BROOKLYN COLLEGE

FILM 1301 – SCREENWRITING 1 FALL 2020

SYLLABUS

Professor: Topper Lilien

Mondays 6:30-10:10PM Web 230
Email: Topperlilien@mac.com
Office hours: Monday 5-6PM and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS

A workshop, the goal being for each student to gain a grasp

of the fundamentals of screenwriting. Attention will be paid
to story, scenes and scene sequences, pace, rhythm,
character, dialogue and structure, as well as point of view
and theme.

Writing craft will be considered as much as the craft of

filmmaking: films and screenplays will be discussed, as will
short stories and novels. We will screen and discuss
relevant short films, we will do in-class screenwriting
exercises, and we will complete a short screenplay.

The class will prepare students for more advanced writing

courses - and ultimately, for professional film and TV
writing. The in-class discussions and critiques will allow
students to gain an understanding of the process of
completing a long-form script.

REQUIREMENTS

Scripts must be written using standard screenplay

format.
An example can be found here: http://www.writersstore.com/how-
to-write-a-screenplay-a-guide-to-scriptwriting/

For a side-by-side comparison of screenwriting software:

https://nofilmschool.com/free-screenwriting-software

Each student must have a laptop for class, with a

screenwriting program compatible with what other students are
using. I strongly recommend Final Draft.

REQUIRED TEXTS

WRITING SHORT FILMS 2nd Edition - by Linda Cowgill, Second

Edition ISBN 9781580650632.
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Film Scripts: TBD

READING ALL MATERIAL IS MANDATORY (BOTH THE ASSIGNED CLASS

TEXTS AND THE SUBMITTED STUDENT WORK)

Students need to come to class prepared - not only by

completing work on their screenplays and assignments, but
also by being ready to intelligently discuss the work of
their fellow writers, and to engage in discussions about our
weekly reading assignments and screened films.

Students are expected to treat the work of others as

seriously as they treat their own; reads must be thorough,
with an eye towards problem-solving and constructive
criticism.

Not only will this contribute to the success of the workshop,

it will also develop skills crucial for anyone involved in
movie making - writers, directors, producers, even actors.

Students will be expected to take story notes in class – an

indispensable skill for any area of filmmaking.

Any assignments must be completed and handed in on time.

-> ON TIME MEANS SIX PM SUNDAY EVENING; THIS WAY, THE CLASS
WILL HAVE TIME TO READ THE WORK THOUGHTFULLY, AND CONSIDER
THEIR REACTIONS. NO LAME EXCUSES PLEASE.

WORK IS TO BE POSTED ON OUR CLASS GOOGLE DRIVE, IN PDF FORM.

And needless to say, all work must be presented in a

professional manner. This means attention to grammar,
spelling, formatting and presentation.

Prompt attendance. Lateness and missed classes hurt the

group as well as the individual.

Any unexcused absences will impact a student's grade (see

below).

Late assignments will NOT be accepted. There are NO

incompletes for this class.

TO KEEP IN MIND: A workshop can be a fantastic thing for

writers on any level - but workshops only succeed if those
involved realize the more they contribute, the greater the
benefits they'll receive. A workshop provides a real
opportunity for professional and artistic growth, but all
involved must approach it with seriousness and commitment.

Contribution means producing pages, contribution means

conscientiously reading the pages of others and the assigned
reading.
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Contribution means sharing your insights and criticism. In

other words, hard work on all levels. But work hard and the
rewards will be worth it.

COURSE OUTCOME

Students must complete ONE (1) short screenplay, at least 10

pages in length, and ONE (1) treatment for a second short.

GRADING:

CLASS PARTICIPATION: 50%

ASSIGNMENTS & FINAL PROJECTS: 50%

(Once again: class participation includes the completion of

exercises and other assignments, and active participation in
discussions and critiques).

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance is mandatory. Two unexcused absences will result

in an automatic F for the course. For every two times a
student is late to class, it counts as one unexcused absence.
For any absences, excused or unexcused, it is the students'
responsibility to find out what they missed and keep up with
the course. Attendance is taken at the beginning of class
period. If a student is late, it is their responsibility to
see the Professor after class to record the late attendance.
Otherwise, the student will be marked absent. If a student
feels that they are having difficulty keeping up with the
course, see the Professor right away to avoid an F and/or
withdraw.

