Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 1 x 2 hour Lecture/Practical (5 x 2 hours semester 1, 5 x 2 hours semester 2) |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Story Outline | 30% |
| Semester Assessment | Critical Appraisal | 20% |
| Semester Assessment | First Act Script | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Story Outline | 30% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Critical Appraisal | 20% |
| Supplementary Assessment | First Act Script | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate a detailed working knowledge of the story structure, and the ability to choose from and adapt various established structures
Show an ability to write concise and effective description and dialogue
Display the professional attitude required of a working scriptwriter and understand the requirements placed upon the writer in the industry
Critically evaluate choices made and the creative process leading to the completed script
Brief description
Students will explore story structure by learning techniques that expand the three-act template. They will learn the skills necessary to write effective description and dialogue in scripts, and will explore television and non-broadcast script formats. Students' previous experience of scriptwriting may be through pursuing either or both of the Level 2 scripting modules or drawing upon other experience of scriptwriting encountered through production work, for example
Content
Lecture/seminar 1
Overview of module
Review of 3-act Structure
Notes on Archetypes and the Hero's Journey
The four tools to hold audience attention
Introduction to the Sequence approach.
Lecture/seminar 2
How sequences work: an overview
Sequences and the 3-act Structure
Sequence A: exposition and point of attack
Sequence B: posing the dramatic question
Film analysis number one
Lecture/seminar 3
Sequence C: first attempts;
Sequence D: desperate measures, leading to the first culmination;
Sequence E: facing the new complication;
Sequence F: answering the dramatic question; the second culmination;
Film analysis number two.
Lecture/seminar 4
Sequence G: Unexpected consequences, a new angle
Sequence H: resolution and coda
Film analysis three
Lecture/seminar 5
Outlining techniques
Notes on character
Character and characterization: introducing the 'core quality'
Lecture/seminar 6
Review of assignments;
Scripting: description and image systems
Dialogue.
Lecture/seminar 7
Introduction to comedy writing;
What's so funny? : Why we laugh
Jokes
Writing sketches
Sitcom: the characters
Sitcom structure
Developing sitcom ideas
The sitcom script
Working in comedy: the market
Lecture/seminar 8
Introduction to soaps & serials
Settings
Characters
Storylines
Writing to a storyline
Working in serial television: the market.
Lecture/seminar 9
Writing to a brief
Where freelances find work
Broadcast writing
Non-broadcast writing: training and corporate
Pitching
Lecture/seminar 10
Script consultation and review
Agents
Final thoughts
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Communication | All assessed assignments require a high level of written communication. Lectures include segments on how to communicate effectively in these media, and the overall assessment of a piece includes assessments on how well the concept has been communicated. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Students are expected to drive their own learning and to develop their own unique creative approaches. Part of the assessment for the Script is how well students have improved the work from Outline stage. |
| Information Technology | Not assessed, although it is the Department¿s expectation that students present their work in word processed format. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Career planning is not assessed. However, it will be developed through discussion of the expectations the media places on a writer, what types of approaches to the media are construed to be professional, and what type of work is most likely to enhance the student¿s writing prospects and future employability. |
| Problem solving | This element is not assessed directly, however, all scriptwriting involves problem solving: what type of character will best convey a particular theme? What plot devices will most effectively propel the story to the next plot point? The effectiveness with which the author has solved problems is evident in the quality of the finished product. |
| Research skills | The element is not assessed directly, however all outlines and scripts involve some form of specialized knowledge that the student must research independently |
| Team work | Students will have the opportunity to access and give feedback on each other¿s work. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6