Script Analysis 2

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Subject guarantor

Lucia KAJÁNKOVÁ

Name of lecturer(s)

Lucia KAJÁNKOVÁ

Learning outcomes of the course unit

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

Mode of study

Screening + lecture and discussion. Each film is screened in full length, accompanied by close analysis by the lecturer, while students are also encouraged to provide their input.

Prerequisites and co-requisites

Script Analysis 1 (recommended)

Course 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:

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)

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)

Harold and Maude (USA, 1971, dir. Hal Ashby, written by Colin Higgins)

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (USA, 2004, dir. Michel Gondry, written by Charlie Kaufman)

The Silence of the Lambs (USA, 1992, dir. Jonathan Demme, written by Ted Tally, based on the eponymous novel by Thomas Harris)

Roma (Mexiko/USA, 2018, written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón)

Recommended or required reading

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

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.

Assessment 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:

Attendance + Active participation in class 15%

Final Paper 85% (the student selects one of the films screened during the semester and chooses a scene or sequence that they analyze in detail with particular focus on its role in the overall structure of the film - narrative as well as in terms of character development)

Note

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Further information

This course is an elective for all students of this school

Schedule for winter semester 2021/2022:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

Schedule for summer semester 2021/2022:

• Week view
• List

The subject is a part of the following study plans

• Cinematography_1920 (optional subject)
• Cinematography_3_2021 (optional subject)
• Montage-1920 (optional subject)
• Montage_2020 (optional subject)
• Photography EN - Bachelor - 2022 (optional subject)
• Photography EN - Master - 2022 (optional subject)
• Cinema and Digital Media - Directing_1920 (required optional subject)
• Cinema and Digital Media - Directing 2020 (required optional subject)