Syllabus
BRADLEY UNIVERSITY / CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY LOS ANGELESENG 407 – Screenwriting via Internet2
Professor: Thomas Palakeel (BU), Professor Stephen Rothman (CSU-LA)
Lecturers: Thomas Palakeel, Jeffrey Huberman, Nicholas Thurkettle, Ryan Saul, Assorted Guests
20 class sessions beginning Sept. 26, 2002
Tues/Thurs. – 6:10 (8:10 Central) to 7:50 (9:50 Central). Time can be changed with prior approvalStudents’ goal –
1. To learn the basics of the dramatic form and how it applies to the media of film and television.
2. To learn elements of dramatic writing including proper format, genre, narrative, character, dialogue, emotion, and visual spectacle.
3. To produce a “treatment” of a feature film (or other long-form visual narrative, such as MOW or TV pilot.
4. To produce the1st 30 pages of the script for that story in an atmosphere of both self- and peer-editing.
5. To acquire a healthy knowledge of the practical realities of a writing career in the modern entertainment business.Grading
The grading structure of the course will be designed to encourage the work ethic that is a necessity for the modern screenwriter. Given the experimental launch of this course and its highly compressed schedule, grades will likely be curved to account for the unexpected, including the possibility that we’re just plain working you too hard!The class breaks down as follows:
Attendance and Participation – 10%
Final – 40%
Credit/No Credit Assignments – 20%
Graded Assignments – 30%Writing exercises and assignments not directly connected to the final script – i.e. postings/discussion of movies and reading assignments, will be Credit/No Credit. Pass/Fail. You do them or you don’t do them. We suggest doing them.
Everything directly related to the final – from your initial idea and pitch through the outline, research paper, treatment and script pages, will be letter graded. That means that, counting the final, a total of 70% of your grade hinges upon one thing – how well you apply the lessons you learn and the feedback you receive towards the writing of your script. Everyone is their own type of writer, so you are on your own curve – you are not judged by where you are as a writer on Day 1, but we expect to see improvement and intelligent application of what you are hearing/reading/watching/taking in.
Letter grades will mean the following –
A (90-100%) – Representative of superior work above and beyond the completion of the assignment. An “A” work demonstrates, at its heart, superior craftsmanship, but above and beyond that, rewards the imaginative and the ingenious.
B (80-89%) – Effectively and skillfully completes the necessary tasks, showing thought and diligence. A “B” is something to be proud of. A writer who lurches for one “A” in this class and gets “C”’s on the rest of their work will have less of a chance of a successful career than one who steadily, reliably gets B’s.C (70-79%) – Completes the bare bones requirements of the assignment. A work that feels lacking in passion or true effort will often end up in this category.
D (60-69%) – Inadequately prepared or incomplete. The “D” work hands in something, but it was not what was asked for.
F (0-59%) – Assignment not handed in, or handed in in so rudimentary or clumsy a form as to render it unusable for its educational purpose.Assignments
Participation
Peer review postings
Class discussionsCredit/No Credit
Quick Writes (# to be determined)
Article (Mag. or Newspaper) + Story idea connected to article
Essays on 5 Movies
Responses to Books/Scripts
Notes on Untitled Short
Dialogue sceneGraded Assignments
Three Ideas
“Pitch” of final idea
Research Paper
Outline
Treatment – Draft 1
Treatment – Draft 2
Script – 30 Pages Draft 1Final
Treatment – Draft 2.5
Script – 30 Pages Draft 2CLASS SCHEDULE
Assignment deadlines italicized.
9/26 – Introduction, Meeting the Lecturers (all), Blackboard system (TP) Writing Exercises (NT). Finding and developing inspiration (NT, TP)
10/1 – Article with story idea due. Backwards & Forwards read and response posted. Assignment of peer groups and how they will work. Group communication, listening skills (JH). The Dramatic Form (JH). More Writing exercises (NT).
10/3 –The “pitch”. Social skills and body language. (NT). Pitching exercise and more writing exercises (NT)
10/8 – Three Possible Ideas due. Tootsie viewed with response posted. Discussion of Tootsie led by SR. Guest lecture – Different forms of Hollywood writing – i.e. TV pilot, MOW, etc. What are the standards and expectations of each? Which format is my story appropriate for? Writing Exercises (with time) (NT)
10/10 – “Pitching” ideas to Guests (RS/NT), accepting feedback. Assignment of research paper and specific movies to watch.
10/15 FALL BREAK-NO CLASS
10/17 – Peer review posting due – discuss each other’s pitches. The 3-act structure – how it has evolved, when to heed it, and when to not be shackled by it. (TP/RS) 1,000 ways to do it – screenwriters share their methods. (TP, NT, Guests).
