Course Title: Write television comedy
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2010
Course Code: COMM5932
Course Title: Write television comedy
School: 345T Media and Communication
Campus: City Campus
Program: C6088 - Advanced Diploma of Screenwriting
Course Contact : Professional Screenwriting Administration
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4368
Course Contact Email:brendan.lee@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Semester 1.
Teacher: Tim Ferguson
E-mail : tim.ferguson@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 140
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 in this course at RMIT requires you to have completed all first year courses.
Course Description
This course aims to develop the skills needed to create narrative and sketch comedy for television.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VPAU663 Write television comedy |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to write television comedy in a variety of formats.
Details of Learning Activities
• lectures
• demonstrations
• guest lecturers
• peer teaching and class presentations
• exercises
• discussion
• group activities/projects
• workshopping
While you will be introduced to concepts and theories by way of short lectures, screenings, student reports and selected readings, most class time will be given to writing exercises and story workshopping.
Teaching Schedule
| Week | Topics | Element |
| 1 | The Principles of Humour | 1 |
| 2 | Comedy Genres (Satire, Farce and Domestic Comedy) | 1 |
| 3 | Desivising a Sitcom Premise and theme | 1, 2 |
| 4 | Creative Comic Characters | 1 |
| 5 | Creating Comic Character Conflict | 1 |
| 6 | Character Arts and Narative Jokes | 1 |
| 7 | TV Comedy Formats | 1 |
| 8 | Devising Comic Scenes | 3 |
| 9 | COmic Story Structure | 1 |
| 10 | Synopses and Bibles | 1 |
| 11 | The 3 Act Structure In Sitcom | 3 |
| 12 | Pilot Treatment Development | 3 |
| 13 | Script Development (Dialogue) | 3 |
| 14 | Script Development, Episode | 3 |
| 16 | Writing Comic Dialogue | 3 |
| 17 | Pitching to Market | 1 |
| 18 | Presentation | 1 |
PLEASE NOTE: This unit also includes sketch comedy writing. This will be delivered and assessed in semester two.
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
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 through the application of learned skills and insights to your writing tasks.
Assessment Tasks
1. DEVELOP A CONCEPT FOR A NARRATIVE-BASED COMEDY SERIES
Establish sustainable comic premise
Devise a group of dynamic, active characters with potential for ongoing conflict
Accurately identify market(s) for series
Clarify genre and format
Develop major story arcs appropriate to the genre and format
Apply principles of narrative humour and comic structure
2. WRITE A BIBLE FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Develop a synopsis for the bible which introduces concept, premise, genre, format and major storylines in an engaging style
Develop more detailed characters and character arcs
Write treatments for several episodes, which effectively summarise the story.
3. WRITE A PILOT FOR A NARRATIVE-BASED COMEDY SERIES
Structure a dynamic story for the pilot
Explore conflict between characters in a dramatically satisfying way
Integrate themes into story
Weave character arcs into the action
PLEASE NOTE: This unit also includes sketch comedy writing. This will be delivered and assessed in semester two.
Assessment Matrix
| VPAU663 Write television comedy | CONCEPT | BIBLE | PILOT |
| ELEMENTS: 1 Develop a concept for a narrative based comedy series |
X | ||
| 2 Write a bible for a comedy series | X | ||
| 3 Write a pilot for a narrative based comedy series | X | ||
| 4 Develop a sketch comedy concept | Delivery and assessment of these elements will be offered in Semester 2 | ||
| 5 Write an episode of a sketch comedy | Delivery and assessment of these elements will be offered in Semester 2 | ||
| SKILLS: • Ability to develop concepts |
X | ||
| • Ability to develop and sustain characterisation | X | X | X |
| • Ability to re-draft own writing | X | X | |
| • Ability to work in a creative team | X | X | X |
| • Ability to present pitches or ideas to others | X | X | X |
|
KNOWLEDGE: • Principles of narrative humour and comic structure |
X | X | X |
| • Major genres of comedy including domestic, farce and satire and their conventions. |
X | X | X |
| • Television comedy formats, including sitcom, sketch and mockumentary |
X | X | X |
| • Potential national and international markets | X | X | X |
| • Key local producers and writers | X | X | |
| • Current industry formats | X | X | X |
| • Current local programming schedules |
X | X | X |
| •Characteristics of particular demographic groups | X | X | X |
Course Overview: Access Course Overview