Screenwriting (Study of Film)

I. Course Description

This one-semester course will focus on composition in film, plot, character, setting, three-act screenplay development and writing, film viewing and critiquing. Successful completion of the course will provide 5 credits of either visual arts or elective credit toward high school graduation. (Due to the richness of the course content, the course can be expanded over 2 semesters. Or, a stand-alone second semester course could be devised using the outline below but structured for the art of the TV long form format and/or the TV sitcom format.) Screenwriting (Study of Film) will fulfill the Eagle Expectations as well as the Content Standards for the Visual and Performing Arts (see attached):

• Artistic Perception
• Creative Expression
• Historical and Cultural Context
• Aesthetic Valuing
• Connections, Relationships, Applications

II. Course Objectives

Students will sharpen critical skills by examining the differences between written art and visual art. (Eagle Expectation 1: Reading across the curriculum, 2: Demonstrating reflective and critical writing, speaking and listening, 4: Completing projects using a variety of resources.) Students will understand and appreciate the art of film, explore its influence sociologically and psychologically, master the terminology of film, with the end goal of each student writing a screenplay, or one or more of the three Acts which constitute a screenplay. (Eagle Expectation 6: Identifying and defining problems, 7: Exploring options by analyzing and synthesizing information, 8: Demonstrating an awareness of ethical issues and behaviors, 9: Expressing ideas through oral, written, creative means). Students will understand the structure of film and screenwriting with an eye toward majoring in Cinema at the university level or finding entry-level positions in the entertainment industry. (Eagle Expectation 13: Establishing goals and objectives beyond graduation.) Students who attend regularly and successfully complete the course will demonstrate competency in the following content and skills areas:

A. Screenplay Writing

Students will write their own screenplay, using the following methods:

1. Explanation of a process,

2. Use of facts/examples,

3. Use of reasons.

B. Grammar

Students will use correct grammar as outlined in the District Grammar and Writing Guide.

C. Vocabulary and Spelling

Students will engage in an ongoing systematic vocabulary-spelling study.

D. Comprehensive Reading

Students will read articles from film industry periodicals, the work of film critics and screenwriting textbooks.

E. Performance Objectives

Students will:

1. Write to a deadline,

2. Conduct successful peer evaluations and editing conferences,

3. Present information that demonstrates research from a variety of sources,

4. Apply the rules of grammar, vocabulary and punctuation,

5. Critique all aspects of a screenplay, from rough to final draft.

III. Suggested Timeline

The proposed 18-week curriculum is as follows:

A. Week 1: What is a Screenplay?

1. Dramatic structure: Act 1/the Beginning, the Setup;

2. Act 2/the Middle, the Confrontation;

3. Act 3/the End, the Resolution;

4. Plot points;

5. Page count;

6. Exercise: Screen a classically structured film; break it down scene by scene

B. Week 2: What to write about?

1. Screenplay is like a noun: a person in a place doing his/her “thing”;

2. Begin to choose topic to write about;

3. Sources: newspapers, magazines, books, first-person interviews;

4. Reduce topic to a few sentences in terms of action/character arc and denouement for peer evaluation;

5. Exercise: screen selected scenes from contrasting films; compare emotional differences.

C. Week 3: How do you create your own character?

1. Learn to know your character by creating an imaginary timeline, birth to death, regardless of what portion of life will actually be in your screenplay;

2. Study how your character’s “past” reflects his/her “future”;

3. Make your character real by separating the 3 components of his/her life: professional, personal, private;

4. Exercise: screen notable character study films.

D. Week 4: the Dynamics of Sequence

1. Learn how to create a “synergy” to determine the “behavior” of your screenplay;

2. How to incorporate shots, effects, additional plot points and additional story elements to invigorate your original blueprint;

3. Finalize topic of screenplay for development.

4. Exercise: screen fast-moving action film vs. slowly developed character films to illustrate what continuously-building synergy looks like.

