Audiovisual Scriptwriting and Narrative (20370)
Degree/study: Bachelor's Degree in Advertising and Public Relations
Year: Second
Term: Third
Number of ECTS credits: 4 credits
Hours of studi dedication: 100 hours
Teaching language or languages: Catalan
Teaching Staff: Àlex Mañas and Gemma Ventura
1. Presentation of the subject
This course's purpose is to teach about the main narrative tools used to properly write movie scripts.
2. Competences to be attained
Instrumental skills: knowing all the basic tools of audiovisual narration.
Systemic skills: learning to analyze a movie script in each and all of its aspects.
Interpersonal skills: acquiring narrative tools to be able to properly express one's creativity.
3. Contents
Unit 1. BASIC CONCEPTS. Cinema and advertising relation.
Definition of movie script.
The dos and don'ts of good scriptwriting.
The universal plots.
Unit 2. FORMALIZATION PROCESSES
Story line, synopsis, plot, running order, treatment and literary script.
Narrative resources: coherence, soundness, plausibility, dramatization, point of view, information, repetition.
Unit 3. NARRATION MECANISMS
Idea.
Conflict.
Objective.
Trigger.
Plot.
Plot twists.
Climax.
Unit 4. STRUCTURE
Three-act structure.
Running order.
Inverse structure.
Non-structure.
Unit 5. PLOT AND SUBPLOT
Function, identification and creation of plots and subplots.
Action line.
Unit 6. NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION: Story order manipulation
Discontinuous story.
Spiral story.
Circular story.
Unit 7. TIME IN THE MOVIE STORY
Temporal order.
Flashback.
Flashforward.
Ellipsis.
Parallipsis.
Unit 8. NARRATIVE INSTRUMENTS
Repetitive gag.
Misunderstanding.
Anticipation.
Set-up and pay-off.
Mac Guffin.
0 sequence.
Voice over.
Unit 9. THE CHARACTER
Protagonist and antagonist.
Profile.
Point of view.
Thought, action, emotion.
Protagonist and antagonist's range.
Roles definition.
Unit 10. DIALOGUE
Text and subtext.
Formalization.
Counterpoint dialogue.
Monologue.
Suspense line.
Mute script.
4. Assessment
The course's marking system is organized in this way: the final individual project will have a 60% weight in the final mark, and the independent marks from every group task, plus attendance and in-class participation will have a 40% weight on the final mark.
Final project
It consists on a movie script analysis. The title will have to be extracted from a provided films list. Students must put everything they have learnt in class into practice. The recommended length is 12 pages.
5. Bibliography and teaching resources
5.1. Basic bibliography
CARRIÈRE, J.C.: BONITZER, P. Práctica del guión cinematográfico. Barcelona: Paidós, 1991. Colección de guiones originales de Hollywood scripts.
MCKEE, R. El Guión. Sustancia, estructura, estilo y principios de la escritura de guiones. Barcelona: Alba Editorial, 2002.
5.2. Complementary bibliography
COMPARATO,D. El guió. Barcelona: Generalitat de Catalunya / Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, 1989.
CHION, M. Cómo se escribe un guión. Madrid: Cátedra, 1992
FELDMAN, S. Guión argumental, guión documental. Barcelona: Gedisa, 1990
VALE, E. Técnicas del guión para cine y televisión. Barcelona: Gedisa, 1993
5.3. Teaching resources
Films list.
6. Metodology
THEORETICAL CLASSES: They will take place during the first five weeks of the term. The ten theoretical units will be taught along the four weekly hours of class.
PRACTICAL CLASSES: They will take place during the next five weeks of the term. They whole group will view a film and afterwards the groups created in the seminars will analyze the different elements conforming the script.
The four weekly hours will be distributed like this:
- two hours: film viewing.
- two hours: group script analysis
7. Planning of activities
|
Week
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In- class activity |
Out of class activity |
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Week 1 |
Session 1: UNIT 1 Session 2: UNIT 2
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Week 2 |
Session 1: UNIT 3 Session 2: UNIT 4
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Week 3
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Session 1: UNIT 5 Session 2: UNIT 6
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Week 4
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Session 1: UNIT 7 y 8 Session 2: UNIT 9 (part I)
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Week 5
|
Session 1: UNIT 9 (part II) Session 2: UNIT 10
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Week 6
|
Session 1: FILM 1 viewing Session 2: seminar (group tasks presentation)
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1 |
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Week 7
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Session 1: FILM 2 viewing Session 2: seminar
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Each group will have to analyze an assigned topic. |
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Week 8
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Session 1: FILM 3 viewing Session 2: seminar
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Each group will have to analyze an assigned topic. |
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Week 9
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Session 1: FILM 4 viewing Session 2: seminar
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Each group will have to analyze an assigned topic. |
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Week 10
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Session 1: group tutoring session about the final project Session 2: FILM viewing and subsequent debate
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