Kurt Vonnegut's Rules for Short Stories

Sounds suspiciously like Syd Field's rules for screenplays:

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.*

5. Start as close to the end as possible.

6. Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

From this blog.

Freewrite #5

I realize that there is a build-up of writing for this class at the end of the semester, and I'd rather have you concentrate on your Kelly Link adaptation project than rush through that (it is a large portion of your final grade).

So what I've decided to do is make The Orchid Thief/Adaptation freewrite extra credit for those of you who need a boost to get a decent grade in this class. Some of you have been late more than four times (which is a grade reduction), some have handed in freewrites late quite frequently or have had not very good grades on them, some never talk in class (which won't hurt your grade that much at all if your writing and attendance has been good, but will if not), and some are missing assignments entirely.

So, if any of the above describes you, then I recommend you do the freewrite. It will be just like the freewrites earlier in the semester as described in the syllabus (see below).

This last freewrite will be due on Friday, the 20th.
The Kelly Link project (which I'll review in class on Monday) is due Friday, the 27th.

Final Papers

The story that I am having you base your final assignment on is "Survivor's Ball, or, The Donner Party." It's actually available online but I'd rather have you read the version that I will xerox from her book, Stranger Things Happen, which I highly recommend since I've greatly enjoyed reading it the past couple of days.

Some things you should consider in terms of research:

• look up what the "Donner Party" was
• look up some things about New Zealand geography
• after having read the book, try seeing a movie or two that it reminds you of, or at review the movie in your head and figure out what the two major plot points were
• keep notecards or a notebook of ideas you have for your movie in the next couple of weeks so that when you write your scene and summary, you can do it quickly

Kelly Link has a page on her website of reviews of her work which gives you an idea of her style:
http://www.kellylink.net/reviews/index.htm

This assignment is like the first assignment, but you don't have to do a movie pitch or a tagline. What I'd like is:

• a one page data sheet that tells me 1) who the protagonist is, 2) what his/her "dramatic need" is, 3) what the "plot" is, 4) what genre you think the movie is, 5) what transformation the main character experiences, and 6) the tone of the movie (use examples from other films to illustrate if you want, or even from music or painting).
• a detailed, but not too long, synopsis (make it 3-4 pages, spaced at 1.5 -- DO NOT SINGLE SPACE). The synopsis should be broken down into three acts, with the middle one being the longest. The middle act should list AT LEAST 3 SPECIFIC CONFLICTS the protagonist encounters. The final act is not just the resolution to the story, but the resolution to the hero's dramatic need.
• a short scene from the movie, roughly 5-7 pages in the format that we have discussed many times. Be clear when you write the scene how it moves the story forward and/or what it tells us about the characters.
• finally, for extra credit (some of you need this), map your story out as best you can according to the outline we have of the "The Story of the Hero," which is on the blog. To fit this, remember that you don't have to be literal (for instance, I think a combination of the pesky preacher and Wendy driving by in The Ice Storm was kind of like the visionary soothsayer Obi-Wan incident telling her her mission)

I want this to be a STRONG ADAPTATION, not a freewheeling one like we did with "The Nose." You should use the setting and as many of the incidents from the story as you can, but most importantly, convey the tone of the story.

Think about how information is revealed in the story, how the characters talk, etc. If you want to add material -- and you are going to have to, especially since the story kind of ends in a strange, unresolved way -- make sure it fits the mood and mechanics of the rest of the story.

By "mechanics" I mean the pace, how information is revealed, what is possible in this imaginary world, etc. If you put a car chase at the end, for example, make sure it's really integral to everything that has happened prior to that, and that it is "special" in the way the events prior to it are.

I think of this story as being set up fairly conventionally, and being not too unusual in structure for the early parts. But after that, it really turns in many different directions. Most likely, you will have to make the ending a bit more conventional to make it work, but then again, it's up to you.

Remember, this is due FRIDAY, THE 27th. (Seniors, please try to get it in a little earlier, but it's ok if you just get it in the 27th).

We don' thave class on the 23rd or the 30th, and will be watching a movie on the 25th and 27th and doing a little review of the semester. Maybe we'll do a food day on the 27th and have a little party.

