Comic narratives and writing film comedy

Subject is not scheduled Not scheduled

Code Completion Credits Range Language Instruction Semester
311MCN Z 1 6/D English winter

Subject guarantor

Name of lecturer(s)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Understanding difference between dramatic/tragic and comic narrative; preparation for writing a film comedy.

Mode of study

seminar

Prerequisites and co-requisites

-

Course contents

Comic narrative and what differentiates comedy from dramatic narrative in film, breaking down a comic script, understanding beats in a story, writing a treatment.

Recommended or required reading

The Apartment by Billy Wilder and I.A.L Diamond

Aristotle’s Poetics for Screenwriters by Michael Tierno

Writing Treatments that Sell by Kenneth Atchity and Chi Li Wong

Film Comedy by Geoff King

Classical Hollywood Comedy edited by Kristine Brunovska Karnick and Henry Jenkins

Assessment methods and criteria

100% attendance

Note

Deborah Klika is a Senior Lecturer in Television and Film at Middlesex University in London. Her academic interest is the comic operation of the TV sitcom and narrative film comedy. Passionate about teaching and learning in the creative industries Deborah has enjoyed a varied career in a number of capacities in the Australian and British industries. Deborah’s teaching specialties include film and TV production, scriptwriting and analysis. Having written three half hour comedy pilots, one being awarded third place in the 2016 Cannes Screenplay Contest for best TV Comedy Pilot and another a finalist for the Comedy and Screenplay Festival in Los Angeles in January 2017. Deborah will begin her PhD in Comedy, Character, and Film in 2018 at York University.

Further information

No schedule has been prepared for this course

The subject is a part of the following study plans