program: C4171 - Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing
Course Contact : Brendan Lee
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4368
Course Contact Email:Brendan.lee@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Teacher: Roz Berrystone
Contact Phone: 9925 4974
Contact Email: roz.berrystone@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 105
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
None
Course Description
This course covers the knowledge and skills required to complete a writing task and introduces students to the craft of Screenwriting. It explores the various components of film and television writing.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VBP552 Produce Writings - Screenwriting |
Learning Outcomes
Not applicable
Details of Learning Activities
1. Lectures
2. Presentations
3. Guest speakers
4. Workshopping, self-criticism of written work, providing oral critiques of others’ work
Teaching Schedule
1ST SEMESTER
Week 1
Orientation
Week 2
Differences between screenwriting & other forms of writing
Visual medium
Sparse use of dialogue
Getting ideas
Understand differences between writing for visual media and other forms of writing
How to recognise ideas which can be used to tell a visual story
Week 3
The basic/main story
Plot and subplot – differences in film & tv
Synopses – story & marketing
Be able to construct the story spine of a screen story
Recognise the difference between plot and subplots – differences in film & tv
Know how to write the different types of synopses
Week 4
The classic (or 3-act) narrative structure
Learning how to create a screen story using the 3-act structure.
Week 5
WORKSHOP
Workshop draft synopses
Week 6
SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT
Exposition
Narrative techniques of foreshadowing & planting
Understand how to convey backstory and on-screen information to an audience.
How to create dramatic tension through foreshadowing.
Setting up and paying off of plot and characterisation elements
Week 7
One-on-one tutorials with teacher
Feedback on marked synopses
Week 8
Characters – creating screen characters,
Working out motivation, character arcs
The treatment (aka story outline)
Creating effective screen characters
Elements required in writing the treatment
Week 9
Character functions – exploring the 5 different groups
Creating character biographies and character notes – the differences
Eliminating characters who have no function in screen story, thereby creating stronger dramatic pacing
Difference between character information required in film & tv
Week 10
Character biogs of 2 main characters, 250-300 words each.
Workshopping & feedback from teacher and students
Week 11
SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT
Guest speaker
Week 12
Revise work on treatments.
Class workshopping on progress
Preliminary work on students’ own projects
Week 13
Basic genre
Point of view
Themes
Treatments – more work if needed
Understand the basic principles of genre – an overview
How to use point of view in screen stories
Use of themes to create stronger stories – differences between film & tv
Week 14
WORKSHOP
Workshop treatments – in groups
Feedback from teacher & students
Week 15
WORKSHOP
Workshop treatments – class as a whole
Feedback from teacher & students
Week 16
SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT
Non-fiction screenwriting
Creating an awareness of the different forms of non-fiction writing
Week 17
LAST CLASS 1ST SEMESTER
One-on-one tutorials with teacher
Feedback on marked treatments
Week 18
Marks entry/review
2ND SEMESTER
Week 1
Introduction to screen dialogue
Group exercises – construct characters from photos & create/workshop dialogue
Creating individual voices/dialogue
Week 2
More on dialogue
Class exercise – saunter up Lygon Street & eavesdrop
Group exercise: write screen dialogue from real dialogue
Learning how to condense screen dialogue from real dialogue
Week 3
Subtext
Group exercise: write scene/s with and without subtext
Use of non-sync. dialogue: voice-over narration, post synching
How to use subtext for effect
Learn about non-sync. dialogue
Week 4
Screen language
Script formatting
Understanding the universal language of film/tv
How to lay out a script in the industry-accepted format
Week 5
Writing stage directions.
Group exercise: reducing & re-writing stage directions
Writing dialogue.
Differences between film & tv dialogue.
Group exercise: reducing dialogue to create cinematic dialogue
Learning how to write stage directions and screen dialogue
Week 6
Creating scenes – scene breakdown
Scene structure & pacing.
Class ex: students create scene breakdown of first 2 pages of their treatments
Understand difference between a shot (or setup), a scene, a scene sequences
Starting the script process from treatment stage
Week 7
Guest speaker
Week 8
WORKSHOP
1st 10 pages of script to teacher for copying for workshopping
TV scripts – writing to commercial breaks
Difference between tv & film scripts/commercial breaks/layout
Week 9
Class workshop of 1st 10 pages scripts
Workshopping & feedback from teachers and students
Each writer gets a change to hear own dialogue
Week 10
Class workshop of 1st 10 pages scripts
Workshopping & feedback from teachers and students
Each writer gets a change to hear own dialogue
Week 11
Class workshop of 1st 10 pages scripts
Workshopping & feedback from teachers and students
Each writer gets a change to hear own dialogue
Week 12
Scene functions
Learn how to multi-layer scenes and to eliminate useless scenes
Week 13
Excursion
Week 14
WORKSHOP
Scene functions
Learn how to multi-layer scenes and to eliminate useless scenes
Week 15
Workshop scripts in small groups (3 maximum)
Peer feedback
Week 16
SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT
Theme
Use of themes to create stronger screen story
Week 17
Favourite scenes – students’ choice
Week 18
Marks entry/review
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
Suggested reading material will be provided in class by teacher.
Handouts provided in class by teacher
Internet access through RMIT Library
Final Draft program on several computers in RMIT Carlton Library and Main Library
Publications & dvds/videos through RMIT Library, community libraries, video libraries and other sources
Overview of Assessment
Assessment includes a story synopsis, character biographies, a treatment and part of a script.
Assessment Tasks
A story synopsis
Write 1-page story synopsis incorporating 3-act structure for drama of 20 mins or longer.
Work must be in single-line spacing.
Assessment includes workshopping.
(10%)
2 character biographies
Character biographies, 250 words each, of 2 major characters from above synopsis story.
Assessment includes workshopping.
(5%)
A 10 page treatment
Treatment/story outline from above story synopsis.
Length: up to 10 pages double-line or 1.5 line spacing.
Assessment includes workshopping.
(25%)
The first 10 pages of a screenplay
1st 10 pages of screenplay from treatment, set out in industry-accepted format, for class workshopping.
(20%)
20 pages of a screenplay
1st 20 pages of screenplay. This includes revised 1st 10 pages plus next 10 pages. Assessment includes workshopping. (25%)
Film Review
Film review class presentation of film currently in release or re-release at cinema. Student to present minimum 250 words to be read out in class and handed to teacher for marking. (5%)
TV Review
TV review class presentation of tv program either on tv or on dvd/vcr. Presentation comprises showing 1st 10 minutes of program and 5-10 minutes review by student. (5%)
Class Exercises
Script reading & class exercises (5%)
Assessment Matrix
Details above
Course Overview: Access Course Overview