E. Week 5: Take your character from concept to concrete

1. Expand the process of “building” a character (POV/Point of View, Attitude, Behavior);

2. Differences between comedic and dramatic personalities;

3. Examine and analyze consistencies of character under dire circumstances;

4. Trade backgrounds with other class members’ characters, discuss how this changes the motivating factors of your screenplay;

F. Week 6: the Scene

1. How to move your story forward… how long scenes may be… the importance of time and place… how to get your script out of one scene and into the next… use of “walk and talk” scenes for dispensing background information;

2. Exterior (EXT) and Interior (INT) scenes… “covered” scenes for rainy day production shooting;

3. Flashback scenes and how they are used differently in constrasting films.

4. Shock cuts, flash cuts, flip wipes, dissolves, fades – when to use them, when not to use them.

G. Week 7: How to open your screenplay?

1. Show your character at work, at play, alone, in a crowd, driving, walking, dreaming, remembering, rejoicing, regretting?

2. Importance of first introduction to character as setting stage for further developments and audience buy-in.

3. Importance of the crucial Page 7, where you can and will lose your reader;

4. Importance of knowing ending before starting screenplay; allows consistency in building to a thoroughly developed resolution;

5. Exercise: compare the first draft of Born To Ride (produced screenplay by Janice Hickey & Michael Pardridge) to the final draft; then screen the Warner Bros. feature film.

H. Week 8: Format

1. Ongoing study and screenplay development and use of the screenwriting software program, Movie Magic Screenwriter 4.6;

2. Collaboration: writing partners with ground rules… or go solo?

3. Trouble shooting, problem solving, character development, inconsistencies in character behavior and actions; holes in plot development.

I. Week 9: How to avoid the dreaded “second act lag”

1. Analyze why and how screenplays deflate, why action stops, why the character becomes boring;

2. Re-examine crucial story components: who the main character is and what he/she wants, what the dramatic or comedic premise is, why the reader should care;

3. Detailing character consistency in behavior through both good and bad character qualities;

J. Week 10: the Ending

1. Clarify your resolution and stick to it in your writing; it is a context which holds your entire dramatic structure in place;

2. Illustrate significance in script development: “Life is like a maze of doors/and they open from the side you’re on/Just keep on pushin’ hard, boy, try as you may/you might wind up where you started from”;

3. Exercise: screen scenes to demonstrate how everything moves toward the conclusion the writer originally invented.

K. Weeks 11-13: Major Writing and Re-Writing

1. Peer evaluations of existing drafts;

2. Instructor feedback;

3. Reading, acting out loud different dialogues and character arcs for understanding and clarity;

4. Continued examination of films as transposed from page to screen.

L. Weeks 14-16: Editing the Working Draft

1. How to rewrite and, more importantly, edit, what’s developed.

M. Weeks 17-18: the Final Draft

1. Nuts and bolts of the business for the completed screenplay;

2. How to register your screenplay with the Writers Guild of America – West;

3. Harsh realities vs. Incredible successes: how to get an agent or manager… what kind of money do some writers get… how to prepare yourself for rejection… how to prepare yourself for success beyond your wildest dreams… know that writing can be its own reward, no matter what somebody else thinks of the work;

4. Learning to move on to your next screenplay.

IV. Materials to be Used (Teacher Resources only; no classroom textbook is required)

A. The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver (Syd Field, Dell Books, 1998);

B. Four Screenplays (Syd Field, Dell Books, 1994);

C. Story (Robert McKee, Regan Books, 1997);

D. Selling a Screenplay (Syd Field, Dell Books, 1989);

E. The Whole Picture (Richard Walter, Plume Books, 1997);

F. Video Hound’s Golden Movie Reviewer (Martin Connors & Jim Craddock, Visible Ink Press, 2003);

G. Selected biographies and interviews of filmmakers;

H. Industry “trade papers” dealing with moviemaking;

I. Publications of the Writers Guild of America – West.

I. Key Assignments

A. Screenplay or mastery of Acts 1, 2 or 3;

B. One Research Paper on either a selected filmmaker/industry leader, or a Research Paper comparing a work of literature with the filmed movie version;

C. Mid-term and Final Examinations (terms, screenwriting dos and don’ts, the impact of film language, violence and psychology on contemporary culture).