Freewrite #4

I want to play with this idea of screenplay form creating a sort of censorship by the limitations of its content. We have only been studying the "Hollywood" screenplay, but there are other types of feature-length narrative movies made. These are usually considered "indpendent" films, but also many films from Europe and elsewhere will have different structures. (We talked about movies like "Elephant," "Boys Don't Cry," "Kids" and "Requiem for a Dream," though some of these use pretty standard screenplay form).

So, for this freewrite, I want you to concentrate on those parts of the book that would not be possible to include in a Hollywood film. These don't have to be the parts concerning sex, they can also include the intense negativity (regarding the family, for instance) or the use of alcohol or just an unhappy ending. It can even concern the types of information and context/setting that is in the book.

I want you to write a short scene (3-5 pages) that puts some of the excluded matter from the book into the movie, as well as write a brief analysis of the choices you made in getting it into film (2-3 pages). Be sure to use proper screenplay format when doing this.

The questions I want you to consider are:

• does the Hollywood screenplay form by nature exclude some types of content?
• does the fact of the movie being intended for "mainstream" audiences preclude the inclusion of some content?
• are there more freedoms for the novel than for the movie?
• are there ways to "sneak" certain content into a film?
• how would you film certain scenes without being too graphic?
• how would your scene transform the nature of how the actual movie was made - would it have to be "rawer"? more camara-shaky? use not-so-famous performers? etc.

This is due on Friday, the 6th (not this Monday, as it says on the syllabus).

We'll go over this in class on Monday if you are confused by it.

Underground Film

I'd like to begin thinking about "underground" film and the possibilities open for a non-Hollywood screenplay in terms of adaptation. What is the most "underground" film that you've seen and what about it qualifies it as "underground"? Another term to think about is "transgression." Are the novels we are reading "transgressive," and are the films based on them also?

Here are some links to give you some impression of what I mean:

http://www.nyuff.com/2007/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_film
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Transgression
http://www.auff.org/
http://www.antimatter.ws/

The Hero's Story

Following is a summary of the "Hero's Story" as described in Joseph Campbell's hugely influential book The Hero With a Thousand Faces.

It took it from one of the many sites that seems to want to talk about this book in relation to movies.

http://www.skepticfiles.org/atheist2/hero.htm

Another, at once more detailed but less concerned with films, can be found here:

http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/ref/summary.html

I actually first came across it in my playwriting class with Paula Vogel and didn't apply it to screenplays.

Remember, I didn't write the following...

The stages of the HERO are:

1) THE HERO IS INTRODUCED IN HIS ORDINARY WORLD.

Most stories take place in a special world, a world that is new and alien to its hero. If you're going to tell a story about a fish out of his customary element, you first have to create a contrast by showing him in his mundane, ordinary world. In WITNESS you see both the Amish boy and the policeman in their ordinary worlds before they are thrust into alien worlds -- the farmboy into the city, and the city cop into the unfamiliar countryside. In STAR WARS you see Luke Skywalker bored to death as a farmboy before he takes on the universe.

2) THE CALL TO ADVENTURE.

The hero is presented with a problem, challenge, or adventure. Maybe the land is dying, as in the Arthur stories about the search for the Holy Grail. In STAR WARS again, it's Princess Leia's holographic message to Obi Wan Kenobi, who asks Luke to join in the quest. In detective stories, it's the hero accepting a new case. In romantic comedies it could be the first sight of that special -- but annoying someone the hero or heroine will be pursuing/sparring with the remainder of the story.

3) THE HERO IS RELUCTANT AT FIRST.

Often at this point, the hero balks at the threshold of adventure. After all, he or she is facing the greatest of all fears -- fear of the unknown. At this point Luke refuses Obi Wan's call to adventure, and returns to his aunt and uncle's farmhouse, only to find they have been barbqued by the Emperor's stormtroopers. Suddenly Luke is no longer reluctant, and is eager to undertake the adventure. He is motivated.

4) THE HERO IS ENCOURAGED BY THE WISE OLD MAN OR WOMAN.

