Art of the Screenplay

ENG 149A-01: WRITING FOR TELEVISION

Fall 2017

T 2:00 PM-4:50 PM Mandel G11

Instructor: Marc Weinberg

Office Hours: Rabb 226, T 5:20-6:25 PM

REQUIRED TEXT: Inside The Room by Linda Venis

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will examine how to write for television in a variety of formats, including late night, situation comedy, and episodic drama. Through a series of lectures, screenings, and readings, the elements of each genre will be analyzed. Students will be challenged and encouraged to find their own voice and find new ways to write stories within the confines of each established form. Each student will leave with a professional first draft of either a comedy or drama.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES:

· Students will gain an overall understanding of the television industry.

· Students will learn how to write for several television formats.

· Students will learn how to find their voice within the confines and rules of writing for television.

· Students will learn how to format professional scripts in several different television genres.

· Students will gain an understanding of how to write for existing shows and characters.

· Students will come to learn through their own journey and process where they might fit in as writers in the television industry and what genres they prefer to explore as writers down the road.

· Students will earn how to present themselves as professional writers

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

· All homework must be typed and include a cover page with your name, date and assignment.

· You must keep up with all readings and assigned viewings. Failure to do so will count against your grade.

· Attendance is mandatory. Two unexcused absences will result in no credit for the course.

· If you come to class more than ten minutes late, you will be considered tardy; two tardies count as one unexcused absence.

· Work must be proofread for proper formatting, grammar, spelling errors, and typos. Your work will be graded down for mistakes.

TEXT AND OTHER MATERIALS

· Required Text: Inside the Room, edited by Linda Venis.

COURSE GRADING

Your grade will be determined by the following:

· Class participation (20% of your grade).

· PSA writing assignment (20% of your grade).

· Teaser and first act (15% of your grade).

· Second set of pages (15% of your grade).

· First draft of completed teleplay (30% of your grade).

Assignments are expected on time. To prevent lost pages and avoid late submissions, please upload your work to the cloud after finishing your pages on any given day. Computer malfunction is NOT an excuse for late submission.

CELL PHONES & TEXT MESSAGING

Please turn them off before entering the classroom. If I catch you text messaging or surfing the web during class, I may ask you to leave – and it will count as an unexcused absence.

PLEASE NOTE: There may be changes to the syllabus. Please review the weekly assignment emails for the latest update.

CLASS 1 (TUESDAY, 9/5/17)

Introduction

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT:

· Read “How to Write A PSA.”

· Write the first draft of a 30 second PSA

CLASS 2 (TUESDAY, 9/12/17)

In-class read and discussion of PSA’s.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT:

· Rewrite and finalize your PSA.

· Read Inside the Room, Chapter 5.

· Read “Black-ish” script.

· Read “Teleplay format”

· Download “The Last Man on Earth” teleplay to your desktop and bring your computer to class.

CLASS 3 (TUESDAY, 9/19/17)

PSA due at the start of class.

Discuss Chapter 5.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT:

· Identify A, B, & C stories in two episodes of any show of your choiceand note the arc of each story. Identify the time of each act break. Email me your work in PDF format prior to the start of class.

· Develop two ideas for pilots. After presenting the premise of the pilot, pitch three ideas for episodes.

· Read “How to Pitch Your Pilot.”

· Download “The Last Man on Earth” teleplay to your desktop and bring your computer to class.

CLASS 4 (TUESDAY, 9/26/17)

Turn in beatsheets.

Present your pilot pitches to the class. The class will choose which pilot you will write.

Work on beatsheets for your pilot.

ASSIGNMENT DUE SUNDAY, 10/1)

· Flesh out the A, B, and, if necessary, C stories. Detail the arc of each story. Email your beat sheet to me and your teammates by no later than Sunday, 10/1.

ASSIGNMENT DUE IN 2 WEEKS (10/10):

· Read Inside the Room, Chapter 6

· Create a character sketch for each of your main characters.

· Read your teammates' beatsheets and come to class prepared to discuss their work.

· Download “How To Get Away With Murder” teleplay to your desktop and bring your computer to class

NO CLASS TUESDAY, 10/3/17

CLASS 5 (TUESDAY, 10/10/17)

Team discussion of your beatsheet.

Discuss Chapter 6.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT (10/17):

· Read Inside the Room, Chapter 7.

