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Screenwriting

PBDS 628.085

NOTE: This is representative of the syllabi for this course. It is not necessarily the syllabus being used in any one semester.

Office Hours:

I am generally around on Mondays and Wednesday, as well as various other times during the week, but am often in meetings or otherwise occupied. If you really want to see me, please make an appointment in advance.

Required Reading

Armer, Alan A. Writing the Screenplay/2e [SCP]

Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey/2e [JRN]

Langsdale Library reserve materials [LLR]

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. Explain terminology appropriate to television and film scripts.

2. Explain the standard steps in developing a dramatic script.

3. List and explain the structure and conventions of various types of scripted dramas.

4. Develop scripts that conform to the conventions of existing television series.

5. Create effective characters.

6. Write appropriately-formatted television and film scripts.

Grades

Sitcom Episode 20%

Drama Episode 20%

Final Project 40%

Other Assignments 20%

Borderline grades will be determined by attendance, participation, and other intangibles.

Plagiarism

It is illegal and unethical to use someone else's work without properly crediting the source, whether online, print, or other. If you are not sure whether to credit a source, or to quote or paraphrase, or to use original language, please ask me in advance -- or err on the side of citing the source you are using. If I discover that you've plagiarized material for this class, I will follow the university's policy for violations of academic integrity. (See the UB Student Handbook for this policy). Under that policy, the consequences of plagiarism can include failing this course and being expelled from the university.

PBDS 628/Screenwriting

Script Packages

Sitcom

1. Choose a currently‑in‑production, prime‑time sitcom.

2. Watch several episodes in order to familiarize yourself with the show's premise, characters, plots, and other conventions.

3. Develop one original episode for that series.

4. Your package will contain reading notes, log line, outline, treatment, and one 7:00-10:00 scripted act.

Drama

1. Choose a currently‑in‑production, one‑hour prime‑time drama.

2. Watch several episodes in order to familiarize yourself with the show's premise, characters, plots, and other conventions.

3. Develop one original episode for that series.

4. Your package will contain reading notes, log line, outline, treatment, and one 10:00 scripted act.

Final Project

1. Develop an original 30:00 drama (film or television, serious or comic) that follows the stages (and contains the character archetypes) of the heroic journey.

2. Your package will contain reading notes, premise, primary character portrait, outline, treatment, and script.

Here's a brief description of the Other Assignments.

1. Read and be prepared to discuss one issue of Creative Screenwriting and one issue of Written By. (Due dates will vary.)

2. Read 50pp for the Sitcom package and 50pp for the Drama package from the writing books (not scripts) on reserve in Langsdale Library. Include your reading notes with the other materials that you submit.

3. Read and be able to discuss (by November 11 ) one of Syd Field's film analyses (PN1997.A1 F44.1994 Four Screenplays):

Terminator 2

The Silence of the Lambs

Dances With Wolves

4. Analyze one script [in addition to the five that everyone is reading]. Your written analysis (due November 25) should include the following.

A. Briefly (one short paragraph) summarize the plot.

B. Plot Structure: Identify the Conflict: what is the nature of the conflict (internal, external)? who are the players? What is the initial incident? What are the complications? What is the climax?

C. Act Analysis: In somewhat more detail, explain the plot structure of each act.

D. Scene-by-Scene Analysis: For each scene, list the location and characters, summarize the action, and explain the scene's function (i.e., how does it move the story along?). In the case of a film script, you may cluster very short scenes into unified sequences that collectively serve a function.

E. Characters: List the major characters. Do any of them change as a result of the events of the story, or do they remain the same? List the secondary characters. What function does each serve?

F. [Film Script Only] Is the script primarily dialogue- or action-driven? Explain why you think so. Would the script have been better if there were relatively more or less dialogue or action, or was the balance "ideal?" Why do you think so?

	DATE	TOPIC	READING ASSIGNMENT		WORK DUE
1	9/9	Overview
2	9/16	NO CLASS: YOM KIPPUR		Email Sitcom title
3	9/23	Tools & Terms Sitcom #1	SCP: Concept & Structure/1-36, 291-297 LLR: [Sitcom #1]		Sitcom Log Line Sitcom conventions I.D. Drama.
4	9/30	Sitcom #2	SCP: Structure/37-68 LLR: [Sitcom #2]
5	10/7	Sitcom #3	SCP: Comedy/213-242		Sitcom Outline
6	10/14	Sitcom #4	JRN: Intro/ix-34		Sitcom Treatment
7	10/21	Drama #1	SCP: Format/195-212 JRN: Archetypes #1/35-60		Sitcom Script (4 copies)
8	10/28	Drama #2 [Sitcom Wkshp]	SCP: Character/69-110 JRN: Archetypes #2/61-80 LLR: [Drama #1]		List Drama conventions. Drama Logline
8	11/4	Drama #3	SCP: Dialogue/111-164 JRN: Journey #1/81-126 LLR: [Drama #2]		Drama Outline Sitcom Script Pkg (rev)
9	11/11	Drama #4	SCP: Subtext/165-180, 291-297 JRN: Journey #2/127-180		Drama Treatment Field Analysis Discussion
10	11/18	Final #1	SCP: Adaptation/243-260 JRN: Journey #2/181-236		Drama Script (4 copies)
11	11/25	Final #2 [Drama Wkshp]	SCP: Careers/261-289 JRN: Conclusion/237-300 LLR: [Film Script]		Premise, Protagonist Portrait Script Analysis
12	12/2	Final #3			Outline Drama Script Pkg (rev)
13	12/9	Final #4	NO CLASS: Individual Conferences		Treatment
14	12/16	Final #4 [Final Wkshp?]			[Script (? copies)]
15	12/20		NO CLASS		Final Script Pkg (rev)