Course schedule
Week 1 class 1 how to watch a film from a screenwriter’s POV
Developing an idea into a film. Your Premise
class 2: Formatting; movies terms; scenes, sequences, 3 act structure, layering Action and Setting, and more…
· weekend reading: WITNESS
· Start Developing your idea
Week 2 class 3 Witness
View film to identify elements of film, conflict, story, plot, theme, genre, etc.
· discussion of WITNESS
· present your idea (verbally in class)
class 4 QUIZ 1 (film terms, formatting information
Witness: continue viewing film to identify elements of structure, story, plot points, subplot, etc .
· weekend reading: THELMA & LOUISE
· assignment: [1]write your idea (a few sentences stating the premise of your story)
Week 3 class 5 Quick Quiz 1 (Thelma & Louise)
Exploration of Character, Protagonist, Antagonist
* discussion of Thelma & Louise
* hand in assignment 1
class 6 short review of major plot points
Character functions. Motivation & need
* weekend reading: Matrix
* assignment [2]Character List & major plot points (bulleted)
Week 4 class 7 Quick Quiz 2 (Matrix)
Act 1: Exposition
* Creating Character (Bio) - Dialogue-setting up story
* discussion of Matrix
* hand in assignment 2
class 8 Text vs. Subtext
· weekend reading: Tootsie
· assignment: [3] Character Bios (your protagonist, antagonist, and at least two secondary character)
NO MAKE UP DAY on Friday, Sept. 22 (view a film)
Week 5 class 9 Quick Quiz 3 (Tootsie)
Act 2: conflict
· discussion of Tootsie
· hand in assignment 3
· CHOOSE FILM FOR ORAL PRESENTATION
class 10 Act 2 : rising action
* weekend reading: Chinatown
· assignment: [4] Plot Points fleshed out w/short description
Week 6 class 11 Quick Quiz 4 (Chinatown)
Act 3 resolution
· discussion of Chinatown
· hand in assignment 4
· present Film for Oral Presentation Midterm
class 12 Act 3 climax, crisis, denouement
· assignment: [5] written story (1 or 2 page narrative)
Week 7 class 13 Oral Presentation
· hand in assignment 5
class 14 Oral Presentation
Week 8 class 15 Setting up a scene, dialogue, characters, setting
· (choose partner for) Writing original scenes
class 16 Analyzing scenes and sequences
· Graded assignment [1]: write an original group scene
Week 9 class 17 loglines and synopsis
class 18 * present graded assignment [1] in class
* Graded assignment [2]: write Log & 1 page synopsis of your script
NO MAKE UP DAY, OCT 28 (view a film)
Week 10 NO CLASS WEDNESDAY, NOV 1
class 19 treatments, scene by scene Outline hand in graded assignment 2
· Graded assignment [3]: write 4 page treatment for your script.
Week 11 class 20 writing: montage, Intercuts, series of shots, vertical writing
· hand in graded assignment 8
class 21 discussion of projects; your first scene preparation
· Graded assignment [4]: scene-by-scene outline of your script
Week 12 class 22 Critique and feedback session on projects
· hand in graded assignment 4
· Graded assignment [5]: first draft of your opening 2 pages
NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING
Week 13 class 23 Present and discuss your opening 2 pages
· Hand in graded assignment 5. (first draft of first 2 pages)
class 24 Present and discuss your opening 2 pages
· Graded assignment [6]: first draft of climax and resolution
Week 14 class 25 Present and discuss the climax and resolution of your script
* Hand in graded assignment 6
Class 26 Present and discuss the climax and resolution of your script
FINAL EXAM TBA