10/22 – Research Paper Due. The Apartment viewed with response posted. Discussion of The Apartment led by TP. STORY – What happens is what MUST happen. (NT)
10/24 – “Someone will be spending money on this” – The physical realities of producing your script. Guest J. Todd Harris. Character – The sum of action and perception (NT).
10/29 Outline Due. The screenwriter throughout film history. (TP) Don’t get married to it – What will change from script to screen. Guest
10/31 Die Hard viewed with response posted. Discussion of Die Hard led by NT. The writer as hired gun – Filling in the blanks. Writing the “vehicle”. (Guest)
11/5 – On Directing Film read with posting due. Cinematic storytelling – The Value of Visuals (NT). Writing for your audience – why this does not make you a whore (NT/RS).
11/7 Have read Untitled Short. Guest – Blair Richwood. Giving effective story notes. Group discussion of story problems in Untitled Short.
11/12 Treatment Due. Group viewing of Butch & Sundance with discussion (TP).
11/14 Peer review posting due – discuss each other’s treatments. Unforgiven viewed with response posted. Discussion of Unforgiven led by NT. The emotional journey – how much of what the audience feels can you control? (NT)
11/19 Big read with response posted. Discussion of Big led by TP. Screenplay Format – How it has evolved and why (RS). Dialogue – The Cherry on top of a Good Story (NT).
11/21 Revised Treatment Due. Annie Hall viewed with response posted. Discussion of Annie Hall led by NT. Personal style – What is it? How do I get it? Is it a myth? (NT)
11/26 Dialogue Scene due. Guests – Student Actors from each campus. Readings of script pages – what your words tell the actors. Open discussion by all.
11/28 THANKSGIVING-NO CLASS
12/3 American Beauty read with response posted. Discussion of American Beauty led by TP. Los Angeles. The City You Must Learn to Live With – Realities of the home of Hollywood and the people you will meet. RS and Guests
12/5 Script Due. Adventures in the Screen trade read with posting due. Discussion of Adventures led by TP. So I wrote it – now what? Getting your script to someone and what happens from there (NT, RS, and GUEST – Corey Witte)
12/10 Peer review posting due – discuss each other’s scripts. Posting on individual movies due. Round-table discussion (all faculty). What discoveries have you made? How can we improve the class? What are your goals beyond this?
FINAL Revised Script and Treatment Due
Required Reading and Viewing
Required Texts
Backwards & Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays, by David Ball
On Directing Film, by David Mamet
Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman
Big by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg
American Beauty by Alan BallRequired Movies
The Apartment
Tootsie
Unforgiven
Die Hard
Annie HallRecommended Movies
Once you have presented the faculty with your story idea, you will be assigned two movies whose scripts, we feel, have something which could inspire or inform you as you bring your story to life. You will post a response to one of the two we assign you, as well as a second of your choosing (any movie that has inspired you).
Explanation of Assignments
(*Please note, the primary delivery system for assignments in this class will be via e-mail. If you are at Bradley, you will e-mail your assignments to Thomas. In Los Angeles, you will e-mail them to Nicholas. This will save confusion, as well as paper. The exceptions will be the quick writes – which, depending on your preferred medium for spontaneous writing, may be on paper – and the newspaper article, if you have clipped it instead of downloading it.)Attendance and Participation
The truly successful writer must have a work ethic. Discipline and diligence are the best weapons against distractions and mental meandering – the writer’s biggest enemies. Accordingly, attendance will figure heavily into the class. Every day has been designed (hopefully) to be a can’t-afford-to-miss-it.In addition, there will be many open discussions, both in-class and on-line. We will want to see who’s taking an active interest in the exchange of ideas. By participating in a dialogue, your knowledge can only grow, not shrink. We will also be watching your peer groups to see how actively you are picking one anothers’ brains.
Peer review postings
Students will be divided into peer groups of 3-4 students. The hope is that each group will have at least one student from Bradley and one from LA. These groups will read each other’s work (to be exchanged via Blackboard and the Internet) and post comments and advice at assigned deadlines. Each group will have an area of Blackboard to post their thoughts to each other, and are encouraged to carry on their correspondence beyond the initial postings.Students will be graded for how actively they demonstrate utilizing their peer group.
Quick Writes (# to be determined)
Quick writes will be done in class at times listed in the syllabus and either handed in in hard form or e-mailed to your instructor no later than 24 hours after the class. Unannounced quick writes may also occur. The nature of these quick writes will be announced as they occur, the better to facilitate a sense of spontaneous creation.Students may be asked to post selected quick writes on Blackboard for discussion.
