MA Screenwriting / Course details

The unit aims to give you a conceptual and critical understanding of the universal principles of story structure. By the end of the course, you will understand the five act structure, the particular content and purpose of each act and the relationships between them. You will be trained to use a vocabulary that will enable you to talk about screenwriting with a new degree of professionalism and sophistication. This course will also give you a conceptual framework to analyse the most successful, professionally written screenplays as well as those of your peers and equip you to talk about story structure in industry. On completion of the course, you will have acquired a set of diagnostic tools empowering you to identify where your own script has gone wrong, and giving you a roadmap to remedy.

• Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the formal, technical and professional choices industry practitioners make when designing story.
• Demonstrate a detailed and systematic understanding of story structure, and a critical awareness of contemporary innovations in the field.  
• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of the collaborative, project-oriented nature of story design when working in industry settings.
• Demonstrate originality in the application of story structure and demonstrate self-direction in the planning and implementation of remedial re-drafting.

• Be able to critically analyse, interpret and judge the work of leading industry scriptwriters.
• Students will use a real or adopted professional perspective throughout to frame their discussions and reflections.
• Demonstrate their understanding of the methods industry practitioners employ to edit, remedy and rescue scripts and apply this to their own work.

• Be able to evaluate and critique their own work, with reference to the professional conventions of story design.
• Be able to make presentations to the class critiquing work, and the lastest viewing assignments.
• Use e-tools to collaborate with peers.
• Be able to write original screenplays utilising crafted story-design.
• Be able to remedy, and salvage more original ideas by using the diagnostic tools.

• Communicate their ideas effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Collaborate constructively in group dynamics with peers to develop ideas and understanding.
• Manage their time and workload effectively in order to meet deadlines

• Feedback on summative work via Turntitin.
• Formative feedback via individual meetings with course tutor, and in class peer review, summative written feedback at the end of the semester.

Essential Reading

• John Yorke, Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them (Penguin, 2014)

Further Reading

• Christopher Vogler, Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers (Michael Weise , 2007)
• Joseph Campbell: Hero With A Thousand Faces (Princeton University Press 1973)

Background Reading

• Syd Field Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting (Delta, 2005)
• David Mamet. Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama (Methuen, 2007)

Essential Viewing - Features:

• American Beauty
• Thelma and Louise
• The Godfather Part 1
• Psycho
• The King’s Speech
• Finding Nemo
• Toy Story
• The Imitation Game
• The Lion King
• 50/50
• Pretty Woman
• Alien
• Knocked Up
• Frozen
• Jaws
• Silver Linings Playbook
• Humpday
• Force Majeure

Essential Viewing - Television:

• Breaking Bad
• True Detective
• Misfits
• Six Feet Under
• Southcliffe

Shorts:

• The Phone Call
• About a Girl
• 2+2=5
• This is John
• Wish 143
• Toyland
• Six Shooter
• Gridlock
• Wasp