Brief description

To introduce students to the conventions and disciplines of film and tv scriptwriting: to create an awareness of the processes of script production and the factors affecting development from proposal to submitted script.

Learning Outcomes:

Typically, on completion of this module, the student will be able:

to build an effective screen narrative containing the following elements; the creation of the world of the story, character depiction
through action and dialogue, focussed scene structure, plot complexity and appropriate use of time and location.
to demonstrate knowledge of the processes of script development as a creative activity within the context of current film and television production practices.
to originate, research and communicate an initial concept, outlining its probable development with regard to genre and target audience.

Content

The process: script development from idea to screen; What makes a good script? An analysis of the essential elements with reference to examples in film and television; Creation of character: plot, narrative complexity, dialogue; Creation of the world of the script; Writing exercises based on these; Exploration of genre ? different opportunities, different styles of screenwriting; Conventions of layout and format; The writer and the law; Pitching your script; Revision of drafts.
to observe the legal and contractual requirements that pertain to scripts written for transmission/broadcast.
to use the experience of creating a script to inform her/his analyses of screen texts.
to apply his/her knowledge of screen texts to the problems confronted during the process of scriptwriting.
to increase her/his capacity to use language effectively and appropriately in a variety of dramatic situations.

Content

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5