THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF PARIS
COURSE TITLE:
The Art of Screenwriting
COURSE NO:
FM2028
PREREQUISITES:
None
SEMESTER:
Autumn
PROFESSOR:
Junker
CREDITS:
4
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Thursday
ROOM NO:
C-11
OFFICE HOURS:
OFFICE NUMBER:
OFFICE TEL EXT:
CONTACT:
TUE: 10.00am- 12.00noon; G 45
9 am - 11h55
[email protected]
06 42 41 67 67
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will explain the screenwriting process in details. The class will be centered on screenings of
specific motion pictures and the careful examination of their structure, dialogues and characters. Its main
objective is to explain how a screenplay is shaped and how its different elements work together. The
ambition of this class is first and foremost to familiarize each student with the process of writing for the
screen, its rules, its codes and its workflow.
The coursework is divided into two distinct areas of interest: 1) screenings and lectures about the theory
of screenwriting 2) creative workshop; brainstorming ideas, developing writing skills, developing a
character and an idea, writing a scene, a dialogue and finally a script for a short film.
STUDENT LEARNING GOALS:
1. To understand the screenwriting process. From an idea to a finished screenplay … how a script is
developed, fleshed out, structured and written.
2. Master the screenwriter's tools and the screenplay's workflow.
3. Creative Writing.
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TEXTBOOKS:
REQUIRED: Articles and Copies (on blackboard)
RECOMMENDED:
Making a Good Script Great by Linda Seger.
Creating Unforgettable Characters by Linda Seger.
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field.
Écrire un Scénario by Michel Chion.
Note!:
All written work must be submitted on time. Late work will be significantly downgraded.
All written work should be personal. Plagiarism will result in failing grade.
Students will be asked to submit a personal script of a short film and an oral (screenplay analysis)
presentation of a film of their choice.
GRADING: Evaluation
10% Attendance
10% First quiz (about part 1 and 2 of this course)
10% Second quiz (about part 3 and 4 of this course)
15% Final oral presentation
15% Final written screenplay of a short film
10% In-class participation (discussions, questions etc.)
10% Homework (writing excercises)
20% Final quiz (final exam)
Format and Requirements of Assignments:
1)
Format of final written short screenplay:
10 pages A4.
* You will have to turn in your final papers electronically (blackboard) as well as a print-out.
2)
Format of final oral presentation:
Power Point. 10 minutes max.
3)
Format of quizzes:
Multiple choice and short answer format.
(Final quiz will be different)
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ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students studying at The American University of Paris are expected to attend ALL scheduled
classes, and in case of absence, should contact their professors to explain the situation. It is the
student’s responsibility to be aware of any specific attendance policy that a faculty member might
have set in the course syllabus. The French Department, for example, has its own attendance
policy, and students are responsible for compliance. Academic affairs will excuse an absence for
students’ participation in study trips related to their courses.
Attendance at all exams is mandatory.
IN ALL CASES OF MISSED COURSE MEETINGS, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR COMMUNICATION
WITH THE PROFESSOR, AND FOR ARRANGING TO MAKE UP MISSED WORK, RESTS SOLELY
WITH THE STUDENT.
Whether an absence is excused or not is ALWAYS up to the discretion of the professor or the
department. Unexcused absences can result in a low or failing participation grade. In the case of
excessive absences, it is up to the professor or the department to decide if the student will receive an “F”
for the course. An instructor may recommend that a student withdraws, if absences have made it
impossible to continue in the course at a satisfactory level.
Students must be mindful of this policy when making their travel arrangements, and especially during the
Drop/Add and Exam Periods.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY STATEMENT: As an anglophone university, The American
University of Paris is strongly committed to effective English language mastery at the undergraduate
level. Most courses require scholarly research and formal written and oral presentations in English, and
AUP students are expected to strive to achieve excellence in these domains as part of their course work.
To that end, professors include English proficiency among the criteria in student evaluation, often
referring students to the university Writing Lab where they may obtain help on specific academic
assignments. Proficiency in English is monitored at various points throughout the student's academic
career, most notably during the admissions and advising processes, while the student is completing
general education requirements, and during the accomplishment of degree program courses and senior
theses.
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OUTLINE/ Tentative Schedule:
1. Week - September 12th:
1. Course Introduction & Syllabus.
1) Warm up: Self-introductions and presentation of our class goals.
Theoretical part. Practical part. Homework, assignments and evaluation.
Oral presentations.
2) Theoretical Part: Screening of my dipoma film little miss perfect.
Overview: First idea, research, get the characters right, plot, synopsis, exposé, treatment, apply for grants,
how the screenplay changed for the shooting, how the story changed while editing.
3) Practical part: Brainstorming. How to get ideas? Clusters. How to research?
Homework: Create 5 different clusters for the theme of a short film. How would you research it?
Reading Article: What a Screenplay Isn't. Full text available by: Rodman, Howard. Cinema Journal.