By this time many stories will have introduced a Merlin-like character who is the hero's mentor. In JAWS it's the crusty Robert Shaw character who knows all about sharks; in the mythology of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, it's Lou Grant. The mentor gives advice and sometimes magical weapons. This is Obi Wan Kenobi giving Luke Skywalker his father's light sabre.

The mentor can only go so far with the hero. Eventually the hero must face the unknown by himself. Sometimes the wise old man is required to give the hero a swift kick in the pants to get the adventure going.

5) THE HERO PASSES THE FIRST THRESHOLD.

He fully enters the special world of his story for the first time. This is the moment at which the story takes off and the adventure gets going. The balloon goes up, the romance begins, the plane or spaceship blasts off, the wagon train gets rolling. Dorothy sets out on the Yellow Brick Road. The hero is now committed to his journey... and there's no turning back.

6) THE HERO ENCOUNTERS TESTS AND HELPERS.

The hero is forced to make allies and enemies in the special world, and to pass certain tests and challenges that are part of his training. In STAR WARS, the cantina is the setting for the forging of an important alliance with Han Solo, and the start of an important enmity with Jabba The Hut. In CASABLANCA, Rick's Cafe is the setting for the "alliances and enmities" phase, and in many westersn it's the saloon where these relationships are established.

The tests and challenges phase is represented in STAR WARS by the scene of Obi Wan teaching Luke about the Force, as Luke is made to learn by fighting blindfolded. The early laser battles with the Imperial Fighters are another test which Luke passes successfully.

7) THE HERO REACHES THE INNERMOST CAVE

The hero comes at last to a dangerous place, often deep underground, where the object of his quest is hidden. In the Arthurian stories the Chapel Perilous is the dangerous chamber where the seeker finds the Grail. In many myths the hero has to descend into hell to retrieve a loved one, or into a cave to fight a dragon and gain a treasure. It's Theseus going into the Labyrinth to face the Minotaur. In STAR WARS it's Luke and company being sucked into the Death Star where they will rescue Princess Leia. Sometimes it's the hero entering the headquarters of his nemesis; and sometimes it's just the hero going into his or her own dream world to confront his or hers worst fears... and overcome them.

8) THE HERO ENDURES THE SUPREME ORDEAL.

This is the moment at which the hero touches bottom. He faces the possibility of death, brought to the brink in a fight with a mythical beast. For us, the audience standing outside the cave waiting for the victor to emerge, it's a black moment. In STAR WARS, it's the harrowing moment in the bowels of the Death Star, where Luke, Leia and company are trapped in the giant trash-masher. Luke is pulled under by the tentacled monster that lives in the sewage, and is held down so long the audience begins to wonder if he's dead. E.T. momentarily appears to die on the operating table.

This is a critical moment in any story, an ordeal in which the hero appears to die and is born again. It's a major source of the magic of the hero myth. What happens is that the audience has been led to identify with the hero. We are encouraged to experience the brink-of-death feeling with the hero. We are temporarily depressed, and then we are revived by the hero's return from death.

This is the magic of any well-designed amusement park thrill ride. Space Mountain or The Great White Knuckler make the passengers feel like they're going to die, and there's a great thrill that comes from surviving a moment like that. This is also the trick of rites of passage and rites of initiation into fraternities and secret societies. The initiate is forced to taste death and experience resurrection. You're never more alive than when you think you're going to die.

9) THE HERO SIEZES THE SWORD.

Having survived death, beaten the dragon, slain the Minotaur, the hero now takes possession of the treasure he's come seeking. Sometimes it's a special weapon like a magic sword, or it may be a token like the Grail or some elixer which can heal the wounded land.

Sometimes the "sword" is knowledge and experience that leads to greater understanding and a reconciliation with hostile forces.

The hero may settle a conflict with his father or with his shadowy nemesis. In RETURN OF THE JEDI, Luke is reconciled with both, as he discovers that the dying Darth Vader is his father, and not such a bad guy after all.