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	A.Nine Through Twelve - Proficient Visual and Performing Arts: Visual Arts Content Standards.
		1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTION Processing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory Information Through the Language and Skills Unique to the Visual Arts Students perceive and respond to works of art, objects in nature, events, and the environment. They also use the vocabulary of the visual arts to express their observations. Develop Perceptual Skills and Visual Arts Vocabulary 1.1 Identify and use the principles of design to discuss, analyze, and write about visual aspects in the environment and in works of art, including their own. 1.2 Describe the principles of design as used in works of art, focusing on dominance and subordination. Analyze Art Elements and Principles of Design 1.3 Research and analyze the work of an artist and write about the artist's distinctive style and its contribution to the meaning of the work. 1.4 Analyze and describe how the composition of a work of art is affected by the use of a particular principle of design. Impact of Media Choice 1.5 Analyze the material used by a given artist and describe how its use influences the meaning of the work. 1.6 Compare and contrast similar styles of works of art done in electronic media with those done with materials traditionally used in the visual arts. 2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Visual Arts Students apply artistic processes and skills, using a variety of media to communicate meaning and intent in original works of art. Skills, Processes, Materials, and Tools 2.1 Solve a visual arts problem that involves the effective use of the elements of art and the principles of design. 2.2 Prepare a portfolio of original two-and three-dimensional works of art that reflects refined craftsmanship and technical skills. 2.3 Develop and refine skill in the manipulation of digital imagery (either still or video). 2.4 Review and refine observational drawing skills. Communication and Expression Through Original Works of Art 2.5 Create an expressive composition, focusing on dominance and subordination. 2.6 Create a two or three-dimensional work of art that addresses a social issue. 3.0 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT Understanding the Historical Contributions and Cultural Dimensions of the Visual Arts Students analyze the role and development of the visual arts in past and present cultures throughout the world, noting human diversity as it relates to the visual arts and artists. Role and Development of the Visual Arts 3.1 Identify similarities and differences in the purposes of art created in selected cultures. 3.2 Identify and describe the role and influence of new technologies on contemporary works of art. Diversity of the Visual Arts 3.3 Identify and describe trends in the visual arts and discuss how the issues of time, place, and cultural influence are reflected in selected works of art. 3.4 Discuss the purposes of art in selected contemporary cultures. 4.0 AESTHETIC VALUING Responding to, Analyzing, and Making Judgments About Works in the Visual Arts Students analyze, assess, and derive meaning from works of art, including their own, according to the elements of art, the principles of design, and aesthetic qualities. Derive Meaning 4.1 Articulate how personal beliefs, cultural traditions, and current social, economic, and political contexts influence the interpretation of the meaning or message in a work of art. 4.2 Compare the ways in which the meaning of a specific work of art has been affected over time because of changes in interpretation and context. Make Informed Judgments 4.3 Formulate and support a position regarding the aesthetic value of a specific work of art and change or defend that position after considering the views of others. 4.4 Articulate the process and rationale for refining and reworking one of their own works of art. 4.5 Employ the conventions of art criticism in writing and speaking about works of art. 5.0 CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATIONS Connecting and Applying What Is Learned in the Visual Arts to Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to Careers Students apply what they learned in the visual arts across subject areas. They develop competencies and creative skills in problem solving, communication, and management of time and resources that contribute to lifelong learning and career skills. They also learn about careers in and related to the visual arts. Connections and Applications 5.1 Design an advertising campaign for a theatre or dance production held at a school, creating images that represent characters and major events in the production. 5.2 Create a work of art that communicates a cross-cultural or universal theme taken from literature or history. Visual Literacy 5.3 Compare and contrast the ways in which different media (television, newspapers, magazines) cover the same art exhibition. Career and Career-Related Skills 5.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the various skills of an artist, art critic, art historian, art collector, art gallery owner, and philosopher of art (aesthetician).

Questions:  State Board of Education | 916-319-0693