Syllabus

                            ZUR 393m Films - writing the screen outline

              (Screen Outline Writing for Fiction films with Review of American Film)

                                    Lecturer: Richard P. Milner

                       Assistant: Pavel Sedláček, pavelsedlacek@mail.muni.cz


Timetable (13 sessions):


·        Thursday, 12th Nov 2015, 8am-9.30am, room U34 + 5pm-8.15pm, room U34,

Joštova 10, Faculty of Social Studies


·        Friday, 13th Nov 2015, from 8am-1pm, room U34,

Joštova 10, Faculty of Social Studies


·        Thursday, 19th Nov 2015, 8am-9.30am, room U34 + 5pm - 8.15pm, room P22,

Joštova 10, Faculty of Social Studies


·        Friday, 20th Nov 2015, from 8am to 1pm, room U33,

Joštova 10, Faculty of Social Studies

Assignments: three outlines and viewing of all films, one before each class.


Texts: Story by Robert McKee.


Film list:


The Kid Stays In The Picture – Brett Morgen from memoir by Robert Evans.


The Graduate – Calder Willingham.


Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – William Goldman.


Point Break – W. Peter Iliff.


Annie Hall – Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman.


Chinatown – Robert Towne.


Jackie Brown – Quentin Tarantino – adapted from Elmore Leonard’s novel Rum Punch.


Breaking Bad (Episodes 12, 12 and 13) – Vince Gilligan and team.


Classroom: Using examples from the film list, Milner will give lectures on the following with
remaining class time dedicated to student participation and mutual assistance under Milner’s
guidance.


Genres - overview, viewer expectation and the importance of writing within genres.


Theme - deciding what the film should be about.


Culture in America - at the time.


Characters – understanding the difference between a character and a person, character description
and the importance of contrast.


Plot – three-act compared to other forms with and without subplots, the turning point, act
climaxes, and the power of withholding information.


Outline – Describing the scenes and the action in a card file stack first.


Dialogue – beats.


Scene Troubleshooting – scene imperatives.


Screenwriters Guild – why it exists.  Project registration.


Discussion of Copyright, Agents, Producers, Directors, Production Package, Attorneys, and Career
Routes.