schedule last updated: January 12, 2008 04:50 PM

NOTE: Schedule may be subject to change as the semester progresses.  Any changes will be announced in class and you will receive notice via the class listserv as well.

Please get in the habit of referring to this schedule online regularly.
 

• Course overview, review of syllabus, introductions
• Watch "What is a Screenplay?" portion of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop in class today (run time: 7 minutes)

• Make sure I have your email address and the last 4 digits of your social security number so I can add you to the listserv and gradebook

TOPIC:  SCREENWRITING BASICS

• Watch "How to Make It in Hollywood Before You Make It" in class today (run time: 52 minutes)

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• What is a Screenplay?
• The Plan That Creates Screenwriting Careers
• The Blatant Truth About Screenwriting
• The Forgotten Step to Screenwriting Success

• Syllabus Quiz due at the beginning of class
• Reading Quiz #1 due at the beginning of class

TOPIC: DEVELOPING A STORY IDEA

• Discussion of Story Archetypes
• Requirements for Short writing assignment #1 discussed in class today
• Begin watching an Oscar-nominated screenplay film (American Beauty) while following along with the screenplay in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Understanding What A Story Is
• A Reporter's Questions: Steps to Creating a New Story
• It's Been Done
• The Audience Is Listening

• Reading Quiz #2 due at the beginning of class

• Finish watching an Oscar-nominated screenplay film (American Beauty) while following along with the screenplay in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Mental Real Estate
• Story Molecule
• Strange Attractor
• The Premise

• Reading Quiz #3 due at the beginning of class
• Have the student information form on our class website filled out by today (you will get 5 points for filling this out by today)

• Watch "Creating Character" portion of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop in class today (run time: 22 minutes)
• Discussion of what you wrote about in short writing assignment #1
• Requirements for Short writing assignment #2 discussed in class today - begin working on it in class

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Character Development
• Designing the Characters
• How Do Screenwriters Construct Three-Dimensional Characters?
• The Secret Lives of Characters
• Raising the Marketability of a Character-Driven Story (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)

• Reading Quiz #4 due at the beginning of class
• Short Writing Assignment #1 due at the beginning of class (analysis of WHY you think the film we watched was nominated for a screenwriting award)

• Discussion of what you wrote about in short writing assignment #2
• Begin reading and analyzing an Oscar-nominated screenplay (Sideways) out loud in class in class today
• Requirements for Short writing assignment #3 discussed in class today - begin working on it in class

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Name-Dropping
• The Rubber Ducky

• Last day for those who added the class on the last day of the drop/add period to hand in the first four quizzes - others who have added the class during the drop/add period are expected to get me the quizzes by the next class meeting after you have added the class
• Short Writing Assignment #2 due at the beginning of class (Brainstorming story ideas assignment)

• Watch "Defining the Act" and "What is a Plot Point?" portions of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop in class today (run time: 5 minutes)
• Continue reading and analyzing an Oscar-nominated screenplay (Sideways) out loud in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• What is the Three Act Structure?
• The Need for Structure
• Creating Dramatic Structure for Screenplays
• Screenplay Structure and Visual Storytelling
• The Real Craft of Screenwriting
• Screenplay Structure

• Reading Quiz #5 due at the beginning of class

• Continue reading and analyzing an Oscar-nominated screenplay (Sideways) out loud in class today
• Discussion of what you wrote about in short writing assignment #3
• Work on your outlines in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Screenplay Basics
• Other Things to Think About
• How to Have Your Script Slammed Shut
• Why Scripts Get Turned Down (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)

• Reading Quiz #6 due at the beginning of class
• Short Writing Assignment #3 due at the beginning of class (Brainstorming characters assignment)

• Watch "The Treatment" portion of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop in class today (run time: 12 minutes)
• Read your outlines out loud in class
• Writing a 4-page treatment handout discussed in class today
• Sample treatment reviewed in class today
• Work on your treatments in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Writing Treatments That Sell
• The Media Treatment
• The Treatment Toolbox

• Outline due
• Reading Quiz #7 due at the beginning of class

• Requirements for Short writing assignment #4 discussed in class today - begin working on it in class
• Work on your treatments in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• How to Format A Screenplay
• Formatting Your Masterpiece

• Reading Quiz #8 due at the beginning of class

• Watch "Writing the Screenplay" portion of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop in class today (run time: 51 minutes)
• Work on your treatments in class today

• Read your treatments out loud in class

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Your First Page Sells Your Script (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• Winning Opening Scenes
• The First Reel Contract
• Sharpening Your Hooks
• Setting the Scene
• Writing a Great Screenplay
• Images vs. Sounds, Action vs. Dialogue

• Treatment due
• Reading Quiz #9 due at the beginning of class

• Requirements for short writing assignment #5 handed out today - begin working on it in class

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• End Boring Writing Forever (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• First Appearances
• Plot Devices
• Setting Up an Emotional Moment (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• The Art of Problem Solving

• Reading Quiz #10 due at the beginning of class

• Discussion of what you wrote about in short writing assignment #5
• Requirements for short writing assignment #6 discussed in class today - begin working on it in class

