CINE 730 Intermediate Screenwriting – the Short Film

Screenplays are the engines that drive the movie industry. The curriculum in this degree program is designed to give the student the leading edge in the world of professional screenwriting by providing a balance between creative exploration and practical industry skills. In this course, the student will learn how to tell their stories cinematically by gaining the skills and foundation for structuring a story in the written form of a screenplay.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be 500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 250 words. (CLO: A, B, C)

Story Pitches Assignment

The student will create and write 2 original story ideas to be pitched in Canvas to the instructor and fellow classmates for critique. Pitches should include a clear beginning, middle, and end, introduce the protagonist, antagonist, and reveal backstories for main characters. Each story pitch should be a minimum of 2 pages, double-spaced, and written in 12 pt. Times New Roman font. (CLO: A, B, C)

Story Outlines Assignment

The student will develop 2 story ideas into 2 full story outlines that “beat” out scene by scene the events that will be applied to their 2 short screenplays. Outlines must contain fully developed characters, exhibit a 3-act structure, and clear genre. Each story outline should be a minimum of 4 pages written in industry standard screenplay format: Courier font, 12-point size, single-spaced. (CLO: A, B, C)

First Draft: Short Screenplays Assignment

The student will complete the first draft of their 2 short screenplays, each 10-14 pages and written in industry-standard format: 12 pt. Courier font and single-spaced. Each first draft should include a title page and should be uploaded to Canvas as a PDF. (CLO: A, B, C)

Final Draft: Completed Short Screenplay Assignments (2)

The student will complete the final draft of their 2 short screenplays. Each final screenplay should be 10-14 pages and written in industry-standard format: Courier font, 12-point size, and single-spaced. Each screenplay should include a title page and should be uploaded to Canvas as a PDF.. (CLO: A, B, C)

Quizzes (2)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module. Each quiz will be open-book/open notes covering specified material from the required reading, contain 10 true/false questions, allow for 2 attempts with the highest grade to be counted, and will have a 1-hour time limit. (CLO: A, B, C)