COMM498L: Introduction to Screenwriting for Television and Film Fall 2015, T 4:00-6:30 Department of Communications University of Maryland, College Park The Universities at Shady Grove Campus Lecturer: Adam W. Nixon, A.B.D., M.F.A. Office Location: SGIII, 5 th Floor Office Hours: Tues/Thursday 3:30-4:00pm and by appointment Email: anixon@umd.edu ELMS Location: TEXTS: Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, Syd Field, ISBN: 0385339038 Save the Cat, Blake Snyder, ISBN: 1932907009 The Poetics, Aristotle (Butcher Translation), ISBN: 0809005271 Recommended: The 21 Day Screenplay, Viki King. ISBN: 0062730665 Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic, Henri Bergson, ISBN-10: 1604501065 Course Description: An exploration into the craft of screenwriting. Students will examine dramatic theory from the classical period to the contemporary, develop an understanding of structure, format and dialogue. Students will complete a television screenplay in this course. Core Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course students can expect to be able to interpret, analyze, and create screenplays. Students will develop a familiarity with screenwriting technique to include: Ability to create a dramatic story arc with proper structure including dramatic irony, rising action, reversal, and recognition Ability to use screenwriting software Writing a professional-quality script for use in television, new media or film Acting as a member of a writing community: offering feedback to other writers in the course and responding to feedback from their work Course Goals: This course is part of a curriculum that will teach students the skills utilized in creating new media, help them polish those skills, and place new media into its historical context. Students will understand both the theory and the technique of screenwriting.
THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS: Quizes: There will be a total of seven quizzes drawn from the readings. Only the top five grades will be counted. There will be no rescheduling or makeup quizzes offered. They are to be taken through Canvas the night before the class discussion about the assigned readings. Group Project: You will team up with 4-5 members of the class to write a short film. The scripts will be read aloud to the class on the due date. Midterm: The midterm will be drawn from all of the readings and lectures. Screenplay Proposal: You will write a 500-1000 word proposal and outline of your individual screenplay project. You should include plot points, character information, story details, resolution and an outline of your story arc. Production Journal: The production journal needs to include a detailed written analysis of the screenwriting process detailing everything from planning, writing and re-writing your finished project. Extra attention should be paid to the learning process and how you grew as a screenwriter during that process. Screenplay Project. You will present to the class a finished 90 page feature-length screenplay. You also have the option of writing two drafts of a 44 page TV script plus a 20-page story outline, or three drafts of a 22 page sit-com script plus a 22-episode story arc. All scripts will be presented in class as staged readings. Final Pitch Project: 1500-2000 words using Save the Cat beat sheet as your template. This should be your next screenplay, and is equivalent to the Final Exam for the course. GRADING Quizzes 100 Group Project 150 Midterm 100 Screenplay Proposal 100 Production Journal 200 Screenplay Project 500 Final Pitch Project 200 Class Participation 150 POINTS (1500 possible): See undergraduate catalogue for description of grades, e.g., A+, A, A-, etc.: http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/27/ss/1584/s/1534 Course Procedures and Policies Attendance Policy: Attendance and absences: In order to receive the maximum benefit from this class you are
required to be in attendance. You are not just a student in this class. You are a screenwriter, a filmmaker, an audience member, and a peer evaluator. This means that you are expected to be here for every session ready, willing, and able to keep the creative process going between yourself, the instructor, and your peers. A few ground rules: 1. If you miss more than 1 class session (I do not make a distinction between excused and unexcused absences), your overall grade will drop one letter. 2. There are no make-up tests, quizzes, or extra credit work in this class. Students are expected to inform the instructor in advance of medically necessary absences, and present a self-signed note documenting the date of the missed class(es) and testifying to the need for the absence. This note must include an acknowledgement that (a) the information provided is true and correct, and (b) that the student understands that providing false information to University officials is a violation of Part 9(h) of the Code of Student Conduct. The university s policies on medical and other absences can be found at: http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/27/ss/1584/s/1540 Prolonged absence or illness preventing attendance from class requires written documentation from the Health Center and/or health care provider verifying dates of treatment when student was unable to meet academic responsibilities. Absence due to religious observance will not be penalized, however, it is the student s responsibility to notify the instructor within the first 3 weeks of class regarding any religious observance absence(s) for the entire semester. The calendar of religious holidays can be found at: http://faculty.umd.edu/teach/attend_student.html#religious Academic integrity: The student-administered Honor Code and Honor Pledge prohibit students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents and forging signatures. On every examination, paper or other academic exercise not specifically exempted by the instructor, students must write by hand and sign the following pledge: I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination (or assignment). Allegations of academic dishonesty will be reported directly to the Student Honor Council: http://www.shc.umd.edu. Students with disabilities: The University of Maryland is committed to providing appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities. Students with a documented disability should inform the instructors within the add-drop period if academic accommodations are needed. To obtain an Accommodation Letter prepared by Disability Support Service (DSS), a division of the University Counseling Center, please call 301-314-7682, e-mail dissup@umd.edu, or visit the Shoemaker Building for more information. Copyright notice: Class lectures and other materials are copyrighted and they may not be reproduced for anything other than personal use without written permission from the instructor. Emergency protocol: Please check the UMD.edu website in the event of snow emergency or class cancellations. All assignments will be made up in the event of a cancellation.