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Spare vs. Flat Dialogue
• How Good is Your Dialogue? (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• Dialogue Writing Exercises
• Rate Your Subtext (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• The Mystery of Subtext

• Reading Quiz #11 due at the beginning of class
• Short Writing Assignment #5 due at the beginning of class (Writing Dialogue Exercise #1)
• If you have a suggestion or comment about the class so far, please have the mid-semester feedback form filled out online by today (this is optional)

• Work on your Act I script in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Writing Point of View
• Point of View

• We will be reading your Act I scripts in class today

• ACT I DRAFT DUE (BRING ENOUGH COPIES OF YOUR ACT I FOR EVERYONE IN THE CLASS - YOU MUST HAVE THIS READY AT THE START OF CLASS, DO NOT TAKE CLASS TIME TO PRINT COPIES)

• Continue reading Act I scripts in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Title Search

TOPIC:  PITCHING

• Discussion of what you wrote about in short writing assignment #7
• Watch "Talk Fast" in class today (run time: 76 minutes)

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• The Art of Pitching
• Making a Short Pitch Better
• Secrets of the 3-Minute Pitch

• Reading Quiz #12 due at the end of class (Note: This quiz is due at the end of class because some of the answers to this quiz can only be obtained by watching the movie in class today!)

• Work on your Act II script in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Agents
• How Do You Get An Agent?
• If You Can't Send the Script to the Agent, Bring the Agent to the Script
• To Be (Represented) Or Not To Be (Represented)...That Is The Question
• Want Representation? (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• You, The Expert
• See Your Script Through The Agent's Eyes

• Reading Quiz #13 due at the beginning of class

• Work on your Act II script in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• How to Query Production Companies (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• Creating Relationships With Production Companies (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• The Query Quandary
• Breaking the Ice

NOTE:  Advising week is THIS week - If you are my advisee, please make sure you sign up for an advising appointment with me by clicking this link (follow the instructions at the top of the page)

• Reading Quiz #14 due at the beginning of class

• We will be reading your Act II scripts in class today

NOTE:  Advising week is THIS week - If you are my advisee, please make sure you sign up for an advising appointment with me by clicking this link (follow the instructions at the top of the page)

• ACT II DRAFT DUE (BRING ENOUGH COPIES OF YOUR ACT II FOR EVERYONE IN THE CLASS - YOU MUST HAVE THIS READY AT THE START OF CLASS, DO NOT TAKE CLASS TIME TO PRINT COPIES)

• Continue reading Act II scripts in class today

NOTE:  Advising week is THIS week - If you are my advisee, please make sure you sign up for an advising appointment with me by clicking this link (follow the instructions at the top of the page)

TOPIC:  MISC. MARKETING TIPS

• Watch part one of "How to Pitch and Sell Your Screenplay" (run time: 40 minutes)
• Work on your Act III script in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Screenplay Marketing Mistakes to Avoid (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• The Requirements for Your Marketing Materials (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• Trailerized Scripts - The Latest Marketing Tool
• 23 Steps to a Feature Film Sale

NOTE:  Advising week is THIS week - If you are my advisee, please make sure you sign up for an advising appointment with me by clicking this link (follow the instructions at the top of the page)

• Reading Quiz #15 due at the beginning of class

TOPIC:  CONTRACTS AND NEGOTIATIONS

• Watch part two of "How to Pitch and Sell Your Screenplay" (run time: 50 minutes)
• Work on your Act III script in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Negotiating Your First Deal (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• Your First Contract
• Hard Bargain

• Reading Quiz #16 due at the beginning of class

TOPIC:  LEGALITIES

• We will be reading your Act III scripts in class today

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Protecting Your Screenplay
• Steal This Column
• What Do I Need to Know About Copyright?

• ACT III DRAFT DUE (BRING ENOUGH COPIES OF YOUR ACT II FOR EVERYONE IN THE CLASS - YOU MUST HAVE THIS READY AT THE START OF CLASS, DO NOT TAKE CLASS TIME TO PRINT COPIES)

• Continue reading Act III scripts in class today
• Watch "Rewriting Your Screenplay" portion of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop in class today (run time: 15 minutes)
• Course evaluations

Have read for today (all articles are online):

• Some Thoughts on TV Writing
• Tinsel Speak
• Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• A Hot Script
• Writing Romantic Comedies
• Risk vs. Reward
• Increasing the Probability of Your Success (log on with username: pinemanor, password: scripts)
• How to Win Screenwriting Contests

• Note: We do not have a final exam for this class - your completed script serves as your "final"

• APRIL 25, 2008 BY 11:00 AM (ABSOLUTELY NO LATE SCRIPTS WILL BE ACCEPTED - IF YOU GET IT TO ME BY 11:01, IT WILL RECEIVE A ZERO): YOUR FINAL REVISED ACT I, II, AND III DUE IN MY MAILBOX BY THE DATE OF THE FINAL EXAM (EVEN THOUGH WE WON'T BE HAVING A FINAL EXAM - YOUR COMPLETED, REVISED 3 ACT SCRIPT SERVES AS YOUR "FINAL"