Winter2006, Vol. 45 Issue 2, p86-89. 4p.
2. Week – September 19th:
2.Part 1: Introduction to screenwriting- terms and definitions.
1) Warm up: Talk about: What a Screenplay Isn't. by Rodman, Howard.
2) Theoretical Part: Screening: Chungking Express by Wong Kar Wai
Based on: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO TEACHING SCREENWRITING. Full text available By: Cordaiy,
Hunter. Australian Screen Education. Spring2002, Issue 30, p92. 5p.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is the story about? What is the difference between storyline and premise?
Script – Vision.
Discover the Core Premise of the Story.
The elevator pitch. Plot.
3) Practical Part: How to tell a storyline. Game to tell a storyline. What is the premise and what is the plot
of our story? Do we need to define it before or after?
Homework:
Write a storyline. Write your premise. Write an elevator pitch. Write a plot.
Reading Article: The Screenplay, Imagism, and Modern Aesthetics. Full text available By: Boon, Kevin
Alexander. Literature Film Quarterly. 2008, Vol. 36 Issue 4, p259-271. 13p.
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3.Week - September 26th:
3. Part 1: Introduction to screenwriting- terms and definitions.
1) Warm up: Talk about: The Screenplay, Imagism, and Modern Aesthetics by Boon, Kevin Alexander.
2) Theoretical Part: Screening: Chinatown by Roman Polanski
Based on: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO TEACHING SCREENWRITING. Full text available By: Cordaiy,
Hunter. Australian Screen Education. Spring2002, Issue 30, p92. 5p.
1. Repeat: storyline-premise-pitch-plot.
2. What is the genre of the story? What is the destination of the story? What is a Genre?
3. Describe the characters and their aspirations. What is a character?
4. Extend the Core Premise into a storyline. What is a synopsis? What is an exposé?
5. What is a treatment? What is a screenplay?
3) Practical Part: Write down a short text about something or somebody that touched you in the last
week. Work on your text: First: collect ideas. Clusters. Then: Organise.
Where to begin, Where to end?
Homework: Work on your story.
Reading Article: An Interview with Richard Linklater. Full text available by: Bozelka, Kevin John.
Velvet Light Trap: A Critical Journal of Film & Television. Spring2008, Issue 61, p51-56. 6p.
4. Week - October 3rd:
4. Part 2: Creating Characters.
1) Warm up: Talk about: An Interview with Richard Linklater.
2) Theoretical Part: Screening: Waking Life by Richard Linklater.
Based on: Linda Seger/ Creating Unforgettable Characters.
// 1. Oral presentation of students: Characters Part1
1. Research.
2. What is a multi-dimensional character.
3. Backstory of your character.
4. Psychology of your character.
5. Relations between different characters.
3) Practical Part:
A. Interview each other: find out what had brought the interviewee to this particular point in their life. Ask
them what they like. What they don't like.
B. Create a character. Think of a biography of the character.
C. Interview each other again with your created character.
Homework: Create two characters and think about what's the relation between the both of them.
Reading: Coppola D. Bringing Historical Characters to Life: An Interview with Stephen J. Rivele.
Cineaste [serial online]. Spring2002 2002;27(2):16-19. Available from: Academic Search Complete,
Ipswich, MA. Accessed August 16, 2013.
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5. Week - October 10th:
5. Part 2: Creating Characters.
1) Warm up: Talk about:
Coppola D. Bringing Historical Characters to Life: An Interview with Stephen J. Rivele.
2) Theorectical Part: Screening: Malcom X by Spike Lee
Based on: Linda Seger/ Creating Unforgettable Characters
//2. Oral presentation of students: Characters Part 2
1. Minor Character.
2. Dialogues.
3. Fictional characters.
4. Stereotypes.
5. How to solve problems with your character.
3) Practical Part: Write dialogues between two characters. What is the situation? Improvisation.
Homework: Write a dialogue between your two characters.
Reading: Words and Images: A Conversation with Hou Hsiano-hsien and Chu T'ien-wen. Full text
available by: Michael, Berry. Positions. Winter2003, Vol. 11 Issue 3, p675-716. 42p.
6. Week - October 17th
6. Part 3: Structure of a screenplay.
1) Warm up: Talk about: Words and Images: A Conversation with Hou Hsiano-hsien and Chu T'ien-wen.
2) Theoretical Part: Screening: Flight of the red balloon by Hou Hsioau Hsien.
Based on Syd Field: The Foundations of Screenwriting and Linda Seger: Making a Good Script Great.
// 3. Oral presentation of students: Three act structure.
1. Three act structure: What is a screenplay.
2. Endings beginnings.
3. Setting up the story.
4. Two incidents.
5. Plot points.
6. The scene. (Information. Action. Atmosphere. Action. Emotion.)
7. The sequence.
8. Building up the storyline.
9. Screenplay form.
10. Writing the screenplay/Softwares ( who wants to present their's next week)
3) Practical part: What is a scene? What is a conflict? What is the turning point of a scene?
