Advanced Studies in the Art of Screenwriting
TAR 582– 001
Fall 2012
Instructor: TBD
Email: TBD
Phone: (859) 572-6362(office)
Office Hours: FA 231T/TR 10 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
F11a.m. – 1 p.m.and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.or By Appointment
Prerequisites:
Students must hold a bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent education/training within their discipline. Departmental permission required.
Required Texts and Materials:
To Be Determined by the Instructor.
Course Description:
The objective of this course is for students to explore the advanced elements and techniques of film production and screenwriting. This exploration will focus on the following areas:
-Style and Form
-Advanced knowledge of camera, geography, staging,balance, timing-rhythm
-Business analysis of films and screenplays
-Role of the screenwriter and other personnel
The nature of this course demands a great deal of overlap in approaching these five areas and knowledge of them grows organically out of the work we do. The student should understand that his/her knowledge of the subject is the result of a cumulative process and not the result of an acquisition of isolated facts and skills.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1)Craft a full-length screenplay utilizing a subject or influence of the student’s choosing. The screenwriting student will be expected to produce a complete screenplay by the end of the semester. The screenplay idea/kernel must be approved by the instructor and followguidelines detailed by the instructor.
2)Conduct a research project involving one of the films viewed in class during the semester.
3)Criticize the literature (screenplays) of film and television based on a historically inclusive and holistic approach as well as defend the student’s personal growth, philosophy and overall work in the course.
Assessments – Achieving Course Outcomes
Assessment 1 – Full-Length Screenplay:
The screenwriting student will be expected to craft a complete, full-length screenplay by the end of the semester.The screenplay idea/kernel must be approved by the instructor and followindustry standards as well as guidelines detailed by the instructor in class.
Assessment 2 – Research Project:
The playwriting student will also be required to complete a research assignment focusing on one of films viewed and discussed in class. Specific project guidelines and required components will be detailed by the instructor in class.
Assessment 3 – Criticism and Defense:
The screenwriting students is expected to criticize the literature (screenplays) of the film and television industry based on a historically inclusive and holistic approach as well as defend the student’s personal growth, philosophy and overall work in the course. The student’s class participation and personal growth will determine the student's grade. A series of smaller writing assignments will be given throughout the semester, including the use of a weekly writing journal, analysis of film plot pots and timing as well asone original television or film pilot script.
Note: All homework assignments and final projects must be typed in proper screenwriting format.
Note: There will be several films viewed during this class, therefore some language, violence or sexual situations may be portrayed.
Grading Scale and Project Values
Individual point values for assessments to be determined by the instructor.Written projects will be graded on style as well as content.
-All written assignments should be typed and double-spaced.
-All screenplays should be written in proper industry format.
-Each paper and/or assignment must have a title page with the following information: Title, Your
name, Date.
Grades are based on a 100 point scale: 90 – 100 = A, 80 – 89 = B, etc.
Course Requirements
1) Attendance is required.
2) View all films shown in class.
3) Weekly participation and communication is mandatory.
4) Stay focused and on task whilekeeping up with reading assignments, projects, and papers.
5) Complete all projects and reading assignments on time.
6) Ask questions if you are confused or having problems.
7) Be willing to share your thoughts and opinions while respecting the thoughts, work and opinions of your classmates.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory.Like its cousin theatre, film and television is about BEING THERE. Therefore attendance is crucial for the successful completion of this class. Your participation, interaction, discussion, ideas and involvement are critical for our process of thinking creatively about the meaning of theatre. Please make an effort never to miss class. If it is unavoidable, you are responsible to get notes from a classmate. Participation, attendance, and preparedness will be graded.
Each student is permitted 2 unexcused absences in a T/TR class. Absences above these numbers are excused only for extreme circumstances and only at the instructor’s discretion.For each unexcused absence above the numbers noted above, the student’s final course grade is lowered by 5%.
Two tardies to a T/TR class equals one unexcused absence.Class begins precisely at 12:15 p.m. and students must sign-in to document attendance. Arriving after the sign-in sheet has been returned to the instructor results in a tardy. Forgetting to sign-in will result in an unexcused absence. Arriving more than twenty minutes late to class will also result in an unexcused absence.
Excessive absences, even if excused, will prevent a student from achieving the educational objectives of a course. For this reason, if a student is absent for 8 T R classes, as a result of excused absences prior to the last day to drop, the student may be removed from the class via faculty-initiated withdrawal. After this date, a student with this amount of excused absences will be assisted in obtaining a medical withdrawal from the course, if appropriate. If the student does not obtain this withdrawal, the appropriate attendance penalties will result in a failing grade for the course.
