Unit information: Production Skills: Writing in 2009/10

Unit name	Production Skills: Writing
Unit code	DRAMM1214
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Mr. Metelerkamp
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Drama: Theatre, Film, Television
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit provides an introduction to core skills in creative writing for performance that are common to a range of media, including live and recorded performance; feature, short and documentary film. A range of approaches to creative writing will be examined both in principle and practice, and may include: creating stories; research; analysis of style, genre and form; narrative story structure; outline & treatment writing; screenplays and shooting scripts; the creation and development of characterisation, dialogue, pace and rhythm; read-throughs; working in rehearsal; re-drafting. Study will incorporate consideration of presentational issues such as script layout, computer word processing packages and received professional practices. Students will be expected to produce a substantial piece (or number of smaller pieces) of original creative writing for a performance medium.

Aims:

1. To develop analytical knowledge of a range of styles or genres for a performance medium
2. To explore a range of approaches to creative writing for performance.
3. To develop and apply creative writing skills appropriate to one or more performance media.
4. To develop and apply self-reflective analytical and critical methods, with particular reference to their own and others’ writings for performance.
5. To be able to reflect on individual work within a collaborative production context.
6. To produce a substantial piece (or number of smaller pieces) of original creative writing for a performance medium

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will acquire a solid understanding of key conventions and issues in mainstream narrative, and tested techniques for writing short-form material, and will apply these in articulating their own vision and material.

Teaching Information

Workshops, seminars, exercises, presentations, independent creative work.

Assessment Information

Students will o produce a piece of original short-form creative writing for a performance medium (67%), and a supporting rationale (33%).

Reading and References

Dancyger, Ken and Cooper, Pat (1997) Writing the Short Film (Focal Press) Writing (Futura)

Goldman, William (1991) Adventures in the Screen Trade: A Personal View of Hollywood and Screen

Leyda, Jay (1977) Film Makers Speak (Da Capo)

MacKendrick, Alexander (2004) On film-making : an introduction to the craft of the director (Faber)

McKee, Robert, 1998 Story: substance, structure, style and the principles of screenwriting (Methuen)

Vogler, Christopher (1999) The Writer's Journey - Mythic Structure for storytellers and screenwriters (Pan)