It’s week seven—the big one—and your final scripts are due! There’s no discussion board this week so you can focus all your energy on revising, refining, and completing your screenplay. I’ve finished reading through your drafts and provided detailed feedback, especially on formatting, which is a crucial element in the industry. Along with your final script, don’t forget to submit your feedback journal reflecting on the suggestions you used or chose to skip. Keep pushing forward, and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions—I’m here to help you cross the finish line strong!
7 Apr 2025
The Pressure is on...
Week six is here, which means you're in the home stretch! I’ve graded your rough drafts and kept formatting expectations flexible, but be prepared for a more detailed critique on your final drafts. This week, we’re diving into the importance of screenplay formatting—especially dialogue placement and action description—and how these elements serve the visual and collaborative nature of film. You'll also be writing coverage, a valuable industry skill used by agents and production companies to evaluate scripts. Use this week to give thoughtful feedback, revise intentionally, and prepare to elevate your work for the final push!
22 Mar 2025
The Importance of Formatting
Week four marks a significant transition in the course from analyzing to actively writing your short films. It's crucial now to focus on proper screenplay formatting, which signals professionalism to producers, agents, and directors. If you haven't already, securing screenwriting software like Final Draft or Celtx is essential; these tools help ensure your script adheres to industry standards, where one page approximately equals one minute of screen time. Formatting helps predict production elements like timing and budget, based on a general efficiency rate of filming about five pages per day for professional crews.
This week, you'll start by writing a single scene from your outlined short film. Choose any scene—whether it’s the beginning, climax, or end—and begin exploring how your ideas translate onto the page. Additionally, continue engaging in the peer review process by posting your outline in the discussion board early, allowing ample time for feedback. Remember to include constructive critiques that highlight strengths, identify areas for improvement, and offer specific suggestions. Also, keep updating your feedback journal. If questions arise during your writing process, don’t hesitate to reach out for guidance through various available channels. This week is about diving into the practical challenges of screenwriting, setting the stage for the intensive writing phase ahead.
22 Mar 2025
The Important Foundation of Any Story
Welcome to Week 3! Last week, we began shaping your ideas, and I provided feedback on your summaries and loglines. This week, we're diving into how to structure those ideas using the classic three-act structure, a narrative model refined over millennia, originating from Aristotle's principles. Understanding this structure is crucial, as it is foundational to storytelling, with variations ranging from Shakespeare’s five acts to Blake Snyder’s 15 beats in "Save the Cat." However, for the short films you're developing—limited to around 10 pages—we'll focus on a simplified version of this structure to ensure clarity and conciseness in your storytelling.
This week's tasks will help you apply the three-act structure to your screenplays. Act one should establish your characters and setting, featuring an inciting incident that propels your main character into a new trajectory. Act two will introduce significant obstacles and a midpoint twist, escalating to a climax that transitions into the final act. Act three includes the ultimate climax and resolution, providing closure and answering the narrative's central questions. Your assignment includes analyzing this structure in short films from Week 1, identifying inciting incidents, and understanding character progression. You'll also begin outlining your screenplay, ensuring you have a solid framework before writing the script in full. Remember, while the act structure is a planning tool, it should not be explicitly outlined in your screenplay, as per industry standards. Keep working on your journal as well, documenting and reflecting on the feedback you receive, as this will inform your revisions and enhance your script's development.
10 Mar 2025
Character Development - ENG 323 Module 2
Week 1 saw impressive loglines from everyone, and now Week 2 focuses on deepening your screenwriting skills. This week, you need to post a logline and summary of your short film on the discussion board for peer review. The majority of your grade (90%) hinges on the quality of the feedback you provide, highlighting strengths, identifying areas for improvement, and making constructive suggestions. Ensure your feedback is thorough to not only help your peers but to also meet the grading criteria.Additionally, you're tasked with writing a short paper focusing on character development. It's crucial to create well-rounded characters with clear objectives and voices. Practical scriptwriting tips include limiting locations and characters to make production more feasible and aiming for a script length that corresponds to a runtime of under ten minutes. By week's end, you'll analyze the feedback received, deciding what to integrate based on its relevance and utility. This ongoing reflection and application of feedback are vital for your development and will contribute significantly to your final project in Week 7.
3 Mar 2025
Module 1 - Starting out strong!
Welcome to English 323: Introduction to Screenwriting, led by your instructor, Dustin Knouse. Based in Los Angeles, Dustin is an active screenwriter and film professional who also runs a podcast production company. This course is tailored to immerse you in the screenwriting process, focusing on writing, watching, and critiquing films to hone your skills. You'll be tasked with writing a short screenplay, reviewing peer work, and refining your script based on feedback, a crucial skill in the professional writing environment.
Throughout the term, you'll engage deeply with the art of receiving and giving feedback, learning to discern underlying issues in critiques and to offer constructive comments to your peers. Dustin emphasizes the importance of effective peer reviews and encourages going beyond minimum requirements to enhance your own understanding and skills. The course also includes practical assignments like crafting engaging discussion board posts and developing loglines, essential tools for a screenwriter. Tools like Final Draft are recommended for proper script formatting, critical for professional success. Dustin encourages a proactive approach to learning and managing your time effectively to make the most out of this class.
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