Script Analysis 2

Subject is not scheduled Not scheduled

Code Completion Credits Range Language Instruction Semester
311SAL2 exam 3 28 hours (45 min) of instruction per semester, 54 to 69 hours of self-study English summer

Subject guarantor

Name of lecturer(s)

Department

The subject provides FAMU International

Contents

The purpose of this course is to study films from a dramaturgical perspective, to demonstrate diverse narrative techniques, dramatic structures and genre forms, and to closely examine the craft of screenwriting, with special attention given to characters’ dynamics and development.

Course outline:

  1. Dog Day Afternoon (USA, 1975, dir. Sidney Lumet, written by Frank Pierson, based on the book The Boys in the Bank by P. F. Kluge)
  2. Blow Up (UK, USA, Italy, 1966, dir. Michelangelo Antonioni, written by Michelangelo Antonioni and Tonino Guerra, based on the short story Las babas del diablo by Julio Cortázar)
  3. Harold and Maude (USA, 1971, dir. Hal Ashby, written by Colin Higgins)
  4. Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (USA, 2004, dir. Michel Gondry, written by Charlie Kaufman)
  5. The Silence of the Lambs (USA, 1992, dir. Jonathan Demme, written by Ted Tally, based on the eponymous novel by Thomas Harris)
  6. CURRENT FILM, YET TO BE DECIDED BY AGREEMENT WITH THE STUDENTS

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will:

-become familiar with structure, narrative and story element, such as character, theme, setup, main tension, central dramatic question, antagonist, conflict, the three act structure and its development as well as its functional deviations; techniques and specific issues of film writing and narration, difference between dramatic and literary storytelling etc

-recognize dramatic and narrative elements mentioned above

-present a cogent analysis for a final paper

Prerequisites and other requirements

Script Analysis 1 (recommended)

Literature

ARISTOTLE, ELSE, Gerald F. Poetics. 1st ed. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1967. 124 s.

ARONSON, Linda: The 21st Century Screenplay: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Tomorrow's Films. Los Angeles: Silman-James Press, 2011. XIX, 490 s.

BORDWELL, David. Narration in the fiction film. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1985. 370 s. ISBN 0-299-10170-3.

FIELD, Syd. Screenplay : the foundations of screenwriting. New York: Dell Publishing, 1994. 262 s. ISBN 0-440-57647-4

GULINO, Paul: Screenwriting The Sequence Approach. Continuum, 2004.

THOMPSON, Kristin. Storytelling in the new Hollywood: understanding classical narrative technique. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1999. xi, 398 s. ISBN 0-674-83975-7.

In addition, SCREENPLAYS (if available) for the films screened in classes will be provided to students in .pdf and it is strongly recommended that they familiarize themselves with the scripts before the corresponding class.

Evaluation methods and criteria

The minimum attendance for passing the class is 70%. Students will be evaluated on their contribution and efforts to the class and the written test. The grade will be calculated as follows:

Note

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Further information

No schedule has been prepared for this course

The subject is a part of the following study plans