Course Title: Industry Overview
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2007
Course Code: COMM7112
Course Title: Industry Overview
School: 345T Creative Media
Campus: City Campus
Program: C6045 - Advanced Diploma of Arts Professional Screenwriting (Film,Television and Digital Media)
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
Vicki Molloy
9925 4160
Nominal Hours: 68
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
Pre-requisites: Introduction to Screenwriting 1 and at least one level 1 elective.
Course Description
This course develops skills required to research and understand the structural complexities of the industry, including the role of key organisations and players, the professional and legal roles and responsibilities of screenwriters and current industry issues, through the presentation of a series of forums with leading industry personnel.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VBM385 Industry Overview |
Learning Outcomes
1. Identify and evaluate key features of the industry.
2. Identify legal, contractual and copyright issues relevant to screenwriters.
3. Evaluate the impact of non-legal issues identified as issues for screenwriters.
4. Identify requirements for presentation, organising and managing a forum or seminar with industry representation.
Details of Learning Activities
Each student will work in a group to research, organize and present a forum comprising industry guest speakers on a topic relating to the business of being a screenwriter in the contemporary industry.
Class lectures and discussions provide the context for planning and analysing the topics of the forums.
Students consolidate their understanding of issues by maintaining a journal to record information and impressions about the industry gained from class forums, and by regular reference to internet sites, trade journals and the daily press and specialist media programs.
Teaching Schedule
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW (COMM 7112)
Weekly Schedule Industry Forums 1.30 – 4.30pm
( Following Seminars 12.00 – 1.30 weekly)
DATE TOPICS PRESENTERS
1 16 Feb Introduction Vicki Molloy
2 23 Feb Identifying key questions
The silent era – industry issues Vicki Molloy
2 2 March Organising forum groups.
Scope and state of Australian Industry
The reign of the Hollywood
Blockbuster Vicki Molloy
3 9 March Forum preparation and planning
The role of Government
in the screen industries Vicki Molloy
4 16 March Forum# 1
Government Agencies
Guest Speakers
5 23 March Forum# 2
Guest Speakers
6 30 March Forum #3
7 6 April EASTER BREAK
8 13 April Shaun Miller – Legal Issues for Screenwriters
9 20 April Guest Speakers
10 27 April Legal test
Guest Speakers
11 4 May Guest Speakers
12 11 May Guest Speakers
13 18 May Guest Speakers
14 25 May Industry Issues Speech assignment due
Guest Speakers
15 1 June Guest Speakers
16 8 June Guest Speakers
17 16 June Guest Speakers
18 23 June Course 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 for this course includes:
- Attending industry forum
- Writing a forum report
- Writing a paper on issues affecting the industry
Assessment Tasks
1. Forum Presentation and report 50%
Work with a group of students to organize and present a forum with industry guest speakers on a topic relating to key industry sectors, the work of screenwriters and other key professionals, or current issues.
Your group’s task is to:
Define and research your topic, select and invite appropriate speakers, plan the format and presentation of the forum, brief speakers and confirm arrangements
Promote the forum to the class and to others in the screenwriting program who may be interested
Present the forum. Introduce speakers, host or moderate, present audio-visual support materials and/or background documentation such as speaker biogs, field questions, thank speakers.
Each organiser is to submit a brief individual report on the forum, explaining his or her contribution to it, and evaluating its effectiveness. (Report forms will be provided.)
2. Industry Issues 30%
The LA Screenwriters Foundation is planning a forum about screenwriting in ‘foreign’ countries for the foundation’s annual conference. The conference attracts some 1000 professional and aspiring Hollywood writers.
So far they’ve confirmed speakers from the UK, France and Canada. Now they want you to present a 10 minute account of the state of the film and television industry in Australia from a screenwriter’s point of view. What is the production slate like, what are the current issues for writers, what does the future hold?
You’ll need to write up your speech, making use of your Industry Journals, for inclusion in the conference papers and attach copies of any overhead slides you’ll be presenting to illustrate your talk. It should be no longer than 1500 words (excluding tables and attachments). You may or may not wish to include jokes for the amusement of the audience.
Please be sure to double space.
And beware that the conference organisers are very strict about deadlines and may cancel your airline booking if you don’t hand in copy on time.
3. Legal and copyright issues 20%
Test in class to assess understanding of definitions, application and implications of relevant legal issues for the screenwriter.
Assessment Matrix
Reserved
Course Overview: Access Course Overview