The hero may also be reconciled with a woman. Often she is the treasure he's come to win or rescue, and there is often a love scene or sacred marriage at this point. Women in these stories (or men if the hero is female) tend to be SHAPE-SHIFTERS. They appear to change in form or age, reflecting the confusing and constantly changing aspects of the opposite sex as seen from the hero's point of view. The hero's supreme ordeal may grant him a better understanding of women, leading to a reconciliation with the opposite sex.

10) THE ROAD BACK.

The hero's not out of the woods yet. Some of the best chase scenes come at this point, as the hero is pursued by the vengeful forces from whom he has stolen the elixir or the treasure. This is the chase as Luke and friends escape from the Death Star, with Princess Leia and the plans that will bring down Darth Vader.

If the hero has not yet managed to reconcile with his father or the gods, they may come raging after him at this point. This is the moonlight bicycle flight of Elliott and E.T. as they escape from "Keys" (Peter Coyote), a force representing governmental authority. By the end of the movie, Keys and Elliott have been reconciled, and it even looks like Keys will end up as Elliott's father. (The script not the final cut, guys).

11) RESURRECTION.

The hero emerges from the special world, transformed by his experience. There is often a replay here of the mock death-and-rebirth of stage 8, as the hero once again faces death and survives. Each ordeal wins him new command over the Force. He is transformed into a new being by his experience.

12) RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR.

The hero comes back to his ordinary world, but his adventure would be meaningless unless he brought back the elixir, treasure, or some lesson from the special world. Sometimes it's just knowledge or experience, but unless he comes back with the exlixir or some boon to mankind, he's doomed to repeat the adventure until he does. Many comedies use this ending, as a foolish character refuses to learn his lesson and embarks on the same folly that got him in trouble in the first place.

Sometimes the boon is treasure won on the quest, or love, or just the knowledge that the special world exists and can be survived. Sometimes it's just coming home with a good story to tell.

The Ice Storm / The Hours

I've reformatted the Ice Storm screenplay -- the one online was no good. But it won't let me upload it to the server, so I've sent it out in an email -- let me know if you didn't get it.

Remember that we are discussing the movie and screenplay of the Ice Storm first, then the novel. If it makes reading the novel less of pleasure, well that's something to talk about. I've never read anything about why seeing a movie specifically ruins a reading experience, but I'm sure we can come up with a few theories beyond the general "I like to imagine things for myself." Does the mythic, heavily plotted structure of a movie ruin the freewheeling, indeterminate nature of good novels? Is it simply more possible to "say more" -- things more private, detailed, or counter to social norms -- in novels than in movies, even underground ones?

As for the Hours, one question I'd like to think about is how a movie could have one "hero" enacted through three different women. I.e. how do the lacunae -- the unscreened portions, the blank spaces -- of one story get filled in by another? (Look up "lacuna" -- it's a great "SAT" word.)

Next Class / Voyage to the Moon

Just a reminder: for the next class, I'd like to concentrate on those sections of the screenplay that didn't make it to the final film. We'll look at how these sections tried to retain some elements of the book, and also how they served (in the screenwriter's mind) to create backstory, move the plot along, etc.

Someone just posted on YouTube the first science fiction extravaganza, George Melies' A Voyage to the Moon, with a new hip soundtrack. Well worth watching (all of ten minutes long) though I'm not sure if the sound really works.

Thierry Mugler, Fashion Designer

Somewhere between Blade Runner and Nine Inch Nails... or whatever.

Interview with Thierry Mugler

Ratings System

Well worth reading is the Motion Picture Association of America film rating system entry on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPAA_film_rating_system

The Motion Picture Rating System entry has information on these codes as used in different countries:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_picture_rating_system

Fixed Blade Runner Screenplay

I've fixed the Blade Runner screenplay:

http://www.arras.net/screenplays_stockton/

Remember that you don't have to print this out if you are willing to bring your laptop to class. You can also read a friend's copy provided you can share in class.

Freewrite Assignment #2

As I mentioned in class, you have three options for the next freewrite assignment, due on Wednesday, February 28.

Option 1:
Write this assignment according to the same guidelines as you wrote the last one. You can review those guidelines in the Class Policies:
http://2007stocktonscreenplay.blogspot.com/2007/01/class-policies.html

Since the film differs greatly from the book, don’t just list the changes but be sure to ask questions of genre transformations and tonal shifts, since that contributes to the decision making process.

