COURSE SYLLABUS
FILM 2217-2: Fundamentals of
Story Development
COURSE
INFORMATION
Course
Time: Mondays & Wednesdays, 12:00-1:45 pm
Course
Location: The Film School, Lab 1
INSTRUCTOR
INFORMATION
Professor: Kent
Kirkpatrick
Office
Location: The Film School - #201
Office
Hours: by appointment
Office
Phone: n/a
Other
Phone: (505) 660-1284 (mobile)
TEXTBOOKS
AND MATERIALS
❏
WRITING FOR VISUAL MEDIA, by Anthony Friedmann (Focal
Press) (also available on Kindle)
❏
INVISIBLE INK, by Brian McDonald (Libertary) (also
available on Kindle)
❏
JUNO: THE SHOOTING SCRIPT, by Diablo Cody (Newmarket
Press)
❏
(opt.) MASTERING CELTX, by Terry Borst (Course
Technology) (also available on Kindle)
❏
blank notebook and pens for in-class writing
assignments
COURSE DESCRIPTION
An
ill-crafted story dulls the impact of even the best special effects,
animations, and motion capture technology. Productions need solid story
concepts and screenplays to ensure their success. In this initial course on
story development, students have the opportunity to gain hands-on practice in
all phases of concept development, narrative design, and scriptwriting for
film, television, and online content through lectures, demonstrations, and
projects.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
❏ Students demonstrate
competency in using essential screenwriting authoring tools.
❏ Students
produce one or more screenplays using the industry-standard two-column format
into a coherent narrative.
❏ Students
produce one or more screenplays using the industry-standard master scene format
while creating a coherent narrative.
❏ Students
assess both their own and their peers’ work in a supportive and encouraging
fashion.
❏ Students develop
understanding of the 3-act dramatic structure through guided analysis of
screenplays and produced media works.
OBJECTIVES
To learn the fundamentals
of story development. Essential to story development, of course, is the
art and craft of writing a screenplay. We'll examine what screenwriting and
scriptwriting is (and isn't); the essential elements and building blocks of a
screenplay; some of the common jargon associated with screenwriting and
screenplays; how to use various digital tools for composing scripts and
script-related documents; and how to conceptualize and then compose a
recognizable script or screenplay for almost any kind of purpose, medium and
platform.While the art of screenwriting is elusive, the craft of screenwriting is learnable. If you successfully complete this course, you will:
❏
develop a professional screenwriting/scriptwriting
vocabulary, and recognize the uses of (and difference between) the audio-visual
script format and the master scene script format
❏
develop methodologies for creating concepts and developing
scripts
❏
know how to better identify, analyze and address the
strengths and weaknesses of any script or screenplay
❏
know how to compose a basic script outline
❏
know how to compose a script or screenplay for almost any
kind of project (films, documentaries, corporate and training videos, ads,
PSAs, etc.)
❏
be proficient in using Final Draft and Celtx
GRADING CRITERIA
|
Project
Assignments
|
45%
|
|
Midterm
Exam
|
5%
|
|
Final
Project
|
20%
|
|
Attendance/Participation
|
30%
|
Typically, I evaluate assignments on a “credit” basis,
"point" basis, or “rubric” basis, rather than a letter-grade
basis. For example, an assignment might be worth 100 points, and a
student may earn 80 points on it, based on assessable criteria distributed at
the time of the assignment. Other assignments are evaluated purely on a
credit/no-credit basis. And other assignments (often the culmination of lead-up
assignments) will be evaluated using a rubric.
All assignments are aggregated at the end of the
semester, along with your attendance and participation: this, along with the
weighting described above, will result in your final letter grade.
Some assignments are in-class assignments only, and
these cannot be made up: they may include workshop participation
assignments and other assignments based on in-class lecture and discussion
sessions.
The percentage basis for final letter grades:
95-100=A; 90-94=A-; 87-89=B+; 83-86=B; 80-82=B-; 77-79=C+; 73-76=C; 70-73=C-;
61-69=D; anything below a 60=F.
An
"A" is defined as "excellent." You are not
automatically entitled to an "A" because you completed all
assignments on time. Excellence is always a rare thing.
A = Exceptional
mastery of the subject studied.
B =
Above-average mastery of the subject studied.
C =
Completion of all the required coursework with sufficient mastery.
D = Minimal completion of work with below
average mastery.
I will always be happy to review individual assignment
evaluations with you, and discuss your current course progress as a whole.
You will be
completing dozens of assignments, large and small, in this class. You may
achieve consistently excellent scores throughout the semester, and it will be
easy for you to gauge your progress and final evaluation. However, you
may achieve some good scores and some "average" scores in the course
of the semester. Check with me if you're unsure about your
progress: don't make assumptions that may be grossly inaccurate.
In the
unfortunate event that a student may have an overall grade average of F and fails the course, there is no
opportunity to make up course work or recourse to change grades once they are
filed with the registrar.
DELIVERY AND FORMAT OF ASSIGNMENTS
Most assignments will be electronically
delivered: I'll explain our various delivery methods throughout the
semester. Many assignments will also require a hard copy delivery:
when in doubt, print your assignment as well. Different assignments will
require different kinds of formatting; this will be discussed throughout the
semester. Always make sure your
name is embedded somewhere in your assignment.
Assignments should be spell-checked and proofread;
sloppy work will always be reflected in grading and scoring. Handwritten
submissions are never accepted.
