Course Title: Refine writing and editing techniques - Screenwriting
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2007
Course Code: COMM5411
Course Title: Refine writing and editing techniques - Screenwriting
School: 345T Creative Media
Campus: City Campus
Program: C5181 - Diploma of 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
Roz Berrystone
Tel: 9925 4974
Email: roz.berrystone@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 85
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
Enrolment into this course at RMIT requires the completion of Produce Writing - Screenwriting
At RMIT Refine Writing and Editing – Screenwriting is delivered and assessed along with the following competencies.
CUVCOR04A - Originate concept for own work and conduct critical discourse
CUVCOR13A - Research and critically analyse history and theory to inform artistic practice
CUECOR01B - Manage own work and learning
CUSADM03A - Manage a project
CUVDES05A - Interpret and respond to a brief
CUSRAD02A - Conduct Research
Through the development of these competencies, you gain the skills needed to manage your work and learning while responding to a project brief. You research the work of other writers and apply your findings to your own projects through the development of a concept into a written work.
Course Description
This unit covers the knowledge and skills required to research and experiment with writing and editing techniques to write for the screen. It develops the skills used in film and television writing and examines storytelling methods and techniques used to engage audience emotions.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VBP553 Refine writing and editing techniques - Screenwriting |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be be able to use storytelling methods and techniques to develop a concept into a piece of writing suitable for the screen.
Details of Learning Activities
All classroom-based lectures, workshopping, group exercises.
Students are expected to do their own research and writing off-campus.
Teaching Schedule
1ST SEMESTER
Week 1 Orientation
Week 2
Establishing learning priorities/needs in this course
Introduction to adaptation
Material sources
General techniques
How to find sources for adaptation
Generic methods used by screenwriters
Week 3
Adapting novels
Identifying methods Learn how to condense, identify cinematic structure, characterisation in novels
Week 4
Adapting short stories
Plays & musicals
Identifying methods Learn how to expand/invent from source material into screenplay
Week 5
Progress report on projects
Legal aspects involved in print fictional adaptations
Acquiring rights/options Touching base with students’ progress on projects.
Identifying legalities involved in acquiring underlying & film rights.
Approaching agents etc. for film rights.
Week 6
Non-fiction – different sources Identifying different methods needed to source material in non-fiction (current affairs, historical events, biography, magazine articles etc.
Week 7
Completion of non-fiction.
Legal aspects involved.
Further discussion on students’ work
How to create marketing synopsis, adaptation notes Identifying different methods needed to source material in non-fiction (current affairs, historical events, biography, magazine articles etc. Identifying legalities involved accessing works in public domain, etc.
Learn difference between story synopsis and marketing synopsis.ws
Week 8
Cartoon characters
Franchises
Fairy tales
Songs & poetry
Legal aspects Identifying methods used & legalities to be observed when adapting from cartoon strips (i.e. Batman), franchises (i.e. James Bond), etc.
Week 9
WORKSHOP
Workshop synopses, character notes, adaptation notes Feedback from students & teacher
Week 10
More workshop, if needed.
Completion of adaptation (if needed)
Creating scene breakdowns
Week 11 SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT
Guest speaker
Discuss progress on treatment/scene breakdowns
Week 12
One-on-one tutorials with teacher
Discuss progress on treatment/scene breakdowns Feedback on marked assignments
Week 13 WORKSHOP
Hand in rough drafts of treatments/scene breakdowns too teacher for copying.
Heroes & villains
The anti-hero
Matching protagonists with the right antagonists.
Identifying the anti-hero
Week 14
Workshop treatments/scene breakdowns – groups Feedback by peers and teacher
Week 15
Workshop treatments/scene breakdowns – groups Feedback by peers and teacher
Week 16 SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT
Self-assessment assignment To be completed in class
The 2nd Act Story How to multi-layer the overall story by creating the 2nd act story
Week 17
One-on-one tutorials with teacher Feedback on market work
Week 18
Marks entry/review
2ND SEMESTER
Week 1
Transitions & manipulating of film time Learning how to move between scenes & how to expand/condense time to create best dramatic effect.
Week 2
Review scene structure/functions & pacing Revision
Week 3
Review 3-act structure
Action points – major ones & everyday ones
Their use in film/tv Revision
How to use actions points to create best dramatic effect.
Week 4
Different ways of starting a screen story
Exercise: identifying & trying out different ones for your own story Learn best way to start a screen story depending on genre & structure.
Week 5
Screen stories which have no 3-act structure
Character-centred screen story
Group ex: writing non-3- act story & re-writing it as 3-act story Learn components and structure of stories which don’t confirm to the 3-act structure & which genres are more suited to each
Week 6
Hero’s journey in film & cinematic use of mythology & symbolism Understanding the importance and universality of using mythology & symbolism in screen storytelling
Week 7
Workshop/exercise: students to discuss how and what myth and symbols, if any, to use in their own scripts – working from treatments and/or script material from 1st semester (or new script) Workshopping/conceptualising
Week 8
Guest speaker
Week 9 WORKSHOPPING
1st 10 pages of script to teacher for photocopying.
Industry practices
Week 10
Class workshop of 1st 10 pages script Class & teacher feedback. Writer to hear own dialogue
Week 11
Class workshop of 1st 10 pages script Class & teacher feedback. Writer to hear own dialogue
Week 12
Genre Learn genre motifs & rules and how to apply them to create best dramatic effect in own work
Week 13 WORKSHOP
Genre Learn genre motifs & rules and how to apply them to create best dramatic effect in own work
Week 14
Group workshop of scripts Peer feedback
Week 15
Group workshop of scripts Peer feedback
Week 16 SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT
Self assessment assignment
Non-fiction scriptwriting Assignment to be done in class
How to structure a doco.
The concept document
Week 17
Favourite scenes from a screen adaptation – students’ choice
Week 18
Marks entry/review
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
RMIT Library for various texts and audio/visual material
Final Draft program on several computers in RMIT Carlton & Main Libraries
Overview of Assessment
Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge and understanding of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises and workshopping and through class presentations and written assignments.
Assessment Tasks
Marketing Synopsis
1-page marketing synopsis (in single-line spacing) and 1-page story synopsis (in single line spacing) of adaptation from another source.
plus
Adaptation
1-2 pages notes on adaptation on why this story was chosen for adapting, and what methods of adaptation will be used.
plus
Character Notes
Character notes of 250 words each for 2 main characters in adaptation, taking into account psychological profile, character needs, etc.
Workshopping of all three documents is included in assessment. (25%)
Treatment/Story Outline
Up to 10 pages in double-line spacing of treatment/story outline from above synopses. Workshopping is included in assessment (25%)
Script
1st 30 minutes of script – either from above adaptation or from own original idea. Assessment includes workshopping 1st 10 pages in class as whole, and workshopping 30 minutes script in small groups. (40%)
Film Review
Film review: 10 minute class presentation with partner (David & Margaret) of film currently in release or re-release at cinema. (5%)
TV Review
TV review: 20 minutes class presentation with partner of tv program currently on air or on dvd/video, comprising 10 mins screening of material in class followed by 10 min verbal presentation & discussion. (5%)
Assessment Matrix
As above
Other Information
Handouts and recommended reading lists to be provided in class by teacher
Course Overview: Access Course Overview