Course Description
Students will achieve a working awareness of the history, ethics, principles, theories, and practices associated with writing for film and television. Students will develop and complete an individualized curriculum focusing on these screenwriting issues.
Athena Title
Screenplay Craft I
Non-Traditional Format
This course will be taught 95% or more online.
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will learn to design an individualized curriculum for achieving a working awareness of the history, ethics, principles, theories and practices associated with writing for film and television. Students will write reflective response papers that explore structural, critical, or creative issues in screenwriting and their relationship to the student's own writing. Students will also learn the skills necessary to synopsize and critique feature-length screenplays.
Topical Outline
I. Surveying the history of the screenplay and the teleplay. II. Surveying film theory, narrative theory, and critical theory. III. Applying history and theory to critiquing screenplays and teleplays. IV. Writing coverage of screenplays and teleplays. V. Learning the art of synopsis and critique of screenplays and teleplays. VI. Analyzing the role of the writer on the motion picture and television production process. VII. Writing and critiquing critical response papers.