Article (Mag. or Newspaper) + Story idea connected to article
Students are to bring an article from a magazine, newspaper, or other periodical, along with a short write-up (200-400 words) extrapolating a story idea from said article. That extrapolation may be as wild and tangential as your heart desires, provided that you clearly express it and how the story inspired you to it. You do not have to have the entire story mapped out, simply an indication of direction, tone, and possible main characters and major plot points. This can take whatever form best suits you – an outline, three bulleted paragraphs describing briefly the story’s three acts, or simply a short narrative setting up the story’s conflict, etc.Three Ideas
Students will turn in a collection of three write-ups (200-400 words each) of ideas which they would feel confident and enthusiastic about turning into a screenplay. At least one of these ideas must be drawn from previous classwork – i.e. quick writes and the article assignment.“Pitch” of final idea
Students will verbally present in three minutes the idea they have decided to pursue for the remainder of the term before a panel of Hollywood professionals, then receive feedback on their presentation. The “pitch” should reflect a practiced, dramatic presentation of the story the student hopes to tell.Students will be graded half on the quality of their performance, and half on their reception of the feedback provided by the executives.
Essays on 5 Movies
Students will be watching 5 required movies and 2 movies recommended specifically to their writing ideas. There will be in-class discussions of the required movies, and on Blackboard, there will be discussion areas for every movie.Students will be required to post a well-thought-out response of at least 300 words on 4 movies, broken down as follows - 2 of the 5 required movies, 1 of the 2 movies assigned to the individual students, and 1 of the students’ choosing (your chance to share with us a movie that has influenced you.)
Students will be graded on how well their responses prove that they watched the movie, as well as their level of participation in any and all discussions. Pop quizzes on discussion days will be used at the teacher’s discretion.
Essays on Books/Scripts
Students will be reading 3 required books and 2 required screenplays. There will be discussions both in-class and on Blackboard similar to the movies, and students will be required to post a response of at least 300 words to Adventures in the Screen Trade, 1 of the other 2 books, and 1 of the 2 scripts.Notes on Untitled Short
Students will be required to read Untitled Short, a first draft of a script for a short film, and prepare “notes” – written thoughts on how the script might be altered, edited, or improved. Students will present their notes in an open workshop and accept feedback over how their notes were received.As with the “pitch”, students will be graded half on the perception demonstrated in their presentation of the notes, and half on their ability to accept feedback and listen in class.
Research Paper
After the student has presented their idea, they will be assigned a topic relating to their subject for a research paper of 2000-2500 words (excluding titles, quotes, and bibliography).Students must provide a clear, concise overview of their topic. This paper will be held to English Department standards and most show works cited, proper spelling and grammar for the highest possible grade.
Outline
Student must present an outline in a clear format, consisting of 1 ½ to 3 pages, which contains the broad story sweeps of their proposed script. It can be structured in any way the student sees as most effective, but it must contain enough information for a reader to glean from it the setting, main characters, and the main actions that propel the story and change its direction from beginning to end.It is all right at this stage to not completely know how you are going to arrive at your destination – it is most important simply that you have selected a destination at this point. And like the hero in a good story, your destination may change in unexpected ways, but you’ll never know until you’ve set out for somewhere.
Students will be graded on the clarity of their ideas and how they are expressed, and will receive feedback on how they might amend their outline as they move into the next phase.
Treatment – Draft 1
Student must present the story for their film in short treatment form. The short treatment will be 5-10 pages, with all text single-spaced. Those pages can contain whatever you desire, but they must tell the story from beginning to end in a clear and dramatically interesting manner.Students will be graded on how well their treatment reflects both their outline and the input they received on it.
Treatment – Draft 2
Based on feedback from the faculty and peer group, as well as the student’s own editorial thinking, the student will present a second draft of the treatment reflecting significant change and improvement.Students will be graded on how well they incorporated feedback and found creative solutions to problems in the first treatment.
Treatment – Draft 2.5
As part of their final, along with the revised 30 pages of script, students will also turn in another draft of their treatment. Changes might be minimal or non-existent, but if changes in the story have affected the revised 30 pages, those changes must be accounted for in the larger story, and changes in the treatment will reflect this.Students will be graded on whether or not they did the work their continued editorial process required of them.
Dialogue Scene
Students will bring in a scene of dialogue from their script-in-progress, preferably of between 2-5 pages. It will be read aloud by fellow students or actors brought in to the class, followed by a discussion.Script – 30 Pages Draft 1
Based on their outline and treatment, students will turn in the first 30 pages of their script in proper screenplay format. Dialogue, stage directions, the whole works.Students will be graded on how accurately the script reflects a continuing evolution from their outline and treatment, and on the quality of their dialogue and narrative descriptions.
Script – 30 Pages Draft 2
Based on feedback from the faculty and peer group, as well as the student’s own editorial thinking, the student will present a second draft of the script pages reflecting significant change and improvement.Students will be graded on how well they incorporated feedback and found creative solutions to problems in the first pages.
And remember…
WRITING IS FUN!
If you don’t still think so after this class, you may have to consider some other line of work.