Improvisation.
Homework: Write a scene with a turning point.
Reading: Article: From Hollywood to Tokyo: Resolving a Tension in Contemporary Narrative Cinema.
Full text available by: Davis, Robert; De los Rios, Riccardo. Film Criticism. Fall/Winter2006, Vol. 31
Issue 1/2, p157-172. 16p.
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7. Week - October 24th
7. Part 3: Structure of a screenplay.
1) Warm up: Talk about: From Hollywood to Tokyo: Resolving a Tension in Contemporary Narrative Cinema.
2) Theoretical Part: Screening: Star Wars by George Lucas.
Based on Linda Seger: Making a Good Script Great.
// 4. Oral presentation of students: Hero's journey.
1. Create a mythos and archetypes.
2. Example: Odysee Aristoteles.
3. Example: Fairy tales.
3) Practical Part: Write a mythos. Game.
Homework: Write a small fairy tale from your everyday life.
Prepare for quiz part 1 and 2.
30th of October- 1st of November (Wednesday- Friday)
Fall break (no classes)
10. Week - November 7th:
9. Part 4: Elements of a script/ methods.
1) Warm up: First Quiz: PART 1 and PART 2.
2) Theoretical Part: Screening: The Testament of Dr. Mabuse by Fritz Lang
Based on Michel Chion: Écrire un scénario.
// 5. Oral presentation of students: Elements of a script 1
1. Drama.
2. Point of View
3. Information.
4. Ellipsis.
5. Tension/surprise/suspense.
6. Anticipation.
7. “plant”.
3) Practical Part: Write a crime scene. What is suspense? Improvisation.
Homework: Write a crime scene (5 scenes) with suspense.
Reading: Narrativity and Theatricality in Rohmer's Contes moraux and Comédies et proverbes. By:
Schilling, Derek. Contemporary French & Francophone Studies. Oct2005, Vol. 9 Issue 4, p337-344.
8p.
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11. Week - November 14th:
10. Part 4: Elements of a script/ methods.
1) Warm up: Talk about: Narrativity and Theatricality in Rohmer's Contes moraux and Comédies et
proverbs.
2) Theoretical Part: Screening: Pauline à la plage by Eric Rhomer.
Based on Michel Chion: Écrire un scénario.
// 6. Oral presentation of students: Elements of a script 2
1. Red Hering – Mac Guffin and other tricks.
2. Characterise.
3. Contrast.
4. Slow-down.
5. Cesura.
6. Revision.
7. Gags.
3) Practical Part: Write a love scene with a dialogue. Improvisation.
Homework: Write a love scene with a dialogue.
Review: The great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Reading: Phillips G. The Art of Adaptation. Literature Film Quarterly [serial online]. October 2010;38
(4):326-327. Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 17, 2013.
12. Week - November 21st:
11. Part 5: Adaptation.
1) Warm up: Talk about: The Art of Adaptation. Literature Film Quarterly.
2) Theoretical Part: Screening: The Great Gatsby by Jack Clayton (director)
Based on Syd Field: The Foundations of Screenwriting/ Adaptation.
And Anka Mieth: Inspired of …
//7. Oral presentation of students: Adaptation
1) What is the storylines of the book?
2) Which storyline would you like to tell in your film?
3) What would be the premise of your film? The storyline. The Plot?
4) What would you like to keep of the original book. What would you like to change?
5) Film-Drama-Novel: different medium, different rules.
6) What can work in a film? And what doesn’t work in a drama or novel and why?
7) What can go wrong when you adapt a novel? Or a drama for a film…?
3) Practical Part: Write an imitation of a scene.
Homework: Write an imitation of a scene.
Review: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
Reading: Screenwriters on Adaptation: A Conversation with Robin Swicord. Full Text Available By:
Weinberg, Marc. Literature Film Quarterly. 2006, Vol. 34 Issue 3, p172-175. 4p. 4 Black and White
Photographs.
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13. Week - November 28th:
13. Part Case Study 1.
1) Warm Up: Quiz 2: Part 3 and Part 4
2) Theoretical part: Screening: Lost in Translation by Sofia Coppola.
Presume. Storyline. Background. Plot. Plot points. Genre. Character. What elements are used?
Your own opinion. Etc.
3) Practical Part: Write a similar scene to Lost in Translation – Same story with a change of gender.
Homework: Work on your oral presentations and your short script.
14.Week - December 5th:
15. Oral presentations /part 1.
Every student has 10 minutes time for a short presentation of a movie.
(10 students)
Hand in your final short screenplay! 5th of December.
15.Week - December 12th:
(5/07) 15. Oral presentations/part 2
Every student has 10 minutes time for a short presentation of a movie.
(10 students)
16-20 December Final exams
Screening of a short film + Quiz (theoretical part/ practical part)
2 January all grades due
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