Course Title: Adapt fiction and non fiction work for the screen

Part A: Course Overview

Program: C6088

Course Title: Adapt fiction and non fiction work for the screen

Portfolio: DSC

Nominal Hours: 70.0

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.

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

COMM5934

City Campus

TAFE

345T Media and Communication

Face-to-Face

Term2 2011

Course Contact: Program Administration

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99254815

Course Contact Email: mctafe@rmit.edu.au


Course Description

The professional screenwriter is likely to work from time to time on commissioned projects, where he or she is employed to adapt pre-existing material chosen by producers, networks or directors. A large proportion of produced screen drama is adapted from pre-existing material: novels, short stories, stage plays and non-fiction books and articles. This course aims to provide you with criteria for the initial choice of source material for adaptation.
You will learn to define that story, to explore how it works (or not) on its own terms in its original form and then to translate that story into another medium, to tell it as a screen drama – as feature film, telemovie or mini-series.


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

At RMIT, you are required to have completed all first year core competencies before enrolling in this course.



National Competency Codes and Titles

National Element Code & Title:

VPAU665 Adapt fiction and non fiction work for the screen

Elements:

Element 1 Evaluate fiction or non-fiction work for suitability as an adaptation

Element 2 Determine the film story

Element 3 Develop a treatment


Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to adapt pre-existing material for the screen


Overview of Assessment

Assessment for this course is on going throughout the semester. Assessment tasks include participation in class exercises and the completion of written assignments.