UCLA Extension Writers Program Public Syllabus Note to students: this public syllabus is designed to give you a glimpse into this course and instructor. If you have further questions about our courses or curriculum, please contact the Writers Program at (310) 825-9415 or via email at writers@uclaextension.edu. We are happy to answer any questions and to help you find the best class to achieve your writing goals. INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING II Works-in-Progress April 1 June 3 2010 Course: Film & Television, X430B, Reg. # V6159B Instructor: Keith Giglio Course Goals: By the end of this ten week online course, you should have written the first half of a featurelength screenplay. Which is basically about 50-60 pages. Each week we will pay special attention to the established principals of screenplay writing, including the idea, the characters, the structure, scenes and dialogue. We will have lectures, writing assignments, online discussions, class and instructor feedback and some reading/viewing assignments. Important to note this is a workshop. There is no better way to gauge if your script and your writing is working until you get feedback from others and hear it read aloud. That is what we will be doing. We will workshop each other s scenes and pages each week in class. Participation in the workshop section is mandatory. Course Calendar: Weeks 1-2: we ll revise your outline or treatment and get it ready to be written into a script. Weeks 3-7: you will write approximately 10 pages a week. (That s only 1-2 pages a day!) Weeks 8-10: you will rewrite and polish the first half of your script in addition to preparing the outline for the second half of the script. Books: During the course, we will be reviewing all the basics of screenwriting. All that is needed is tenacity and the belief in your story. However, there is one book which I do recommend and will be referring to throughout this course. FOUR SCREENPLAYS by Syd Field
2 Requirements: Students are required to read all weekly topics posted in the Course Documents area, complete the assignments listed in the s area and respond to the work of at least three preferably more - other students in the Discussion Board forum. GRADING As this is a workshop, page count COUNTS. You will write at your own speed but like any working writer - there are deadlines. The idea is for you to finish your script. Grading is on EFFORT and PARTICIPATION and handing in of ASSIGNMENTS. I will not grade on content as that is subjective. Attendance and class participation Page Count 50 points 50 points A = 90+ points B = 80-89 points C = 70-79 points D = 60-69 points F = less than 60 points Participate. Do the work. Help each other. If we all do A work, we all get A's. You are not competing with each other. You are fighting that blank page. But not for long. Syllabus for 10 week course Week 1 April 1, 2010 Introductions and Your Existing Outline 1. Introductions 2. Setting your writing schedule 3. Your outline as 8 sequences, 40 beats. 4. What every scene should have. 5. Knowing the pre-story 6. Rising action 7. Establishing the world - review of openings 8. Scene study of openings
3 9. Grabbing the reader the hook 1. Card out your movie (using your outline) into 40 beats. 2. Prepare to bring to class Characters 1. Character study with clips and handouts 2. What the character needs 3. Writing transformational characters 4. What makes a great character? 5. Character growth 6. Great entrances 7. Backstory 8. The First Ten Pages Week 2 April 08, 2010 1. Write up a brief description of your protagonist and post to discussion board. 2. Revise your outline based on notes from last week and post. 3. Give feedback to at least 3 or more other students on their character sketches. 4. Read assigned script The First Ten Pages Week 3 April 15, 2010 1. Beginning, Middle and the End. 2. Act One the set up. 3. Opening/Inciting incident/1 st turning point. 4. The first ten pages. 5. Review assigned script 1. Write the 1 st ten pages of your script and post as attachment.
4 Week 4 April 22, 2010 Pages 10-20: The Point of Attack and p. 17 rule 1. Review of the "ten minute mark" 2. Tonal check 3. Hinting at what the movie will be 4. Subplots 5. Establishing the rules 6. Those other characters - review of character functions 7. Review assigned script 1. Write pages 10-20 of your script and post as an attachment. 2. Post comments on 3 or more other student script pages Week 5 April 29, 2010 Pages 20-30: The End of the First Act 1. What is the dramatic question this movie is asking? 2. Controlling idea 3. Staying on the spine 4. Is everyone on board? No act two characters 5. The first character change 6. End of act one 1. Write pages 20-30 of your script and post to the discussion board as attachment. Week 6 May 06, 2010 Pages 30-40: Act Two Begins 1. Into act two 2. What is the dramatic context? 3. Complicating action 4. Taking time to react 5. Scene study 6. Learning new rules 7. Taking on appearances 8. Intimacy through failure
5 9. Character growth 1. Write pages 30-40 of your script and post to the discussion board as attachment. Week 7 May 13, 2010 Pages 40-50: Building to the Midpoint 1. Developing Character/Theme. 2. Rising Conflict/obstacles. 3. Surprise/Reversals/Twists. 4. Subplots/Supporting characters. 5. Mid point 1. Write pages 40-50 of your script and post to the discussion board as attachment. Week 8 May 20, 2010 Begin Rewriting 1. Weaving in sub-plots 2. Characters and themes 3. Start small, go big 3. Tone/Consistency. 4. Character arc/thematic arc. 5. Mid-point crisis. 1. Rewrite your script to midpoint and post. 2. Post comments on 3 or more other student scripts. Week 9 May 27, 2010
6 The Polish and Act Three 1. Taking Notes/Criticism. 2. Building sequences. 3. Is every scene necessary? 4. Character consistency/motivation. 5. What comes next knowing where you re going. 6. What should happen in Act Three? 1. Continue rewriting/polishing pages per comments/notes and post. 2. Post comments on 3 or more other student revised script pages. Week 10 June 03, 2010 The Business of Screenwriting 1. Rewriting and pitching 2. Registering your script with WGA 3. Networking 4. Finding and agent 5. Screenwriting contests Take some time off. Then take Screenwriting III and begin writing again