Syllabus: Screenwriting - Developing the Script

Transcription

1 Syllabus: Screenwriting - Developing the Script CE 1902 N Summer 2018 Continuing Education Course Information Location: Terra TBD Dates: TUE 6-9PM, JUN 5 - JUL 10 Note: Instructor Information Name: David Greenberg dgreenberg@uarts.edu Policy: I will respond to you within 48 hours or less. Instructor Bio: David Greenberg has written or doctored over 40 screenplays for features, shorts and documentaries. His feature writing & directing debut Stomping Ground premiered at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival in May Features written by him, Used To Love Her and What Matters Most both played festivals in the past few years. A documentary, Bonnie & Clyde: Lovers on the Run was released in He recently wrote and directed the short films Interrogation and The Wonton Connection. Another short, The True Meaning of Cool" won an award from The American Film institute in He has been a Senior Lecturer in the WRITING FOR FILM AND TELEVISION DEPARTMENT at UArts since David has served as a judge on The Diamond Screen Festival, The 48 Hour Film Festival, Project 21, The Philadelphia Independent Film Awards and The Set In Philadelphia Screenplay Competition. He has given workshops at the West Chester Film Festival and the Philadelphia Film & Animation Festival in addition to serving as a mentor for the Greater Philadelphia Film Office s PhillyPitch! and is a professional script consultant. Course Description No matter what stage you're in, this course uses the workshop approach to help you ignite a new screenplay, make significant headway on one already in progress or finish a first-draft script. The overall goal is to make sure you have a strong movie premise, a clear genre, a treatment that tells the story well, an outline built on an exciting scene-by-scene sequence structure and a script that can be produced. Sessions include structural breakdowns of feature films, discussion of assigned readings, application of screenwriting techniques and pertinent exercises. You should be prepared to pitch your screenplay on the first night of class. The course may be repeated until a first-draft screenplay is completed. Course Overview For beginning screenwriters, the course is an introduction to the basics of screenwriting: character development, story structure, dialogue and technique. For more experienced screenwriters, the course is an opportunity to get reacquainted with the fundamentals from a fresh perspective. This course allows the screenwriter to begin at the beginning and start to develop a feature film idea into a story treatment with complete beat sheets, character bios, an outline, in preparation for writing first draft screenplay at a professional, industry-standard level. It also allows the screenwriter who is actively engaged in a project to make substantial progress. #UArtsCE

2 Course Objectives/Learning Objectives At the end of this course, students will: *identify beats in a story and create a beat sheet *adapt dramatic beats into story outline scenes *understand the function of a sequence and build one *build a character arc into a story *integrate a B story into an A story *write well-structured scenes w/appropriate description & dialogue appropriate to a character and situation *revise written work Course Resources *A feature-length script might be supplied for study and analysis. *Digication course management software will be used. For tutorials and additional help it is recommended to visit Lynda.com or Adobe.com for video tutorials. These tutorials are free and/or low cost. You will be able to access Lynda.com for free using your UArts login. Additional Course Materials Supplies Screenwriting software such as Final Draft, MovieMagic Screenwriter, writerduet or Celtx is recommended. Course Policies Student Feedback/Communication If you experience an emergency, which will prevent you from completing required coursework on time, please communicate with the instructor at the earliest opportunity. Please state the nature of the emergency and when you expect to turn in the coursework. Submitting Electronic Files All electronic files must be submitted in.pdf format unless otherwise noted. Please name your file in the using the following convention: Project Name_First InitialLast Name. Thus, if my name where John Smith and I was submitting the Narrative PowerPoint assignment, I would rename the NarrativePowerPoint.pdf file as NarativePowerPoint_JSmith. Attendance + Participation [EXAMPLES TO BE EDITED AS NEEDED] All students are expected to attend classes regularly and promptly, and for the duration of the scheduled instructional time. Individual instructors will decide the optimum time for taking attendance and may penalize for habitual lateness or absence. Please notify instructor if you expect to miss a class. Repeated absences may result in a grade of "F" for the course. This course content is delivered through a series of presentations, examples and hands-on exercises in a computer lab so regular attendance is critical to your success. Students are expected to arrive on time and stay the length of the class. There will be graded practice assignments in class as well as homework based on the class lessons each week. An absence will not be considered an excuse for a late assignment. A student with more than two consecutive, or three total absences will not be able to pass the course, even if the absence is medically excused. Each absence past the first excused occurrence will result in a lowered grade. Any materials or announcements covered in class missed during an absence are the student s responsibility. Lectures and class activities cannot be repeated. 2