PROFESSIONALISM IN CLASS:

The classroom is an academic environment. Students are

required to maintain a level of professionalism and respect
during class lectures, discussions, critiques and during
breaks.

Emailing, texting, messaging, social networking or any other

electronic communication is NOT ALLOWED during class. The
shooting of photos and/or video is NOT ALLOWED in class. The
entire class period will be used for instruction. Do not ask
to leave early unless it’s an emergency.

STUDENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Student-teacher conferences can be arranged during my office

hours, Mondays from 5 till 6 PM. Appointments can be
scheduled by email.

I can also be reached by phone at previously-scheduled times.

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WEEK 1

INTRO LECTURE: What a script is - and the value of precise

writing. We will read and discuss two short stories: Mary
Robison’s Yours, and O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi.

A discussion of Chapter 1 of WRITING SHORT FILMS by Linda

Cowgill.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Coming up with the seed of an idea for a

short story to write.

ASSIGNMENT #1: Read Chapter 2 of WRITING SHORT FILMS:

Starting Out - What Is It About?

And: Put together a written sketch based on the seed of your

story idea (which will eventually be adapted into your short
film script). Minimum 2 pages in length (this is still
sketching, as opposed to finished writing).

WEEK 2

LECTURE: How to translate prose stories into filmic language.

SCREENING: The Lunch Date. Others, TBD.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Describe the organizing principle (the

shape of your story - begin, middle and end).

ASSIGNMENT #2: Read WRITING SHORT FILMS, Chapter 3: Character

& Emotion – Who Does What And Why.

And: Write a ROUGH first draft of your story. Questions to

ask yourselves: what is the story, at its core, about? Is
there emotional depth? Are the characters coming across? Is
it clear? Is it engaging?

WEEK 3

LECTURE: How to build a scene.

SCREENING: Life Lessons by Richard Price, directed by Martin

Scorsese.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Turning your short story into scenes: how

to convey all the information necessary, the burden of the
scene.

ASSIGNMENT #3: WRITING SHORT FILMS, Chapter 4: The Three

Part Nature of Film Structure.

And: Break your story down into scenes - a basic BEAT SHEET.
How many scenes will it take to tell your story? What does
each scene have to do mechanically?
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WEEK 4

LECTURE: Character through action, reaction and dialogue.

How to pithily and succinctly define who characters are.

SCREENING: Being There, written by Jerzy Kosinski, directed

by Hal Ashby.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Character bios.

ASSIGNMENT #4: WRITING SHORT FILMS, Chapter 5: Plotting - The

Twists & Turns.

And: Write backstories on all your characters.

WEEK 5

LECTURE: How to handle exposition.

SCREENING: Powder Keg, by Alejandro Iñárritu & David Carter,

directed by Alejandro Iñárritu.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: List all the necessary exposition needed

to tell your story.

ASSIGNMENT #5: WRITING SHORT FILMS, Chapter 6: Fade In:

Openings & The Main Exposition.

And: Write the OPENING SCENE of your short script.

WEEK 6

LECTURE: How to keep the narrative alive and involving.

SCREENING: TBD.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: List all the necessary exposition needed

to tell your story.

ASSIGNMENT #5: WRITING SHORT FILMS, Chapter 7: The Middle -

Keeping The Story Alive.

And: Continue writing your script.

WEEK 7

LECTURE: How to write realistic dialogue: punctuation is your

friend.

SCREENING: TBD.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Writing dialogue.

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ASSIGNMENT #6: WRITING SHORT FILMS, Chapter 8: Fade Out:

Revelation, Climax & Resolution Story Revelation-Character
Revelation.

And: FINISH WRITING YOUR SHORT SCRIPTS.

WEEK 8

FIRST DRAFTS OF SCRIPTS DUE. They are to be read by

everyone before class, and we will workshop and critique each
one.

This is a crucial class, and participation by all is

imperative. Do the work and come to class with constructive
criticism and ideas for solutions to any perceived script
problems.

LEARNING TO TAKE STORY NOTES, another entirely essential

skill for writers and filmmakers. We’ll discuss this in the
class.

Assignment #7: WRITING SHORT FILMS, Chapter 9: Constructing

The Scene.

And: Put your scripts down for the week for the sake of
perspective. Read them before next week’s class.

WEEK 9

LECTURE: Rewriting - where the real work begins.

SCREENING: TBD.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Write proposals for rewriting your

scripts, based on last week’s critique, and any thoughts you
may have had.

