CUA51020 - Diploma of Screen and Media: Screenwriting

Diploma of Screen and Media - Screenwriting

OVERVIEW

New York Film Academy Australia delivers the nationally recognised program CUA51020 - Diploma of Screen and Media with selected subjects focusing on screenwriting.

New York Film Academy Australia recognises the critical role writers play in the creation of every film and television show. Yet, writing talent alone is not enough to create successful work in these mediums. Screenwriting is a learned craft, and a writer must write every day to train for the demands of this field, and to truly understand the elements that make a screenplay or teleplay functional, as well as engaging.

In addition to learning the conventions of the writing craft, students are given the support and structure to write and meet deadlines. Students write intensively throughout the course and complete several projects with the assistance of constructive critique from instructors, as well as peers.

WHAT MAKES OUR SCREENWRITING PROGRAMS UNIQUE?

Over the course of the program, each student writes a feature-length screenplay, plus one television "spec" script, along with the possibility to workshop additional treatments. As part of a fully integrated program, students explore related areas of filmmaking that help to improve their screenplays and put them into a real-world context. Thus, in addition to writing classes, students study film craft, acting, pitching, and cinema studies, as they apply to screenwriting.

Upon completion of the program, students not only understand story structure, character, conflict and dialogue, but also leave the Academy with finished products that they can pitch, produce, and try to sell.

In the New York Film Academy Australia’s Screenwriting program, students are taught the art of screenwriting through courses in both film studies and screenplay/script analysis.

Students are assigned several writing projects. These projects are subject to critique from instructors and peers during in-class workshops.

CUA51020 - DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA - SCREENWRITING: SEMESTER ONE

Screenwriters are cinematic storytellers. The genesis of any film project is an idea or concept that must be fleshed out into a fully formed screenplay deemed worthy of production. During Semester One, students are introduced to the screenwriter's tools, and develop the skills necessary for writing. Students are encouraged to be creative, but are also taught to think of the screenplay as a tool—the definitive industry tool-- used to articulate an idea or concept to a production team, including producers, financiers, directors, and actors. Standard formatting and industry expectations are studied and analyzed during writing workshops and lectures.

LEARNING GOALS

1. In depth study of classic screenplay structure, character arcs, theme, conflict, flashbacks, voiceover, subtext, style, tone, visualization, discipline, and genre.
2. Fundamentals of writing and story generation.
3. Fundamentals of film production.
4. Theory and practice of acting to understand good dialogue and appropriate behavior.

WRITING GOALS

1. Write a treatment for a feature-length film.
2. Write an outline for a feature-length film.
3. Write a full draft of a feature-length film.
4. Write a treatment for a television screenplay.
5. Write an outline for a television screenplay.
6. Write a full draft for a television screenplay.

CUA51020 - DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA - SCREENWRITING: SEMESTER TWO

The second semester challenges students to develop their craft artistically and technically, and to progress beyond their earlier experiments with the feature length screenplay. In a workshop setting, students begin writing and revising a feature length screenplay. Students are expected to share revised or newly written material with their instructors and classmates for critique. During this semester, students also broaden their understanding of the medium of motion pictures through the creation of material for television.

LEARNING GOALS

1. Fundamentals of film directing.
2. In depth look at treatment writing.
3. In depth study of the pitch.
4. Standard conventions of TV writing.

WRITING GOALS

1. Revise draft of "spec" or write a new "spec" television script.
2. Revise draft of "spec" or write a new "spec" feature film script.
3. Direct a short film or scene.
4. Direct and work with actors for a live “table read” performance of your work.

CUA51020 - DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA - SCREENWRITING: APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested students are invited to complete the application form, with a personal statement, and attend an interview to determine entrance to the program.

Course Descriptions

Elements of Screenwriting Writing for Television I Story Generation Writing the Feature I The Freelancer

Writing for Television II Writing the Feature II Script to Screen Cinema Studies Safety on Set

Elements of Screenwriting   CUAWRT401 - Edit texts, CUAPPR415 Develop and discuss ideas for own creative work.

