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Time: Monday 9:30 am – 1:10 pm Instructor: Alex Kustanovich E-mail: akustanovich@brooklyn.cuny.edu Phone: 718-489-3445 Class website: Blackboard Office Hours – by Appointment Required Texts: Vogler, Christopher: Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers (available at the Brooklyn College Bookstore, 718-951-5150 http://brooklyn.bncollege.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TBWizardView?catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=25555 Recommended Texts: Truby, John: The Anatomy of Story Field, Syd: Screenplay Campbell, Joseph: The Hero With a Thousand Faces Egri, Lajos: The Art of Dramatic Writing Aristotle: Poetics Course Objective: To learn the basic structure of dramatic and visual storytelling, and to develop a step outline for a narrative feature film. Course Description: We will watch and discuss feature films, read and examine produced and unproduced screenplays, and study the fundamentals of movie structure and its narrative components -- story, character, action, and dialogue. We’ll discuss film genres and watch clips of popular (and not so popular) films. But most of all, we’ll do a lot of writing. Each week we’ll explore a new topic through lecture and writing exercise. You will upload your assignments and weekly exercises into the folder on Blackboard designated to your group. Each member of the group is required to read his/her group-mates' work and be prepared to discuss it in class. There will be TWO short, multiple-choice quizzes to test your knowledge of the assigned material. There will be NO MAKE-UP quizzes. You are Required to…

Attend all classes Participate in class discussions Read the assigned material(s) Read all the Blackboard posts, and the web pages linked in each post,

and /or the attached materials Complete all assignments and exercises Create a step outline for a feature-length screenplay Get at least a “B” on the Final Exam

Attendance and Class Participation Policy: Attendance, promptness and participation in class discussions are essential to your passing this course. The Brooklyn College Film Department has a strict attendance policy. So that there are no surprises and disappointments later in the semester, please be sure to read and memorize the paragraph below. You are allowed to miss ONE CLASS throughout the course of the semester. However, if you miss more than one, your grade will be no higher than a B. If you miss more than two classes, you will FAIL the course. Just in case you accidentally skipped the line above, let me repeat it again: IF YOU MISS MORE THAN TWO CLASSES YOU WILL FAIL THE COURSE. Please note: A student who arrives to class more than fifteen (15) minutes late is considered absent. We meet once a week and have a lot of material to cover, so before you make a commitment to this course, please make sure that you can attend it every Monday from 9:30 am to 1:10. Habitual lateness (five minutes, more than twice) will result in a drop of a full grade.

FILM 2301, SCREENWRITING II Spring, 2014

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We will have TWO FIFTEEN-MINUTE BREAKS (OR ONE THIRTY-MINUTE BREAK – it’s up to you) each class, so you’ll have plenty of time to make that important phone call, eat a blueberry muffin, or do a yoga shoulder stand to wake yourself up. However, when the fifteen minutes are up, you are expected back in the classroom. Anyone who extends his or her break by even one minute will be marked absent. PLEASE NOTE: We'll be using the BC BLACKBOARD http://portal.cuny.edu, where you will uploading your assignments (I will provide detailed instructions on how to do it). Blackboard offers the security and privacy that a site on the open Web does not. You can also view the class syllabus and calendar on Blackboard, class notes and highlights, and your grades, of course. All correspondence should be sent to my BC email: akustanovich@brooklyn.cuny.edu ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE IN YOUR RESPECTIVE FOLDERS ON BLACKBOARD NO LATER THAN 9:30AM ON THEIR DUE DATE. NO HARD COPIES, PLEASE (unless you have a good reason to bring one to class). All assignments have to be turned in on time. Any assignment handed in within one week after its due date will be marked down a full letter grade. No assignment will be accepted later than one week after its due date. Please note: You are allowed a maximum of two times during the semester to hand in your assignment late. Any time thereafter, even if the assignment is turned in 10 minutes past its due time, you will get an “F”. Academic Dishonesty: Any student found engaging in an act of academic dishonesty will be promptly dismissed from the course with a grade F. Academic dishonesty includes the following: Plagiarism – Presenting someone else’s work as your own. Collusion – Allowing others to do the writing or revisions for you. Evaluation will be based on the following:

1. Class participation: 15% (face-to-face and online)

2. Assignments and Exercises: 40%

3. Quizzes: 20%

4. Final Exam: 25%

Grade Requirements for the Department:

In order to receive credit for this course, you must get a grade of C or higher; in order to take any advanced screenwriting course, for which this course is a prerequisite, you must receive a grade of B or higher. There will be NO INCOMPLETES given in this class. Class Etiquette The entire class will be working together, so each student is expected to be a well-prepared presenter and a courteous and thoughtful listener who offers constructive and appropriate feedback. Ask yourself what you can do during each class discussion to move the class forward in a positive way. Please turn off your cell phones when you enter the classroom.