This should be roughly 3-4 pages in the format outlined on the syllabus (1.5 spacing, Times or other serif font, etc.)

Option 2:
Construct a new scene for Blade Runner (the movie, not the screenplay) that fits seamlessly into the story. You don’t have to construct one sequence that takes place at one moment of the movie but can scatter your scenes throughout the film. You can also change bits of the story to fit your new scenes if you have to, but nothing more than a few details. Don’t rewrite any of the movie, and sure to base some of your material on unused portions of Androids.

This has to be in proper screenplay form – review these matters in the Syd Field book and in use our print-outs as reference. Review all materials concerning scene/sequence construction in Screenplay as well, especially regarding context/content and how much information a scene provides. Remember that scenes can be incredibly short – a simple long shot, for example, of a person walking down the street.

Remember that your scenes must also conform to the three act structure. I.e. scenes in the first act must contribute to the set-up, scenes in the second to the series of conflicts that the characters undergo, and scenes in the third act to the resolution of the conflicts.

Also, characters that appear in your scene who are also in the movie must share the same speaking style – i.e. if your character is prone to witty, dark humor, then you have to write new lines that fit stylistically (though, of course, you should also introduce new elements to the character, telling us a little more about them).

This should be roughly 5-7 pages of material, but can be longer if you need that amount.

Option 3:
Write a new three-act structure for a new feature film that uses material in Androids that does not appear in the film. Use Isidore as the main character, though you can of course include as major characters figures that appear in the film (Deckard, Rachel, Roy Batty, etc.) However, these characters must be transformed accordingly for your new story.

As I noted with “The Nose” assignment, your third acts seemed to be the weakest to the degree that the conflicts set-up in the earlier parts of your films were not resolved. Major characters simply dropped away, or you rushed to get to the “message” of you film without really ending the story. So be clear in your mind how you want your characters lives to have been changed by the events of the films – every strong character must have some identifiable transformation to have occurred. What do you want the audience to walk away feeling?

Also, remember other issues such as backstory, the context of the events, the genre of the film, etc. Don't worry about budget and that other stuff, this is not a production group assignment.

This should be roughly 3-4 pages in the format outlined on the syllabus (1.5 spacing, Times or other serif font, etc.)

Notes from Class

Either moves story forward or
Reveals something about the character

Scene can be as long or shot

INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY

Every change of place/time is a new scene

Scene gives just one piece of information

Two types of scenes
Action scene; dialogue scene

A to B type of action occurs in every scene
(either character moves, or story moves)

First you develop context then content

Must have conflict

You don’t always need to show the entire scene.

Synergy: the study of systems

Visual aid.

Sequence: one single idea, with a beginning, middle and end.

One or two word phrase sums it up.

Context holds the content.

Montage

Fight Club Wrap Up

I'd like to wrap up Fight Club on Wednesday. I'd like everyone to write a page on one sequence in the screenplay (not the movie) listing out the various elements that Syd Field describes in the chapter on sequences. Also, isolate one scene within the sequence and list out those qualities of the scene that Field describes.

These include issues such as the following:

• what does the scene/sequence reveal about the character or how does it move the story forward?
• how do the scenes add up to build the sequence (is it linear or nonlinear? close to the book or departing from it?)
• what is the context/content/purpose of the scene and what piece of information does it provide?
• what is the context/content/purpose of the sequence and what is its central idea?
• does the scene show "the entire scene" (see page 181 of Screenplay) and if not, what do you suspect is missing?
• are there "visual aids" in the sequence (like the goat leg in Jurrasic Park)?
• are there poetic moments in the descriptive (non-dialogue) parts of the screenplay worth noting?

This seems like a lot to answer, but you don't have to write that much -- one or two sentences answering the above. But of course, make it clear to me what you mean.

I'll be collecting these at the beginning of class to look over and base our class discussion on. Please also have Androids read by Wednesday.

