CW302-30 Advanced Screenwriting
Introductory description
CW302-30 Advanced Screenwriting
Module aims
The module is aimed at finalist students who must have already completed the Screenwriting module or have equivalent level of experience (consultation with LB). The course will develop students’ existing screenwriting practice in new ways that equip them with industry-facing skills in script writing for TV and web series.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Autumn Term – Writing for Continuing TV Series
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: TV Series - The Concept aka Catching the Big Fish
Week 3: TV Series - Series Structure
Week 4: TV Series – Episode Structure I
Week 5: TV Series - Episode Structure II
Week 6: Reading Week
Week 7: TV Series – Character and Conflict
Week 8: TV Series - The Spec Script - A Close look at The Wire
Week 9: TV Series – Developing your Story and Treatment
Week 10: Guest lecture by TV Professional/Field trip to a working studio
Spring Term: Writing for Web and Games
Week 1: TV Series –Drama/ A Close Look at Breaking Bad
Week 2: TV Series –Drama/A Close Look at Six Feet Under
Week 3: TV Series – Literary adaptations/A Close Look at The Handmaid’s Tale
Week 4: TV Series - Sitcom/A Close Look at Sex and The City
Week 5: TV Series – Sitcom/ A Close Look at People Just Do Nothing
Week 6: Reading week
Week 7: Web - Introduction and the evolution of the Web Series – A Close Look at F To the 7th
Week 8: Web - Subverting stereotypes – A Close Look at The Mis-Adventures of an Awkward Black Girl
Week 9: Guest lecture by Web Professional/Field trip to a working studio
Week 10: Student presentations of their TV or web series idea for critique
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- A strong understanding of the complex differences in writing for television and web
- A knowledge of the process of film, TV and content production – and the varying role of the writer in these industries
- Critical understanding of screenwriting in relation to TV and web will have been enhanced,
Indicative reading list
Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity, by David Lynch
TV Writer's Workbook, Ellen Sandler Publisher: Delta
Writing the TV Drama Series 3rd Edition: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV, Pamela
Douglas, Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions
Crafty TV Writing: Thinking Inside the Box Alex Epstein Publisher: Owl Books
The Calling Card Script: A Writer's Toolbox for Screen, Stage and Radio Paul Ashton Publisher: A &
C Black Publishers Ltd
Writing Great Screenplays for Film and TV Dona Cooper Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Co, U.S.
Into the Woods, John Yorke London: Penguin Books
Story, Robert McKee London: Methuen
Alternative scriptwriting, Dancyger & Oxford: Focal Press Rush
TV Shows
-Breaking Bad by Vince Gilligan (episodes 1-2)
-Six Feet Under by Alan Ball (pilot)
-The Wire by David Simon and Edward Burns (episodes 1-2)
-Sex and the City by Michael Patrick King, based on the novel by Candice Bushell
-The Handmaid’s Tale by Ilene Chaiken, based on the novel by Margaret Atwood
-People Just Do Nothing by Allan Mustafa and Steve Stamps
Web Series
-The Mis-Adventures of an Awkward Black Girl
-F To The 7th by Ingrid Jungerman
Subject specific skills
No subject specific skills defined for this module.
Transferable skills
No transferable skills defined for this module.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 18 sessions of 1 hour 30 minutes (9%) |
| Fieldwork | 40 sessions of 1 hour (13%) |
| External visits | 1 session of (0%) |
| Private study | 233 hours (78%) |
| Total | 300 hours |
Private study description
233 hours of private study
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
|||
| Script Writing | 100% | Yes (extension) | |
|
7000 word script/script excerpt for a continuing TV drama, web series or film plus 2000 word treatment and 1000 word critical document |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
In workshop critique; individual consultation with tutor; email; Tabula
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 3 of UENA-QP36 Undergraduate English Literature and Creative Writing
- Year 4 of UENA-QP37 Undergraduate English Literature and Creative Writing with Intercalated Year
This module is Option list A for:
- Year 3 of UCXA-QQ37 Undergraduate Classics and English
This module is Option list C for:
- Year 3 of UPHA-VQ72 Undergraduate Philosophy and Literature
- Year 4 of UPHA-VQ73 Undergraduate Philosophy and Literature with Intercalated Year