PELLISSIPPI STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE 
MASTER SYLLABUS

INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING
 ENGL 2670

Class Hours: 3.0

 

Credit Hours: 3.0

 

Laboratory Hours: 0.0

 

Revised: Spring 09

 

 

 

 

 

Catalog Course Description:

 

 

 

Writing of screenplays in combination with study of models and techniques.

Entry Level Standards:

 

 

 

Students should have knowledge of expository writing skills, the sort often derived from, but not exclusive to, freshman composition.

Prerequisites:

 

 

 

 ENGL 1020 or consent of instructor

Textbook(s) and Other Course Materials:

 

 

Field, Syd.  Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting.  New York:   Dell, 1994.
Hauge, Michael.  Writing Screenplays That Sell.  New York: Harper Collins, 1994.

I. Week/Unit/Topic Basis:

 

 

 

Week 

Topic

 

1

Reading: Screenplay, 7-17; WS, 1-8
Assignment(s): The Screenplay: A Paradigm of Dramatic Structure

 

2

Reading: Screenplay, 18-25; WS, 10-38
Assignment(s): Story Concept

 

3

Reading: Screenplay, 26-33; WS, 46-72
Assignment(s): Character

 

4

Reading: Screenplay, 59-72
Assignment(s): Endings and Beginnings

 

5

Reading: Screenplay, 73-94
Assignment(s): The Setup

 

6

Reading: Screenplay, 95-113
Assignment(s): The Sequence

 

7

Reading: Screenplay, 114-131
Assignment(s): The Plot Point

 

8

Reading: Screenplay, 132-156; WS, 130-162
Assignment(s): The Scene

 

9

Reading: Screenplay, 167-179
Assignment(s): Writing the Screenplay Form

 

10

Reading: Screenplay, 180-203; WS, 116-128
Assignment(s): Screenplay Form

 

11

Reading: Screenplay, 204-217
Assignment(s): Adaptation

 

12

Reading: Screenplay, 218-229
Assignment(s): Writing with Computers

 

13

Reading: Screenplay, 230-241
Assignment(s): On Collaboration

 

14

Reading: WS, 209-244
Assignment(s): Marketing the Screenplay

 

15

Final Exam Period

II. Course Objectives*:

 

 

 

A.

Understand the techniques of imaginative and pardigmatic literature and the critical approaches that clarify its nature and meaning. I.1, 4; II.1, 6

 

B.

Appreciate the quality of imagination and the discipline required to produce screenplays. I.1, 4; II.6

 

C.

Develop and expand a sensitivity to and a thoughtful attitude toward life and its experiences. II.2, 4, 5; III.3

 

D.

Strengthen the skills of writing and revising introduced in such courses as English Composition. I.1, 4, 5

 

E.

Strengthen the skills of critical reading and thinking. I.1, 4, 7 ; II.1, 6

*Roman numerals after course objectives reference TBR's general education goals.

III. Instructional Processes*: 

 

 

Students will:

 

 

 

 

1.

Collaborate in teams for peer review of drafts to analyze audience and message, to develop and organize ideas, and to evaluate drafts as to effectiveness and clarity. Communications Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

2.

Analyze and write manuscripts using word processing software and screenwriting software. Communication Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

3.

Listen to guest speakers who are published authors. Personal Development Outcome, Transitional Strategy

 

4.

Read assigned manuscripts and participate in class discussion. Communication Outcome, Humanities and/or Fine Arts Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

5.

Develop research skills using library sources and the internet to find pertinent information. Communications Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

6.

Develop oral presentation skills to present individual or group information. Communication Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

7.

Create screenplay in collaboration with Video Production Technology with view toward eventual production. Communication Outcome, Technological Literacy Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

 

8.

Internalize the work ethic by regularly attending class, being punctual, being dependable, cooperating with the teacher and other classmates, contributing to class discussion and projects, and acting in a professional manner while in class. Communication Outcome, Transitional Strategy, Active Learning Strategy

*Strategies and outcomes listed after instructional processes reference TBR’s goals for strengthening general education knowledge and skills, connecting coursework to experiences beyond the classroom, and encouraging students to take active and responsible roles in the educational process.

IV. Expectations for Student Performance*: 

 

 

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

 

1.

Identify the pardigmatic structure and features of a screenplay. A, B

 

2.

Develop a screenplay from story concept and premise. A, B, C, D, E

 

3.

Develop and build characters in a screenplay. A, B

 

4.

Identify and adapt the screenplay format. A, B, E

 

5.

Write individual scenes according to five basic principles. A, B, D, E

 

6.

Write and revise an entire screenplay by oneself or in collaboration. A, B, C, D, E

*Letters after performance expectations reference the course objectives listed above.

V. Evaluation:

 

 

 

A. Testing Procedures:

 

Fifty percent of the final grade will be based on tests and quizzes. Fifty percent of the final grade will be based on a portfolio of exercises and a completed screenplay.

 

B. Laboratory Expectations:

 

 None

 

C. Field Work:

 

 None

 

D. Other Evaluation Methods:

 

 None

VI. Policies:

 

 

 

A. Attendance Policy:

 

Attendance, promptness, and participation are essential to success in college courses.  The general attendance policy of the College states that students must be present for at least 75 percent of scheduled class meetings in order to receive credit for the course; thus, students who miss 25 percent of class meetings will fail the course.  Therefore, any student who must miss an excessive number of classes for any reason is advised to withdraw from the College under the "Mitigating Circumstances" provision as described in the PSTCC Catalog.

 

B. Academic Dishonesty:

 

Any student found engaging in an act of academic dishonesty will be promptly dismissed from the course with a grade of F.  According to the PSTCC Catalog & Handbook,
    Prohibited activities include but are not limited to the following practices:
•    Cheating, including but not limited to unauthorized assistance from material, people, or devices when taking a test, quiz, or examination; writing papers or reports; solving problems; or completing academic assignments
•    Plagiarism, including but not limited to paraphrasing, summarizing, or directly quoting published or unpublished work of another person, including online or computerized services, without proper documentation of the original source
•    Purchasing or otherwise obtaining prewritten essays, research papers, or materials prepared by another person or agency that sells term papers or other academic materials to be presented as one’s own work
•    Taking an exam for another student
•    Providing others with information and/or answers regarding exams, quizzes, homework or other classroom assignments unless explicitly authorized by the instructor
•    Any of the above occurring within the Web or distance-learning environment.

 

C. Accommodations for disabilities:

 

Students who need accommodations because of a disability, have emergency medical information to share, or need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated should inform the instructor immediately, privately after class or in her or his office. Students must present a current accommodation plan from a staff member in Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) in order to receive accommodations in this course. Services for Students with Disabilities may be contacted by going to Goins 134 or 126 or by phone: 694-6751(Voice/TTY) or 539-7153. More information is available at www.pstcc.edu/departments/swd/.