In Elements of Screenwriting the student will learn the fundamentals of scriptwriting. They will also gain insight into the creative collaborative process of filmmaking as they write, edit, and reflect on their own writing exercises and projects with fellow students and their lecturer. In order to become competent screenwriters, students must have a full understanding of the fundamentals of storytelling narration and editing text. This subject introduces students to the craft of screenwriting, editing, and the collaborative creative process of filmmaking. Correct formatting will be focused on, and students will learn how to write scene descriptions, describe characters and locations, and develop action sequences appropriate to the genre and style of the project they are writing. They will also learn to appraise their own work, and others’, engaging constructively in the creative process.

Writing for Television I   CUAPPR411 Realise a creative project CUAWRT512 - Develop storylines and treatments

Writing for Television I introduces the student to the fundamentals of screenwriting in the world of television drama. It is a fast-paced, intensive workshop program that allows the student to develop the knowledge and skills required to originate and develop a concept for television programs, and to develop these concepts into story outlines and treatments.

Story Generation   CUARES412 Conduct Research

This subject focuses on fostering the development of creative ideas through research, discussion, and by encouraging the student to further develop expertise in their creative field of scriptwriting and story generation. Students will gain the knowledge of genres and mediums within film, television, and emerging media to allow for the base understanding within the creative industry.

Writing Feature I   CUAWRT602 Edit scripts

Writing the Feature I introduces the student to the fundamentals of screenwriting for film. It is a fast-paced, intensive workshop that explores the fundamentals of screenwriting, in which students will be asked to write, edit and present their concepts.

The Freelancer   CUAIND412 - Provide freelance services

Students will learn how work as a freelancer in the screenwriting industry, including how to promote themselves as a screenwriter and deal with the business aspects of being a freelance screenwriter.

Writing for Television II   CUAWRT402 - Write extended stories, CUAWRT415 - Write narration and material for productions, CUAAIR411 – Plan and Cconduct interviews

To be a competent writer for film or television, students must have a full understanding of storytelling narration in the craft of screenwriting. This not only involves learning the fundamentals of story structure, theme, character, and plotting, but also requires an understanding of the filmmaking process, film history and genre. Writing for Television II further develops the student’s fundamentals in screenwriting for television drama. It is a fast-paced, intensive workshop program that allows the student to develop the knowledge and skills required to develop their story outlines and treatments into first draft scripts. This subject also introduces the student to the collaborative process of working with other script editors to a scheduled timeline.

Writing the Feature II   CUAIND512 - Enhance professional practice using creative arts industry knowledge

Writing the Feature II builds upon knowledge gained in Writing the Feature I, in which students plot and write a rough draft of their first act of a feature film script. This semester the students will reappraise their rough draft first act and script treatment and intensively adjust the script’s narrative, plotting, character arcs, and characterisation, developing their script into a polished first draft. As part of this process, the student will also be asked to explore the broader context of the creative arts industry’s networks and professional bodies and to enhance their professional practice and industry knowledge, helping prepare them for the commercial realities of working as a professional screenwriter.

Script to Screen   CUAPOS511 - Edit complex media productions, CUADRT512 - Direct performers for screen productions

Script to Screen allows the screenwriting student to experience planning for production, and what happens to their scripts when they go into production. The student will explore the skills and knowledge required to prepare for production, brief and rehearse performers, direct performance, finalise production, and digitally edit content to complete a project for viewing and evaluation. Students will engage in the creative process of using editing techniques to build character and story to progress the narrative, bringing their scripts to life and gaining hands-on experience of directing and editing performance and all that that entails. In gaining an understanding of the planning, performance, and editing process, the student will be able to utilise these skills to inform and strengthen their own writing practice.

Cinema Studies   BSBCMM411 - Make presentations

This seminar teaches students to identify the techniques used by cinematic innovators throughout the history of filmmaking. Through screenings and discussions, students will grow to understand how filmmakers have approached the great challenge of telling stories with moving images from silent films to the digital age. The course explores ways that the crafts of directing (particularly shot construction), cinematography, acting, and editing have developed. Students are then challenged to place themselves within that development with regard to their on-going film projects.

Safety on Set   CUAPPR515 - Establish and maintain safe creative practice

The purpose of this subject is to teach the film and performance practitioner to determine work health and safety requirements in a given environment and occupation, identify hazards and assess and manage risks, and to monitor and enhance safety of their practice. Having sound practical knowledge of safety is paramount for film sets and sound stages.