JAN 205 - Screenwriting: Core Elements and Writing a First Act

Course Meeting Days & Times: MTThF, 12:00 PM-2:30 PM

PLEASE NOTE:  This hybrid course will be:

Week 1: In-person every day;

Week 2: In-person M/Th/F, Online Synchronous on Tuesday;

Week 3: In-person T/Th/F, Online Synchronous on Wednesday;

Week 4: In-person M/T/F, Online Synchronous on Thursday

Instructor(s): Manning, Chase

Email: cm23@stmarys-ca.edu

Fee: $0

Course Description:  Film. Movies. Cinema. Literature. Yes, film is literature. Someone had to write the screenplay, the words that the actors speak, after all. And film is literature worth studying. In this course, you will not only study the written screenplays behind several films, but you will also transfer what you learn from these scripts to your own creative work.

Reading and writing are inseparable. Throughout this course, you will get practice doing both. You will read and analyze produced screenplays (some of which have won Academy Awards) and write the first act of your own screenplay. And to take it a step further, Ernest Hemingway once said, “The only kind of writing is rewriting.” So you will be conducting peer review workshops and rewriting your work based on the feedback you receive.

Coursework will consist of reading responses to the assigned screenplays, writing a film review; an individual presentation (your movie pitch); peer review work; and writing the first act of your screenplay. Classes themselves will vary between lectures, group work, and seminar discussions.

Prerequisites & Notes
None

Credits: 3