Workshop Schedule, Fall 2013

October 7 - Nate Merritt, Writer/ Kelsey Case, Lead Respondent

October 7 - Allison Hammerle, Writer/ Marcus Mayo, Lead Respondent

October 9 - Avery Linn, Writer/ Sara Huffstetler, Lead Respondent

October 9 - Shane Maier, Writer/ Allison Hammerle, Lead Respondent

October 14 - Marcus Mayo, Writer/ Sara Huffstetler, Lead Respondent

October 14 - Andrew Illyes, Writer/ Gerry Allen, Lead Respondent

October 21 - Sara Huffstetler, Writer/ Andrew Illyes, Lead Respondent  



October 23 - Allison Hammerle, Writer/ Avery Linn, Lead Respondent

October 23 - Kelsey Case, Writer/ Shane Maier, Lead Respondent

October 28 - Gerry Allen, Writer/ Seth Yergin, Lead Respondent

October 28 - Seth Yergin, Writer/ Andrew Illyes, Lead Respondent

October 30 - Gerry Allen, Writer/ Nate Merritt, Lead Respondent

October 30 - Marcus Mayo, Writer/ Shane Maier, Lead Respondent

November 6 - Avery Linn, Writer/ Kelsey Case, Lead Respondent

November 6 - Seth Yergin, Writer/ Nate Merritt, Lead Respondent

November 11 - Andrew Illyes, Writer/  Allison Hammerle, Lead Respondent

November 11 - Nate Merrit, Writer/ Seth Yergin, Lead Respondent

November 13 - Kelsey Case, Writer/Marcus Mayo, Lead Respondent

November 13 - Shane Maier, Writer/ Gerry Allen, Lead Respondent

November 18 - Sara Huffstetler, Writer/ Avery Linn, Lead Respondent

Course Introduction

This is a course about the art and craft of scriptwriting. I am convinced that the most difficult part of becoming a writer (any kind of writer) is sitting down and writing. Therefore I am committed to this class forcing you to sit down and write. We will spend time analyzing scripts and talking about format, genre and how-to-market –your script, but the assignments and the layout of the class will all orient you to this: the moments you spend writing are the most crucial learning times for this class.
I am also convinced that there is something unique in scriptwriting that is very unlike writing for any other outlet. Scripts make unique demands upon the audience, create unique constraints in setting, focus attention on character and dialogue, and come to fruition only through collaboration and performance. As a result, our class will focus upon the formal conventions that typically define scripts ~ how are plots structured? How do characters develop? How do I write good dialogue? What staging concerns do I address? How do audience expectations shape the story? How do I communicate my vision to a director, actor, and the many other skilled artisans who must work to make this piece come alive?
While I do not assume that there is any one “right” way to write a script, I know that there are a number of “right” ways to do so. There are also many “wrong” ways which block people in different ways from effective writing. Any beginning playwright or screenwriter should understand and develop the traditions of the craft in order to (eventually innovate with more skill. I will attempt to introduce you to a number of different conventional approaches writing a script. You will have the opportunity to experiment and find “right” and “wrong” habits of writing. This class should help find methods that work for you, but ultimately that task can only be achieved by your own personal trial and error—in other words, by you writing.
The course demands that you focus on one form of dramatic writing to hone your skills, but you may focus on screenwriting or playwriting.

What's a teaser?

The term "teaser" is a shortened version of the "teaser - trailer" that we're all familiar with -- referring to a movie ad, shorter than a longer trailer or preview, that is met to make an audience excited about a coming movie.

Stephanie Palmer, author of Good In A Room, and former Hollywood studio executive, translates the idea of a teaser into a kind of verbal proposition that can be used in many different businesses.  This short video gives you a general sense of her idea, but we'll talk a little more about it in class.

I do recommend her book.  I've ordered it for our library so if it's not there already, it will be soon!

You will probably craft your teaser sentences LAST after you've written the rest of your proposal, because you really have to KNOW your story (idea) in order to craft a good teaser.

Final Pitch

Working local directors will come on campus for a pitch-fest. They’ll be considering your play as a real option for a future production. Your pitch should be as professional, carefully honed, and impressive as possible.

Final Script

You need to complete one full length stage play, (or) one feature-length screenplay, (or) one television pilot (along with a series “bible”), (or) some equivalent package of dramatic writing as agreed upon between you and the teacher at the outset of the semester. You will turn in this assignment through google docs.

Reading

You are required to read several plays by one playwright / screenwriter or within a genre that is similar to the work that you’re completing in the class. You’ll share what you read with the class in an oral report.

You will also be asked to do some reading in the first weeks of class -- this reading will count toward your grade in the PARTICIPATION portion of the course.

Final Script Proposal

You will develop a proposal about your final project. This proposal must be approved by the professor on the date due. While your final play may develop in ways you cannot expect, you should work hard to follow through on the proposal that you complete early in the semester.

Your proposal, like your three proposals, should include a title, a teaser and a long paragraph that describes the world of the story, the key characters, the main actions that drive the story forward, the climax and the resolution.  Your proposal should also communicate the TONE of your story, the genre of it and even suggest some comparison plays or movies that have some things in common with your script.  You can even COMBINE two stories or movies in order to communicate the unique way that your story straddles genre, tone or story type.

By the time you turn this proposal in, you should have a very clear, coherent vision for your play, screenplay or script.