ASSIGNMENT #8: WRITING SHORT FILMS, Chapter 10: Dialogue: The

Search For The Perfect Line.

And: Beat out the changes for the rewrite. In other words,
create a road map for the next version of your script.

WEEK 10

LECTURE: Theme: what is your script about beneath the

surface?

SCREENING: TBD.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Analyze the meaning of your scripts.

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ASSIGNMENT #9: WRITING SHORT FILMS, Chapter 11: The Subtext

Of Meaning.

And: Start rewriting your scripts. Keep in mind what class

discussions have brought up, as well as thematic thoughts the
first draft has raised. Think about how to pull the entire
story into a cohesive hard focus - in the telling and in its
meaning.

WEEK 11

LECTURE: Loglines - a necessary skill to develop.

SCREENING: TBD.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Write loglines to your scripts.

ASSIGNMENT #10: WRITING SHORT FILMS, Chapter 12: What Does My

Protagonist Really Want?

And: Finish rewriting your scripts.

WEEK 12

SECOND DRAFTS OF SCRIPTS DUE. Again: they are to be read

by everyone before class, and we will workshop and critique
each one.

This is another crucial class, and participation by all is

imperative. Do the work and come to class with constructive
criticism and ideas for solutions to any perceived script
problems.

ASSIGNMENT #11: We will read a feature script to be

determined - and watch the film made from the script.

And: Put your scripts down for the week for the sake of
perspective. Read them before next week’s class.

WEEK 13

LECTURE: Polishing your scripts.

SCREENING: TBD.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Where can your scripts, with nips and

tucks, be made stronger, clearer, tighter and more effective?

ASSIGNMENT #12: Again, we will read a feature script to be

determined - and watch the film made from the script.

And: POLISH YOUR SCRIPTS. This is the final step for getting
them ready for cast, producers, directors and financiers.
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WEEK 14

FINAL DRAFTS OF SCRIPTS DUE. Again: they are to be read

by everyone before class, and we will workshop and critique
each one.

And yet again, this is another crucial class, and

participation by all is imperative. Do the work and come to
class with constructive criticism and ideas for solutions to
any perceived script problems.

ASSIGNMENT #13: Again, we will read a feature script to be

determined - and watch the film made from the script.

And: Write up an idea for a new short film, using what you’ve
learned thus far. Be as thorough as you possibly can;
present it as a roadmap for a quick launch into a second
short film screenplay.

WEEK 15

LECTURE: Moving from short films to feature-length films: how

to apply all we’ve discussed during the semester. What your
next steps as screenwriters should be.

We’ll also go over your ideas for your next short films. As
always, everyone must read the work of their fellow students -
and be prepared to offer constructive criticism.

SCREENING: TBD.

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Write a final analysis of your script -

and what you view as its successes and where it falls short.

ACCESSIBILITY/DISABILITY

In order to receive disability-related academic

accommodations students must first be registered with the
Center for Student Disability Services. Students who have a
documented disability or suspect they may have a disability
are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the
Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-
Lovell at (718) 951-5538. If you have already registered with
the Center for Student Disability Services, please provide
your professor with the course accommodation form and discuss
your specific accommodation with him/her.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an

environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student
is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating
and plagiarism and for avoiding both.
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The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and

the Brooklyn College procedure for policy implementation can
be found at www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies. If a faculty
member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon
investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student
admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the
violation.

NON-ATTENDANCE BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

The New York State Education Law provides that no student

shall be expelled or refused admission to an institution of
higher education because he or she is unable to attend
classes or participate in examinations or study or work
requirements on any particular day or days because of
religious beliefs. Students who are unable to attend classes
on a particular day or days because of religious beliefs will
be excused from any examination or study or work
requirements. Faculty must make good- -faith efforts to
provide students absent from class because of religious
beliefs equivalent opportunities to make up the work missed;
no additional fees may be charged for this consideration.

If classes, examinations, or study or work requirements occur

on Friday after 4 p.m. or on Saturday, similar or makeup
classes, examinations, or study or work requirements will be
made available on other days, where possible and practical.
The faculty and the administration will not allow any adverse
or prejudicial effects to accrue to students availing
themselves of this regulation. If students have complaints
about the application of this policy, they are entitled to
bring action or a proceeding for enforcement of their rights
in the Supreme Court of Kings County.