Vikki King's Screenplay Outline

1: set the scene, tone/pace, style of filmmaking
3: what it’s about – central question
10: by page ten, you have to have your audience hooked
30: first main plot point
45: “small scene with symbolic overtones,” clue to resolution
60: hero commits even more to the goal
Just after page 60: lighter scene that shows hero is changing
75: hero looks like he’s going to lose his goal
90: plot point 2, event that “educates” the hero
120: resolution

John Updike's A&P

Fiddle-dee-do...

http://www.tiger-town.com/whatnot/updike/

Film Pitch Assignment

I'd like to hear your movie pitch on the 29th and 31st. There are not too many sites on the web with sample pitches, but a few. Your pitch should tell the whole story of your movie, dramatically, so as to entice interest. You are JUST TELLING THE STORY. However, be prepared to answer questions about budgeting, locations, etc.

The written part of the assignment should include:

• your pitch (or the notes you used in your pitch)
• a synopsis (no more than 2.5 pages)
• a tagline (a single sentence that tells us the story)
• a single scene of roughly 5 - 7 pages of dialogue/action
• the breakdown of the movie into its three acts, including plot points
• anything else you decide to include that gives me a better idea of what the movie is about

The written part is due on Friday, the 2nd. We MIGHT have a short vocabulary test that day, but most likely we will review Syd Field, then act out some of the scenes.

Film Terms

Movie Terms Glossary
http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Greenlight/Movie_Terms//index.shtml

Glossary of Film Terms
http://cepa.newschool.edu/~schlemoj/film_courses/glossary_of_film_terms/glossary.html

Terms from Film and Fiction
http://writing2.richmond.edu/jessid/eng216/216terms.html

Wikipedia: Cinematic Techniques
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_techniques

Online Screenplays

I've put the three screenplays that are available online at my site. They are for the Fight Club (two versions), Bladerunner and The Ice Storm. I've reformatted them a bit to clean them up.

http://www.arras.net/screenplays_stockton/

Syllabus (PDF)

Here is a link to the print version of the syllabus.

Schedule

January
Wed., 17: Introduction
Fri., 19: Create “production groups” / review screenplay format / short assignment

Mon., 22: Screenplay, pp. 1-142
Wed., 24: Screenplay, pp. 143-256
Fri., 26: Screenplay, pp. 257-end / assign The Nose

Mon., 29: review the screenplay outlines for the short story
Wed., 31: review the screenplay outlines for the short story

February
Fri., 2: test on terms and understanding of screenplay concepts

Mon., 5: Fight Club, first half
Wed., 7: Fight Club, second half
Fri., 9: Fight Club, discussion of film

Mon., 12: Fight Club screenplay, first third / writing assignment 1 due
Wed., 14: Fight Club screenplay, middle section
Fri., 16: Fight Club screenplay, final third

Mon., 19: President’s Day
Wed., 21: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Fri., 23: Blade Runner, discussion of film

Mon., 26: Blade Runner screenplay, first third / writing assignment 2 due
Wed., 28: Blade Runner screenplay, middle section

March
Fri., 2: Blade Runner screenplay, final third

Mon., 5: The Hours, first half
Wed., 7: The Hours, second half
Fri., 9: The Hours, discussion of film

Mon., 12: Spring Break
Wed., 14: Spring Break
Fri., 16: Spring Break

Mon., 19: The Hours, screenplay, first third / writing assignment 3 due
Wed., 21: The Hours, screenplay, middle section
Fri., 23: The Hours, screenplay, final third

Mon., 26: The Ice Storm, first half
Wed., 28: The Ice Storm, second half
Fri., 30: The Ice Storm, discussion of film

April
Mon., 2: The Ice Storm screenplay, first third / writing assignment 4 due
Wed., 4: Preceptorial Advising
Fri., 6: The Ice Storm screenplay, middle section

Mon., 9: The Ice Storm screenplay, final section
Wed., 11: The Orchid Thief, first half
Fri., 13: The Orchid Thief, second half

Mon., 16: Adaptation, discussion of film
Wed., 18: Adaptation, first third / writing assignment 5 due
Fri., 20: Adaptation, middle section

Mon., 23: Adaptation, final section
Wed., 25: Class presentations
Fri., 27: Class presentations