CLASS
ATTENDANCE
Very simply: be here. On time. Most
lectures and demonstrations cannot be made up. Even more important is the
regular intellectual engagement with your fellow students and your
professor. Students are required to attend every class and are expected
to be in the classroom when class starts. Attendance (a prerequisite for
participation) is a key part of your final grade. More than 3 unexcused absences may result in an "F" for the
course.
Excused Absences - Definition
A student may become unable to attend classes for a
either a short or extended period of time due to illness, other medical
situations, judicial proceedings, or family emergency. If you know about an
upcoming absence that fits these parameters, please inform your instructor(s).
You can make arrangements regarding doctor’s notes and making up missed work
directly with the instructor(s).
On rare occasions, an instructor may provide an
excused absence for other reasons; this needs to be discussed with the
instructor in advance of the absence.
Unexcused Absences
All other absences are considered unexcused, even when
you notify your instructor in advance of an absence. Internships and production
work are not “get out of jail” cards for unexcused absences. Internships and
production work need to be scheduled around your class meetings, not the
reverse.
Film School Policy: Class Attendance
More than 3 unexcused absences is considered grounds
for a non-passing grade in a class. An unexcused absence in the first half of
the semester will typically trigger an Early Alert filed with the student's
academic advisor.
Tardiness
The film and television industries are predicated on
professionalism, which includes being on time for all scheduled activities.
Your instructor will track late entries into class, and 3 “tardies” may be
counted as a single absence. 5 minutes late is considered “tardy” Your
instructor will take timeliness into account for all final grades.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
A substantial number of assignments will not be
accepted as “late”, and no makeup or “extra credit” is possible. Some of these
assignments are completed in class; others require a scheduled discussion and
become moot after the discussion.
Some assignments will be accepted late up until their
return to students (but with the review score docked, typically by 10%); others
will not be accepted late. I'll always let you know when assignments will
not be accepted as late. But when
in doubt, assume the worst case scenario:
that the assignment will not be accepted late.
INCOMPLETES
Not in this class. (Incapacitating health
reasons might rate an exception.)
ONLINE
ACCESS TO ASSIGNMENTS AND HANDOUTS
I've set up the following website for online access to
our assignments, handouts, and other announcements: http://film2217-2.blogspot.com
ELECTRONIC DEVICES - USE IN CLASS
Cell phones and other personal communication or
entertainment devices are to be silenced or turned off, and not used or displayed
during the class period.
ACCOMMODATING
SPECIAL NEEDS
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities
Act, Santa Fe University of Art and Design makes every effort to provide
appropriate accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students
may receive these accommodations if they contact their professor and register
with Laura Nunnelly, Director of Student Affairs, at 505-473-6176
(laura.nunnelly@santafeuniversity.edu).
ETHICS/ACADEMIC
INTEGRITY
Students are expected to exhibit academic honesty in
the completion of all course assignments, exams, and activities. Cheating,
fabrication, and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Incidences of academic
dishonesty will be dealt with according to the Santa Fe University of Art and
Design policy on academic integrity.
Santa Fe
University of Art and Design values academic integrity. It is the policy of our
university to foster creative and academic work that is both original and based
on fundamental principles of academic integrity. If a student’s writing or
other creative projects use the work of someone else, that use must be formally
acknowledged. When taking information or quotes from other authors and
incorporating that material into a writing assignment, students must
acknowledge the source and authorship of the material they borrow by properly
citing it using Modern Language Association (MLA) standards. Similarly, when
students’ creative projects incorporate other artists’ ideas, or any visual,
electronic, audio, or other creative content, they must acknowledge and give
credit to those artists according to discipline-specific guidelines. It is the
responsibility of the student to understand and adhere to this university
policy, follow prescribed guidelines, and understand the consequences of violating
the policy. Enrollment in this university assumes a commitment to upholding the
principles of academic integrity. The complete policy on academic
integrity, including penalties for violations of policy and processes for
appeal, is available for review in the Student Handbook and Academic Catalog.
*There
may be occasions where a project completed in a previous class may serve as a
springboard for new work in this class. If this is the case, you need to let me
know right away -- faculty across departments talk to each other, and your
being upfront about the connection between 1) previous assignments in other
classes and 2) a current assignment is essential, so there is no confusion
about “double dipping” on an assignment.
EMERGENCY
CLASS CANCELLATION
If an emergency arises in which class must be
cancelled, a note will be posted on the classroom door informing students of
the cancellation and related information. If a cancellation notice is not
posted, students are expected to remain in the classroom until dismissed by a
University representative. In the event of severe weather, students should
listen to local radio/television announcements for information AND check the
Santa Fe University website: www.santafeuniversity.edu. If the
University is open, students are expected to attend class.
The
syllabus and schedule may change. I reserve the right to change both
syllabus and schedule if necessary. If you maintain a paper copy of the
syllabus, bring it to class with you each week, in case we need to make
changes. I'll notify you if there are significant changes made to either
syllabus or schedule.
Course Schedule Plan (overview)
Week 1 & 2 Challenges
of visual writing & creative concepts
Week 3 Stages
of script development
Week 4 Describing
sight and sound
Week 5 & 6 Documentary
and non-fiction narrative
Week 7 Master
Scene format
Week 8 Dramatic
structure + mid-term exam and
projects
Week 9 More
dramatic Structure
Week 10 long
form scripts
Week 11 Beats,
scenes, sequences
Week 12 completing
Week 13 Workshopping
Week 14 Workshopping
Week 15 Final
Scripts
Week 16 Finals
due
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