COURSE CALENDAR

DATE CLASSWORK HOMEWORK Week 1 Jan. 27

Introduction. The syllabus and course calendar. Overview of dramatic storytelling Premise and logline. The art of pitching. Group Assignment.

Vogler: Introduction and A Practical Guide Assignment #1: Come up with a PREMISE and LOGLINE for the story you want to write in this class. No longer than half-a- page. Due no later than Friday, January 31st, @ 11:59 pm (midnight). Upload the assignment to your respective folder on Blackboard.

Week 2 Feb. 3

7 Key Steps to story structure. Stages of the Hero’s Journey. Pitch and discuss your stories. Maximum 15 minutes per pitch. Be prepared. Comments / Feedback

Read COLLATERAL SCREENPLAY (on Blackboard )

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Week 3 Feb 10

Continue to pitch and discuss your stories The art of writing a ONE-PAGE SYNOPSIS. Samples. Class exercises.

Vogler: The Archetypes, Hero, Mentor (pp. 23-49) Read the material on Blackboard.

Week 4 THURSDAY Feb. 20

NOTE: We are not meeting on Monday, Feb. 17 because of Lincoln’s Birthday. But are required to meet on THURSDAY, Feb. 20. Be sure to adjust your schedule. Continue to pitch and discuss your stories Joseph Campbell -- The Power of Myth, Part I

Read THE MATRIX SCREENPLAY (on Blackboard) Follow the links to the synopsis samples on Blackboard. Start working on the synopsis for your story. Be sure to keep the synopsis NO LONGER than ONE PAGE. Synopsis assignment due no later than Friday, Feb.28nd @11:59 pm(midnight). Upload the assignment to your respective folders on Blackboard.

Week 5 Feb. 24

Synopsis questions / problems? Screening and analyzing The Matrix Hero’s Journey beats.

Read Sequence Outline samples (on Blackboard) Vogler: Herald through Trickster (pp. 49-81) Be prepared for Quiz 1 on March 3.

Week 6 March 3

Quiz 1 Sequence Outline (Act I, Act II, Mid-Point, Act III, Self-Revelation/Audience Revelation) Film Clips. Exercises.

Start working on your Sequence Outline. Vogler: Ordinary World through Refusal of the Call (pp. 81-117) Read YOU CAN COUNT ON ME screenplay (on Blackboard) Sequence Outline assignment due no later than Friday, March 14th @11:59 pm (midnight). Upload the assignment to your respective folder on Blackboard.

Week 7 March 10

Screening and analyzing You Can Count on Me Scene Analyses

Vogler: Meeting with the Mentor through Approach to the Inmost Cave (pp. 117-155) Read AVATAR SCREENPLAY (on Blackboard)

Week 8 March 17

The Step Outline: Act 1 Discussing the Avatar screenplay. Story beats. Scene Construction Step vs. Scene Exercises.

Step Outline – Act 1 assignment due no later than Friday, March 21 @11:59 pm (midnight). Upload the assignment to your respective folder on Blackboard.

Week 9 March 24

Step Outline – Act 2

Anatomy of a Scene: Body Heat, Eve’s Bayou, The Verdict.

Start working on Act 2 (Part I and Part II) of your Step Outline.

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Week 10 March 31

Film genres.

Screening and analyzing Rosemary’s Baby

Vogler: Meeting with the Mentor through Approach to the Inmost Cave (pp. 117-155) Step Outline – Act 2 & 3 assignment due no later than Friday, April 25th @11:59 pm (midnight). Upload the assignment to your respective folder on Blackboard.

Week 11 April 7

Step Outline – Act III

Reading scenes, group exercises, film clips.

Joseph Campbell – The Power of Myth, Part II

Read NIGHTCRAWLER SCREENPLAY (on Blackboard) Vogler: The Ordeal through Return with the Elixir (pp. 155-215) Be prepared for Quiz 2 on April 28th.

NO CLASS

Spring Recess

NO CLASS

Spring Recess

Week 12 April 28

Quiz 2 Final Exam, Part 1: Draft 2 of your Step Outline Screening The Lives of Others.

Step Outline – Draft 2 assignment due no later than Monday, May 5th @ 9:30am. Upload the assignment to your respective folder on Blackboard.

Week 13 May 5

Extra-Credit assignment (optional). Final Exam, Part 2: Screenplay Coverage Coverage samples. 1 Hour TV Drama vs. Feature Film Reading Breaking Bad screenplay (pilot) Screening Breaking Bad pilot

Screenplay Coverage assignment due on Monday, May 19 @9:30am. BRING A HARD COPY TO CLASS!

Week 14 May 12

Screening and analyzing Thelma and Louise.

Work on Part 2 of your Final Exam.

Week 15 May 19

FINAL ASSIGNMENT DUE. Hard Copy! Screening and analyzing … (I’ll surprise you) Final thoughts. Summing up.

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER