School of Cinematic Arts

School of Cinematic Arts Writing Division CTWR 305: The Relationship Screenplay

Instructor: Sharon Doyle Class Schedule: Tuesday 10-12:50 Class Location: SCA 362 Office Hours: Tueday 2:30-4:30 by Appointment Contact Information: [email protected]; 6262984431

Course Objective:  The Student will explore different ways to develop a screen story whose action is driven by a character and his or her relationships.  The student will learn to write from different character perspectives.  The student will explore different kinds of relationships and different kinds of bonds which tie people together.  The student will explore different ways to build a wheel or matrix of characters whose relationship to the lead character or their own journey of character change affect the plot.  The Student will complete a first draft of a screenplay in 15 weeks.

Course Description: All screenplay stories are driven by relationships. Car chases and bank heists aren’t stories until we know who we’re rooting for or what has caused them to happen. Without crimes and master criminals like Moriarity, Sherlock Holmes is bored and shooting up, but without Dr. Watson, he would never talk to human beings. If it weren’t for Luke unconsciously needing a father, he would not follow Obi Wan Kenobi. If it weren’t for Hans Solo’s being touched by Luke’s passion, and returning, Luke would not be able to blow up the Deathstar. Without their mutual attraction pushing them, Romeo and Juliet would not defy their parents nor would Bonnie and Clyde have started robbing banks. Without our belief in these motivating relationships the plots would have no emotional traction for us.

When you start telling the story, you begin with a character. But characters are rarely act alone - they are motivated by wanting to love or win the respect of or destroy the people around them. We learn to love characters, get to know them, be able to anticipate the conflicts and the choices they will face, through the active presence of their friends and enemies. We understand them in context of the people around them. Not only do stories start with relationships, these relationships grow over the course of the story. The bonds that tie them to other characters are strong, but relationships change and all of the individuals change as a result. Those long arcs of character change often turn on a character changing his reaction to a significant other, a bond that that cannot be denied. A son accepts his father’s fantabulous story telling, a girl returns to her old friends after hanging out with the popular people, the hobbits return to the Shire as warriors.

Writing Division: Curriculum: Syllabus: Syllabus Template.doc So rather than start your screenplay with a story and invent characters to fit it, this course will be about starting with characters whose interactions push them forward into the story and whose needs are defined by their relationships to others. Their journey will be affected by the push and pull of the rich characters who surround your lead. There are a million different kinds of relationships. Some relationships are built on trust. Others thrive on conflict – Shrek and Donkey, the relationships at The Office, Romeo and Juliet. Conflict advances story, confict exists even between two characters who are trying to accomplish the same goal just because one is lazy and the other is anxious. So we have to know as writers :What are the bonds between the characters, what do those bonds look like when viewed from the other’s point of view.

Course Reading:

Students will be assigned to read and analyze a script based on their choice of characters and story.

Grading Criteria: Assignments are due on the day which they appear in the syllabus. Students should email their work to the entire class two days (Monday night by midnight) before it is due, so that students will have a chance to read and make notes on material.

Participation: 10% (10 points) Assignments: 54% (18 assignments, 3 points each) (3-A, 2.5 A-/B+, 2- B, 1.5 B-/C+ 1-C) Screenplay: 36% (36 points) ------100%

Please email me a copy of your assignments an hour before class Bring a paper copy for yourself so that you can take notes.

As per Writing Division policy the following is a breakdown of numeric grade to letter grade:

A 100% to 94% B 86% to 83% C- 72% to 70% D+ 69% to 67% B- 82% to 80% D 66% to 63% A- 93% to 90% C 76% to 73% D- 62% to 60% C+ 79% to 77% F 59% to 0% B+ 89% to 87%

Writing Division Attendance Policy: Students are expected be on time and prepared for each class. Two unexcused absences will result in your grade being lowered by one full point (ex: A to a (A-). A third unexcused absence will result in your grade being lowered another full point (ex: B to a

Writing Division: Curriculum: Syllabus: Syllabus Template.doc (B-). Your grade will be lowered by one point for every absence after. Two late arrivals equates to one full absence.

In order for absence to be excused the student must have approval from the professor and provide documentation at the next attended class session. Needs of production are not excused absences.