If you are participating in a University/Departmental function and anticipate missing a class, please provide the instructor with written notice in advance of the absence. Excuses received after the absence will be at the instructor’s discretion. Please remember to obtain doctor’s excuses for all illnesses which result in you missing a class.
Honor Code
The work you will do in this course is subject to the Student Honor Code. The
HonorCode is a commitment to the highest degree of ethical integrity in academic conduct, a
commitment that, individually and collectively, the students of NorthernKentucky University
will not lie, cheat, or plagiarize to gain an academic advantage over fellow students or avoid
academic requirements.
Plagiarism is the deceitful means to obtain a grade by submitting another’s work as one’s own
without appropriate documentation. If plagiarism is confirmed, the instructor may lower the
student’s grade or give the student a failing grade in the course. Further, the instructor may
recommend to the chairperson any additional sanctions, including suspension or expulsion from the
university. (For further details, consult the Code of Student Rights andResponsibilities distributed
by the Office of the Dean of Students)
Disability Disclosure
Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services) for this course must register with the Office of Disability Services. Contact the Office of Disability Services immediately in University Center suite 320 or call X-6373 for more information. Verification of your disability is required in the Office of Disability Services for you to receive reasonable academic accommodations. Visit the disability services website at
Course Schedule
Course schedule to be determined by the instructor.
Any and all parts of this syllabus and accompanying daily schedule are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the instructor.
By remaining enrolled in this course, the student signifies their acceptance and understanding of all policies, procedures and curriculum for this course (as expressed in the syllabus) and agree to be bound by all terms and conditions which apply.
Recommended Reading:
AB0UT WRITING TELEVISION:
TRUE BLUE "The Real Stories Behind NYPD BLUE", David Milch and Det. Bill Clark
HORIZONTAL HOLD, "The Making and Breaking of a Network Television Pilot", Daniel Paisner
LOU GRANT, "The Making of TV's Top Newspaper Drama", Douglass K. Daniel
LOVE IS ALL AROUND, "The Making of The Mary Tyler Moore Show" Robert S. Alley & Irby B. Brown
THIS... IS CBS, "A Chronicle of 60 Years", Robert Slater
THE POWERS THAT BE, "Within the Kingdom of the Media" , David Halberstam
PRIME TIME, OUR TIME, "America's Life and Times Through the Prism of Television", Donna McCrohan
INSIDE PRIME TIME, Todd Gitlin
WORKING IN SHOW BUSIINESS, "Behind the Scenes Careers in Theater, Film and Television", Lynne Rogers
ABOUT WRITING MOVIES:
THE SENSE AND SENSIBILITY SCREENPLAY AND DIARIES "Bringing Jane Austen’s Novel to Film", Emma Thompson.
SCREENPLAY "The Foundations of Screenwriting: A Step-by-Step Guide from Concept to Finished Script", Syd Field
THE SCREENWRITER'S WORKBOOK "Exercises and Step-by-Step Instruction for Creating a Successful Screenplay", Syd Field
MAKING MOVIES, Syndey Lumet
MONSTER, "Living off the Big Screen", John Gregory Dunne
AMERICAN SCREENWRITERS, "The Insiders' Look at the Art, the Craft, and the Business of Writing Movies", Karl Schanzer & Thomas Lee
Wright
WORKING IN HOLLYWOOD, "64 Professionals Talk About Moviemaking" Alexandra Brouwer and Thomas Lee Wright
SPIKE, MIKE, SLACKERS & DYKES, "A Guided Tour Across a Decade of American Independent Cinema", John Pierson
HOW TO SELL YOUR SCREENPLAY "The Real Rules of Film and Television", Carl Sautter
GETTING YOUR SCRIPT THROUGH THE HOLLYWOOD MAZE, "An Insider's Guide", Linda Stuart
HOLLYWOOD ON $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 A DAY, "The Survival Guide for Low-Budget Filmmakers", Philip Gaines and David J.
Rhodes
THE SCREENWRITING LIFE "The Dream, the Job and the Reality", Rich Whiteside
THE TOOLS OF SCREENWRITING "A Writer's Guide to the Craft and Elements of a Screenplay", David Howard and Edward Mabley
WITHOUT LYING DOWN, "Frances Marion and the Powerful Women of Early Hollywood", Cari Beauchamp
FOCUS ON BONNIE AND CLYDE, edited by John G. Cawleti