Film Writing Workshop
May Term 2006
Dr. Sean Meehan
[meehan@morningside.edu /274-5268]
May 15 – June 2
M – F: 12.30-3.30
Lewis Hall 312
Course web: http://webs.morningside.edu/meehan/writing/film/home.htm
Course Overview:
Ever walk out of a movie theater and remark, just as you toss your empty box of Sno-Caps into the trash, “I could have written that!” Here is your chance to do just that.
This May term course invites students to the experience of a film writing workshop. We will study the creative writing techniques that are effective for telling stories written specifically for film. Frequent film readings (both watching film and reading screenplays) of contemporary and classic films will inform the primary work of the course: each student will develop the ideas and initial draft for a film script. The objective of the course, in exploring this creative, very popular and potentially lucrative medium of writing in our culture, is both educational and pragmatic: to learn how films are written and to start the process of writing a screenplay that could become a film. Actually selling the screenplay to a Hollywood producer is optional—though not out of the question.
The course will be writing intensive (working through the process of developing a film script, from idea to draft to pitch), though no prior experience with a writing workshop is required. Only imagination and the need to tell a story and the desire to learn.
Course Learning Objectives:
Writers will experience an intensive writing workshop.
Writers will explore the creative process of developing a film story, from initial idea to draft and treatment of a script.
Writers will understand a range of new and conventional ways of writing for the screen and apply those techniques to their own work in progress.
Writers will develop the confidence needed not only for film writing, but for lifelong writing and learning.
Writers will do something they have never done before.
Course Text:
[available at campus bookstore]
Aronson, Linda. Screenwriting Updated: New (And conventional) Ways of Writing for the Screen (Silman-James Press, 2000).
Course Expectations and Policies:
Some crucial things you can expect from me as an educator and the leader of your experiences in the course.
Response: One of my roles is to assess your learning in the course so that I can help in that process. That means more than giving you a grade. It means giving you the response (employing a variety of methods of assessment, some with numbers, some without) that you will need to understand your own learning and thus perform in this course (and beyond it) more effectively and thoughtfully—the main objective of this and any course I teach. I understand that you may be more used to “grades” alone rather than this broader emphasis on response and qualitative assessment; feel free to talk with me whenever you feel you need a response that is more oriented toward a number.
Curiosity: I am a learner and love the process of learning; that is why I teach. This means that my curiosity for the subjects in this course and my desire to learn more about them will be part of the course and should encourage you, I would hope, to be equally curious and passionate about your learning. I will be a leader of the course but be prepared to have me follow your lead as well.
Flexibility: Since I am a learner and the course is therefore a work in progress, you should expect the course to evolve. We will follow a general syllabus with assignments given in advance; but be prepared for some changes to be made based on where we are going at a given time. You should always consult the course web page for updates. Regarding disabilities: If you have an identified disability which may impact your performance in this class, schedule an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss adaptations or accommodations which may be necessary to provide you with an equal opportunity for success in this course.
Some crucial things I will expect from you as a student (and fellow learner) in this course.
Participation: If you are going to participate more effectively and thoughtfully in your own learning (an objective of the course) you will need to participate on a daily basis. Class participation is a key component of the course and will be part of your overall grade. It involves keeping up in your journal writing, speaking and listening actively in class, being prepared for discussions. Since you can’t participate if you are absent, unexcused absences will affect your grade. An excused absence is one where you have spoken with me in advance about your need to miss class. Here is my attendance policy: Since this is an intensive course, more than one absence will affect your overall grade (see the course crubric)
Communication: Keep in touch with me about how things are going for you, difficulties you are having with your work, confusion, curiosity, excitement. Communicating how things are going is also a key part of participating thoughtfully in your own learning. My late work policy: As a rule, if you have not communicated with me in advance about turning in an assignment later than the due date, you will loose credit for that assignment. An assignment more than one week late will receive a 0.
Integrity: You can’t participate thoughtfully if you aren’t being fully honest with me, with your colleagues, and with yourself. Plagiarism is one form of dishonesty. In general, using the ideas and language of another without giving proper credit is plagiarism. Any student guilty of such plagiarism is subject to serious penalty for the assignment (failing) and for the course overall. We will talk about how to credit properly the use of another’s work as well as how to distinguish between collaboration and sharing (both of which are important in education) and plagiarism. For more on plagiarism and the policies of the College, consult the College Catalog and Student Handbook.
Progress: Throughout the course I will be looking for and assessing your progress as a way to help you make that progress. I will expect you to be striving for progress in all aspects of the course, willing and eager to do the work that progress requires.
Assessment:
[1]Rubric for how your course performance will be assessed.
Greenlight
The writer has attended all class sessions but one.
The writer has kept a notebook that reveals evidence of lateral and vertical thinking and consistent effort.
The writer has completed all required course work, both in class and take-home.
The writer contributes consistently and actively during workshop, offering constructive feedback to peers.
The writer has received a greenlight on the final treatment and pitch.
This means the studio is impressed and interested in a deal: have your people call our people!
In academic parlance, this means an A.
Yellowlight
The writer has failed to meet one or two of the categories listed above.
This means the studio is somewhat interested, but has some concerns about the project. Set up another meeting after doing som re-writing.
In academic parlance, this means B or C (depending on what is missing)
Redlight
The writer ahs failed to meet more than two of the categories listed above.
This means the studio is not interested in the project and hopes you come back next time with something more substantial.
In academic parlance, this means D or F.
[2]Rubric for how your screenplay will be assessed.
Scoring:
Characteristic is not present or problematic: 0
Characteristic is somewhat present, could be improved or developed: 1
Characteristic is clearly present: 2
Characteristic is strongly present, a strength of the screenplay: 3
_______ Characteristic #1: A Good Setup
The screenplay has the necessary elements for a good setup: protagonist, normality and disturbance, plust a problem arising out of the disturbance. [see p. 52]
_______ Quality #2: Disturbance
The screenplay has a “real but unusual” disturbance, one that involves disruption or change. [see p. 53]
_______ Characteristic #3: Action line
The screenplay has an action line or series of actions (main plot) that develop from the disturbance. [54]
_______ Characteristic #4: Relationship line
The screenplay has a relationship line (subplot) that can be distinguished from the action line. [58]
_______ Characteristic #5: Identifiable protagonist and antagonist
The screenplay has an identifiable protagonist and antagonist.
_______ Characteristic #6: First act turning point
The screenplay has a first act turning point that is an actual surprise/obstacle. [75]
_______ Characteristic #7: Second act complications and turning point
The screenplay has second act complications and a further turning point. [77]
_______ Characteristic #8: Climax
The screenplay has a climax that answers the problem posed by the first act turning point [79]
_______ Characteristic #9: Ending
The screenplay has an ending [81]
_______ Characteristic #10: Use of symbolism and myth
The screenplay uses symbolism/myth to develop ideas, themes, or relationships. [88]
_______ Characteristic #11: Effective opening scene
The screenplay has an opening scene that establishes the protagonist and his/her normality. [87]
_______ Characteristic #12: Clear and clean presentation
The writer presents the screenplay (and the pitch) clearly and cleanly, without noticeable (and unintended) errors that distract from the presentation.
Total score: ____________
Greenlight: 24-36