This syllabus is subject to change. Students will be notified in advance of important changes that could affect grading, assignments, etc. Course evaluations are a part of the process by which the University of Maryland seeks to improve teaching and learning. Your participation in this official system is critical to the success of the process, and all information submitted to CourseEvalUM is confidential. (Instructors can only view group summaries of evaluations and cannot identify which submissions belong to which students.) Diversity: The University of Maryland values the diversity of its student body. Along with the University, I am committed to providing a classroom atmosphere that encourages the equitable participation of all students regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Potential devaluation of students in the classroom that can occur by reference to demeaning stereotypes of any group and/or overlooking the contributions of a particular group to the topic under discussion is inappropriate. (See Statement on Classroom Climate, http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/27/ss/1584/s/1541). Expectations for student use of electronic devices: Students are allowed to use electronic devices for note-taking and writing assignments. You are prohibited from the use of social media during class time. CLASS CALENDAR Session 1 (9/1) Syllabus Class Rules Introductions Lecture: What is screenwriting? What is the Hollywood aesthetic? Writing exercise: Free write about a story you want to tell. Watch and review: Chinatown Homework: write for 3 hours in screenplay format write without editing yourself. Quiz #1 on Canvas Reading: Aristotle s Poetics
Session 2 (9/8) Screenwriting Session 2 Lecture: Syd Field Dramatic Theory: Aristotle Writing: Project topic. Over the next two weeks we will work on outlines, scripts, visuals. These will be workshop days! Plan on a lot of in-class work. Watch and Review: Chinatown Pt. 2 Session 3 (9/15) Screenwriting Session 3 Session 4 (9/22) Lecture: Syd Field s Paradigm Watch and review: Chinatown Pt. 3 Lecture: Structure Assignment, Character Bios Writeup: Freewrite further on your story. What is the beginning, middle and end? Watch and review: Life is Beautiful Session 5 (9/29) Lecture: Pages 1, 3,10, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 120 Writeup: Write your 9- minute movie that includes plot from the following pages: 1, 3, 10, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 120 Dramatic Theory: Hegel Homework: Write your script for 3 hours. Quiz #2 on Canvas Reading: Read first three chapters of Syd Field your script for 3 hours. Email to me for feedback Quiz #3 on Canvas Reading: Syd Field, Ch. 4-8 Homework: Begin structuring your script. Quiz #4 on Canvas Reading: Syd Field, Ch. 9-13 Homework: Structure screenplay Quiz #5 on Canvas Reading: Syd Field, Ch. 14-18
Session 6 (10/6) Session 7 (10/13) Session 8 (10/20) Session 9 (10/27) Lecture: Act I Writup: Write Act I in screenwriting software of choice Group Projects Due Lecture: Film Festivals Watch and review: The Bicycle Thief MIDTERM 9 Min Movie Script DUE Second act of Screenplay Lecture: Cult Cinema Watch and review: Out of the Past Group Projects Homework: Homework: Study for the Midterm Homework: Work on first draft of 9 min Movie Script Quiz #6 on Canvas Reading: Chapters 1-4 of Blake Snyder
Session 10 (11/3) Session 11 (11/10) Session 12 (11/17) Session 13 (11/24) Session 14 (12/1) ***Students will present their Elevator Pitch to the class and have 10-pages of their scripts read aloud. A sign-up sheet will be distributed Writing/Production Journals DUE The Third Act. Comic and Dramatic Reversals Writing Comedy Watch and review: Groundhog Day In class writing day Scrambling the timeline Quiz #7 on Canvas Reading: Chapters 5-8 of Blake Snyder
Session 15 (12/8) Final Exam (12/18) Final Draft of Screenplay Due Watch and Review: Pulp Fiction Final Pitch Project Due 1500-2000 words using Save the Cat beat sheet as your template. Homework: Study for the Final Exam Watch and review: Annie Hall Watch and review: The Ice Storm Watch and review: Glengarry GlenRoss Watch and Review: Breaking the Waves