Mon., 30: Class presentations

Required Books

Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, by Syd Field
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Delta
ISBN: 0385339038

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Del Rey; Reissue edition
ISBN: 0345404475

Fight Club, a novel by Chuck Palanhiuk
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Owl Books; Reissue edition
ISBN: 0805076476

The Ice Storm, a novel by Rick Moody
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Back Bay Books
ISBN: 0316706000

The Hours, a novel by Michael Cunningham
Paperback: 229 pages
Publisher: Picador USA
ISBN: 0312243022

The Hours, directed by Stephen Daldry
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Miramax Books
ISBN: 0786888075

The Orchid Thief, a memoir by Susan Orlean
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 044900371X

Adaptation, directed by Spike Jonze
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Nick Hern Books
ISBN: 1854597086

Class Policies

Grading
Grading will primarily be based on your tests and writing.
• 50% five short assignments during the course of the semester
• 30% final paper
• 20% tests/classroom participation/presentations/in-class assignments etc.

Attendance
If you are more than ten minutes late, you will be considered late. Two lates equal an absence. Four absences result in a full letter reduction in your grade. More than that and you could be considered for a failing grade. For excused absences, I would like print documentation that I can keep (xerox of doctor report, etc).

You are expected to be quiet and attentive in class. If you are sleeping, typing on your cell phone, giggling and chatting, etc. this will count against you in the final grade.

Plagiarism
You will fail if caught plagiarizing.

Late papers and assignments
For every week a paper is late, it is worth a full grade less.

Format style
All papers should be in 12 point type (in Times Roman or similar font with serifs) with 1.5 spacing and 1 inch margins. They will be marked down if not in this format.

Writing Assignments
For each screenplay, you will be required to write a 4-5 page analysis including the following points:
• how does the screenplay breakdown according to page count?
• what are the plot points?
• what adjustments did the screenplay writer make to the original story, including additional characters, location, time, etc.?
• how effective were central characters created, including especially the protagonists and antagonists, but also the minor characters
• how did the dialogue change from the original to the screenplay?
• how did the filmed production differ from the written screenplay?
• was the screenplay adaptation successful? was the film successful?
• were there possibilities you saw in the original that were not fulfilled in the screenplay?

These assignments should not only demonstrate the above analysis, but also show me your writing level at its best. Please don’t hand me something you wrote at the last second. Of course, you can hardly cover every point above in 5 pages, so please organize your paper effectively and write efficiently.

Final Paper
Your final paper can either be written alone or with a “production group” of no more than 3 people. Everyone in the production group will receive the same grade, but the production groups must also include a two-page analysis of the collaborative process.

Your final paper will be based on a book of your choice, whether novel, play, non-fiction, even poem. Your final paper will include many of the analytical points where applicable from the assignments during the semester but it only needs to be 3-4 pages since many of the elements cannot be covered. Also included in the final paper will be material related to your selling of the film, including:
• a sales pitch (why make this movie? who will watch it?) presented to the class
• a two page summary of the story of the film
• your own 5-page adaptation of several pages of the original piece in proper screenplay format

This involves roughly 10 pages of writing and a presentation. Any missing elements will automatically count as a detraction from the final grade of the paper.

Introduction

There is no set way to adapt a novel to film: what makes a novel successful does not often succeed in movies. Feature-length screenplays have their own rules but also have several unique freedoms, such as the close-up, rapid changes of location, and digital effects. In this class we will read closely several novels and one memoir and the screenplays that were based on them. The screenplay will be treated as a literary form in its own right, and though viewing of the films is mandatory, this class will focus on the screenplay as a genre of writing. Some brief readings in the theory of genre and the development of the modern novel, as well as “how to” material on screenplay writing by Syd Field and Robert McKee, will also be assigned.

By the end of this class, students should be able to:
• isolate moments in movies and screenplays that highlight the structure of the film
• be able to identify plot points, the use of props and mise-en-scene, and other tropes of screenplay writing and film
• have a grounded sense of literary genre and how it is transformed in the adaptation
• have rudimentary mastery of the format of screenplay writing