Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Other | 10 x 2 hour Practical Workshops |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Creative Portfolio (equivalent to 2500 words) | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Script: Playing time - 10 minutes | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Creative Portfolio (equivalent to 2500 words) | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Script: Playing time - 10 minutes | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
An understanding of the role of the short as a piece of entertainment, and as a statement of point of view; An ability to conceive a premise, theme and overall structural approach appropriate to teh short form film
An ability to describe their own short film's concept in a coherent and engaging manner; An ability to write an effective first draft of a short film
An ability to use their understanding of the short to effectively critique the work of others
Brief description
Students learn the skills neccessary to develop short screenplay ideas to the script stage. They learn to create and develop appropriate ideas, develop a workable theme, structure their piece, convey their ideas effectively, and write short form scripts in a manner appropriate to the industry. They also get a chance to develop their critical skills, by critiquing the work of others. Although this module features four two-hour lectures, the emphasis is placed on experience. It has been developed to offer the students the framework in which to create and develop their work, and receive feedback.
Content
1. Introduction to the short: history, short form structure vs. feature structure, approaches to the conception of the short: character and concept, theme, brainstorming , plus screenings of shorts
2. Genre and the short: generic conventions, how genres are used in the short, creating and developing ideas, finding an appropriate structure, the purpose of action in the short, the purpose of dialogue in the short, monologues and VOs, structuring exercise
3. Techniques of the short: characters in the short, visual storytelling, the role of sound, mise-en-scene, the factual short, hybrids
4. The long short (up to 40 minutes): implication for character, theme and structure. The experimental short: challeging the rules
Workshops (2 hours)
In sessions 1, 2 and 4, students will concentrate on developing their own work. For sessions 3, 5 and 6 students are assigned a partner with whom to work. Partners will not be constant, but will change with each session to allow for absences, etc.
1. Idea and Theme Workshop
2. Plotting workshop
3. Idea, Theme and Plotting Partner Feedback Session
4. Scripting Workshop
5. Scripting Partner Feedback Session
6. Script Review
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | |
| Communication | Overall assessment of each assignment includes an assessment of the quality of the student's written communication |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Student 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 Planning stage |
| Information Technology | |
| Personal Development and Career planning | |
| Problem solving | This element is not assessed directly, however all scriptwriting involves problem solving. The effectiveness with which the author has solved problems is evident in the quality of the finished product. |
| Research skills | The quality of Research plays a part in the assessment of the plan |
| Subject Specific Skills | Ability to write and develop a script from start to finish, ability to create character, ability to tell stories visually, ability to craft effective dialogue, ability to work within the conventions of a specific format (short form drama). As noted above, this module feeds into a and complements several others, especially Television Production (drama) |
| Team work |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5