3 Students who withdraw from a course must do so in writing. Non-attendance does not constitute an official withdrawal. Syllabi Changes to the course content will be communicated by from the instructor, and the Program Director will be copied. The syllabus is subject to change based on individual needs of the class at the instructor s discretion. Content Warning At times this semester we will be discussing content that may be disturbing, even traumatizing, to some students. If you suspect that specific material is likely to be emotionally challenging for you, I d be happy to discuss any concerns you may have before the subject comes up in class. Likewise, if you ever wish to discuss your personal reactions to course material with the class or with me individually afterwards, I welcome such discussions as an appropriate part of our classwork. If you ever feel the need to step outside during a class discussion you may always do so without academic penalty. You will, however, be responsible for any material you miss. If you do leave the room for a significant time, please make arrangements to get notes from another student or see me individually to discuss the situation. Please remember that the UArts Counseling Center is free and available to all students. The Counseling Center is located in Gershman Hall, Room 307. Walk-in hours are from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. University Policies Academic Honesty/ Integrity Policy Violations of academic integrity are considered to be acts of academic dishonesty and include (but are not limited to) cheating, plagiarizing, fabrication, denying others access to information or material, and facilitating academic dishonesty, and are subject to disciplinary action. To review the Academic Honesty/ Integrity Policy in its entirety, please visit: Student Code of Conduct It is the policy of the Division of Continuing Studies to provide a safe and healthy environment for learning, personal growth and enjoyment. The well-being of this community depends upon the good judgment and considerate behavior of its members. Student status at The University of the Arts is not an unconditional right, but a privilege subject to certain rules and expectations articulated in the Student Code of Conduct. To review the Student Code of Conduct in its entirety, please visit: Notice of Nondiscrimination The University expressly prohibits any form of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, age, mental or physical disability, veteran status, or any other protected classification in accordance with Federal, state, and local non-discrimination and equal opportunity laws. If you have encountered any such form of harassment or discrimination, we encourage you to report this to the Title IX Coordinator and Diversity Administrator, Lexi Morrison, at lmorrison@uarts.edu. Sexual violence, sexual harassment, intimate partner/dating violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct are considered forms of sex-based discrimination and are prohibited by University policy and by law. We encourage students to report any incidents of sexual misconduct by contacting the Title IX Coordinator at titleix@uarts.edu. For more information about options and resources available to those who may have been impacted by sexual 3

4 misconduct, please visit Office of Educational Accessibility UArts values diverse types of learners and is committed to ensuring that each student is afforded an equal opportunity to participate in all learning experiences. If you have or think you may have a learning difference or disability including a mental health, medical, or physical impairment that would impact your educational experience in this class, please contact the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) at or access@uarts.edu to register for appropriate accommodations. Faculty can provide course accommodations/modifications only after receipt of an approved accommodations letter from OEA. Grading Students taking the course for non-credit will receive a PASS/FAIL grade. SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON GROUP NEEDS AND DYNAMICS): SESSION + DATE TOPIC COURSEWORK DUE Introduction Introduction of course: The Creative Mechanical and The Creative Conceptual. Visual storytelling. Session 1 6/5 In-Class work Review of three-act structure paradigm and character development. Nuts & Bolts of the screenwriting business. s will vary according to individual student goals. Write or revise an existing Character Bio. 6/11 Session 2 6/12 Writing Action, & other Cinematic Conventions Formatting Review: Slug lines, scene descriptions, transitions, introducing characters.speech, flashbacks, voiceovers Sample Screenplay Review. Write a 2-3 page scene where two distinct character meet as a result of a minor car accident. 6/18 Session 3 6/19 Organizing your story Beat sheets, treatments/outlines, loglines Write or revise an existing Beat Sheet, Treatment or Character Bio. 6/25 Session 4 6/26 Characters and Behavior Dialogue: knowing what your character would or would not say and how he or she would or would not say it, etc. Write a dialogue-only from your story, employ subtext if applicable no scene heading or stage 7/2 4

5 directions, you can add them in later. Session 5 7/3 Action Writing effective action/stage directions. Write or rewrite the opening 5-10 page sequence of your screenplay 7/9 Session 6 7/10 Scene Structure Constructing compelling, dynamic, concise scenes;scene questionnaire. * Lectures and Projects subject to change throughout the course determined by the Instructor. Any changes to syllabus will be ed to students, and the Program Director will be copied. s/ Projects 5