· Write your first scene and email it to me and the class prior to the start of next week’s class.

CLASS 6 (TUESDAY, 10/17/17)

Discuss Chapter 7.

Read first scenes.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENTS (TUESDAY, 10/24):

· Read Inside the Room, Chapter 8

· Group #1 will email me their teaser and first act in PDF format prior to the start of class.

ASSIGNMENT DUE IN 2 WEEKS (SUNDAY, 10/29):

· Group #2 will email me their teaser and first act in PDF format prior to the start of class.

ASSIGNMENT DUE IN 3 WEEKS (11/7):

· Group #3 will email me their teaser and first act in PDF format prior to the start of class.

CLASS 7 (TUESDAY, 10/24/17)

Read and discuss Group #1’s teaser and first act.

Discuss Chapter 8.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT (SUNDAY, 10/29):

· Read Inside the Room, Chapter 1

· Group #2 will email me their teaser and first act in PDF format prior to the start of class.

ASSIGNMENT DUE IN 2 WEEKS (11/7):

· Group #3 will email me their teaser and first act in PDF format prior to the start of class.

· Read Inside the Room, Chapter 2

CLASS 8 (SUNDAY, 10/29/17)

Read and discuss Group #2’s teaser and first act.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT (11/7):

· Read Inside the Room, Chapters 1 & 2

· Group #3 will email me their teaser and first act in PDF format prior to the start of class.

CLASS 9 (TUESDAY, 11/7/17)

Read and discuss Group #3’s teaser and first act.

Discuss Chapters 1 & 2.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT (11/14):

· Group #1 will email me their second set of pages in PDF format prior to the start of class.

· Read Inside the Room, Chapter 3

ASSIGNMENT DUE IN 2 WEEKS (11/21):

· Group #2 will email me their second set of pages in PDF format prior to the start of class.

· Read Inside the Room, Chapter 4

ASSIGNMENT DUE IN 3 WEEKS (11/28):

· Group #3 will email me their second set of pages in PDF format prior to the start of class.

CLASS 10 (TUESDAY, 11/14/17)

Read and discuss Group #1’s second set of pages.

Discuss Chapter 3.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT (11/21):

· Group #2 will email me their second set of pages in PDF format prior to the start of class.

· Read Inside the Room, Chapter 4

ASSIGNMENT DUE IN 2 WEEKS (11/28):

· Group #3 will email me their second set of pages in PDF format prior to the start of class.

CLASS 11 (TUESDAY, 11/21/17)

Read and discuss Group #2’s second set of pages.

Discuss Chapter 4.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT (12/5):

· Group #3 will email me their second set of pages in PDF format prior to the start of class.

· Optional read: Inside the Room, Chapters 9-12.

ASSIGNMENT DUE IN 2 WEEKS (TUESDAY, 12/5/17):

· Completed first drafts due by Tuesday, 12/5/17, at the start of class. If you would like notes on your pages, you must include a self-addressed priority stamped 10x13 envelope. DO NOT ENCLOSE MONEY INSTEAD OF STAMPS!

ASSIGNMENT DUE IN 4 WEEKS (FRIDAY, 12/22):

· IF YOU DO NOT CARE TO RECEIVE NOTES, YOU MAY EMAIL YOUR PAGES TO ME () BY FRIDAY, 12/22. IF DAWN RISES ON SATURDAY, 12/23, AND I DO NOT HAVE YOUR COMPLETE ASSIGNMENT, YOUR WORK IS LATE. YOU MUST BE AVAILABLE BY PHONE AND EMAIL FOR 48 HOURS AFTER SUBMITTING YOUR WORK SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IN THE EVENT I DON’T RECEIVE YOUR EMAIL OR CAN’T OPEN YOUR FILES. IF I AM UNABLE TO READ YOUR WORK AND CANNOT REACH YOU, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT FOR YOUR FINAL ASSIGNMENT.

CLASS 12 (TUESDAY, 11/28/17)

Read and discuss Group #3’s second set of pages.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT (TUESDAY, 12/5/17):

ASSIGNMENT DUE IN 3 WEEKS (FRIDAY, 12/22):

CLASS 13 (TUESDAY, 12/5/17)

Completed first draft due at the start of class.

ASSIGNMENT DUE FRIDAY, 12/22:

ENG 149A - Writing for Television Fall ‘17 Page 6