57142 Writing for the Screen

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular semester, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Handbook description

This subject offers postgraduate students the opportunity to develop advanced skills in writing for the screen. Students can develop short or long-form drama or animation. Students develop an idea through industry-accepted stages of development and formats and through workshops with professional actors. Students gain skills in research, visualisation, structuring, storytelling and character development. Students also improve their ability to read, develop and script-edit their own work and the work of their colleagues.

Subject objectives/outcomes

At the conclusion of this subject students are expected to be able to:

1. develop a screenplay through researching an idea, pitching, writing an outline and/or step outline and then developing a screenplay
2. understand the three-act dramatic structure as well as alternative approaches to dramatic structure
3. present their work in industry standard screenplay formats
4. understand scene and sequence structure
5. understand subtext and sub plots
6. critique and script edit their own work and that of their colleagues.

Contribution to course aims and graduate attributes

This subject contributes to postgraduate students' professional capacity to write creatively for the screen. It contributes to students' intellectual capacity to critique as creative and critically informed communications professionals and it contributes to students' personal capacity to organise and manage their own work. It contributes to students' intellectual and professional capacity to use Australian cultural traditions, industries and institutions and develops their understanding of the global nature of the screenwriting industry.

Teaching and learning strategies

• Students learn how to understand the language of screenwriting through viewing and analysing both short and long form drama and animation, and through studying screenplays.
• Students learn how to structure and develop a screenplay through the process of researching an idea, pitching it and developing step outline and script.
• Students learn how to appreciate and analyse the use of subtext through scene analysis and through viewing and analysing key scenes and sequences.
• Students develop their writing style through in-class writing exercises, designed to enhance their awareness of style, dramatic tension and the ability to evoke time and space.
• Pitching sessions are designed to sharpen students' skills in both pitching ideas verbally and critiquing the work of others.
• The workshops with actors are designed to give students the opportunity to hear their work read under optimum circumstances and to understand the creative role performance plays in realising a work for the screen. Key emotional scenes for long form drama or first draft short scripts will be workshopped.
• Students are advised to watch as many films and read as many original screenplays as they can. The library contains a rich and varied selection of films and screenplays for both film and television.

Content

The main focus of this subject is on developing screenwriting craft skills for both long and short form drama. Students have the opportunity to analyse, debate and explore different approaches to the screenwriting craft at the same time as engaging in a creative development process of their own supported by the lecturer and their classmates.

Assessment

Assessment Item 1: Synopsis and Outline/Treatment

Assessment Item 2: Script/Step Outline

Assessment Item 3: The Screenplay

Minimum requirements

Since class discussion and participation in activities form an integral part of this subject, you are expected to attend, arrive punctually and actively participate in classes. If you experience difficulties meeting this requirement, please contact your lecturer. Students who have a reason for extended absence (e.g., illness) may be required to complete additional work to ensure they achieve the subject objectives.

Attendance is important in this subject because it is based on a collaborative approach which involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor. An attendance roll will be taken at each class. Where possible, students should advise the tutor in a timely manner if they are unable to attend.

Students who fail to attend 85% of classes will be refused to have their final assessment marked (see Rule 3.8).

Required texts

All readings posted on UTS Online

Recommended texts

See References

References

Aronson, L. 2000 Scriptwriting Updated: New and Conventional Ways of Writing for the Screen. Australian Film Television & Radio School ; Allen & Unwin. Sydney

Carriere, J. C. 1994 The Secret Language of Film , Pantheon Books, New York

Dancyger, K. and Rush, J. 1995 Alternative Scriptwriting, Focal Press, Boston

Dancyger, K. 2001 Global Scriptwriting Focal press, Boston

Hillis, R. Cole 1983-1988 The complete guide to standard script formats CMC Publishing, North Hollywood, California

Ondaatje, M. 2002 The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing film, Vintage Canada, Toronto.

Lucey, P. 1996 Story Sense: Writing story and script for feature films and television McGraw-Hill, New York

McKee, R. 1998 Story - Substance, structure and style and the principals of screenwriting, Methuen, London

Murphy, J.J. 2007 Me and You and Memento and Fargo: How Independent screenplays work Continuum, New York

Seger, L. 1994 Making A Good Script Great, Samuel French Trade, Hollywood

Stempel,T. 1982 Screenwriting Tantivy Press, London

Thompson, D. and Christi, I ed (1989) Scorsese on Scorsese, Faber and Faber, London

Trottier, D. 2010 The Screenwriters Bible, Silman-James Press,

Truffaut, F. 1984 Hitchcock Dialogue between Truffaut and Hitchcock, Simon and Schuster, New York

Wells, P. 2007 Basics Animation AVA Academia, Lausanne, Switzerland

Ward, V. 1990 Edge Of The Earth - Stories and Images from the Antipodes, Heinemann Reed, Auckland new Zealand.

Other resources

Screenplay formatting

Free screenwriting software is available for both Mac and PCs on the web at www.celtx.com

Library
All screenwriting students may borrow films on DVD or VHS from Closed Reserve in the library. See HOW TO USE THE UTS Library in the Readings. The library also holds a large collection of screenplays. These collections are constantly being updated.