Please note that if you are a Writing for Screen and Television major/minor you must receive a grade of a C or better in order to receive degree credit. This means you MUST complete the screenplay to pass the course. If you have any questions about the minimum grade required for credit please check with your home department.

Statement for Students with Disabilities: Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

Statement on Academic Integrity: USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. Scampus, the Student Guidebook, contains the Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A: µ http://www.usc.edu/dept/publications/SCAMPUS/gov/§. Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for further review, should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty. The Review process can be found at: µ http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/§.

If you have an emergency and must miss class please contact your professor prior to class or contact the Writing Division at 213-740-3303.

Laptop and Cell Phone Policy: Cell phones should be turned off until the breaks. Laptops are permitted for use only when necessary to read scripts aloud. Notes should be taken by pen and paper and transcribed later.

Class Schedule: Please note that assignments are due on the date they appear on the syllabus. Assignments may change at the discretion of the professor. This class will move very quickly and you would be advised not to fall behind.

Writing Division: Curriculum: Syllabus: Syllabus Template.doc Week 1 – CHARACTER - What is character? How do we define them? What is the character matrix – Classic character relationships. Tell a story about your childhood. Tell it as your parent would tell it. Commedia Dell Arte. Kabuki theater. Shakespeare. What are some of our modern stock characters? What purpose do they serve in the stories they are in? Examples? BONNIE AND CLYDE.

DUE: Pitch 2 ideas in class CLASS DISCUSSION - explore the characters which populate the world of your story for potential story driving relationships.

WEEK 2 - CHARACTERS AND ACTION – Characters are what they do and how they do it. SUBMIT  1-3 page synopsis of story you will write. ½ page biography of lead character. (1)  1-2 minute monologue by lead character telling a secret or formative experience about themselves. How do they reveal themselves? (2)  Give notes and reactions in class

IN CLASS – write a monologue by another character in your story, giving their take about that incident. (3)

WEEK 3 -CHARACTERS IN RELATIONSHIP – Character pairs, odd couples, antagonists who love each other. Class discussion: how do the relationships push the story forward? What do the characters say they want from each other, what do they need? The idea of vectors – two needs meet and push each other in a new direction. Bonnie and Clyde. Lars and the Real Girl. SUBMIT  Biographies of all main characters, including antagonist. (4)  A non verbal scene between main character and his or her best friend/parent which defines their relationship. (5)  Tell story in 10 minute pitch. (6)

WEEK 4 - GREAT VILLAINS = The better your villain the better your story. The villain does not know he or she is a villain. The closer your protagonist and antagonist are to each other, the greater the drama.  SUBMIT - a non verbal scene between main character and main antagonist which defines their relationship. (1 page) (7)  SUBMIT – an exploratory scene between main character and ally which shows an initial confrontation with the main antagonisit. (2 pages) (8)  TELL story from point of view of main antognist/love interest. (9)

WEEK 5 – CHARACTER JOURNEYS – each character’s story has a beginning middle and an end. The main characters make choices or influence other characters at the climax which reflect this journey. SUBMIT –

Writing Division: Curriculum: Syllabus: Syllabus Template.doc  Narrative treatment which identifies the different character journeys and the main moments of change in direction or relationship . (10)  Bring a pad of large postits to class. We will create a beat sheet of story points and explore your story.  Bring an object to class which is important to the main character. (11)

WEEK 6 THE EMOTIONAL MATRIX – the balance of emotional relationships surrounding the main characters which allows the character a place to explore different aspects of the decisions or action he or she must make

SUBMIT  a scene to establish the emotional world of this movie. (12)  Show the emotional matrix or character wheel of the movie in some way. Is it a soccer game with rules of interaction, is it a horror movie with someone as the beast, is it a play station game with time limits? (13)

WEEK 7 – CHARACTER AND CONFLICT - the different faces of conflict.  SUBMIT – Step Outline (2-3 pages) identify what or who pushes the main character to make each step. (14-15)  SUBMIT Opening (1-5 pages)

WEEK 8- DIALOGUE – Balancing the voices. The rhythms of speech, the style of talking, the music of your characters.  SUBMIT First Sequence (pp 15-20 pages)

WEEK 9 – THE SECOND ACT  SUBMIT – Revised Step Outline. (5 pages) Identify beats of secondary character stories. (16-17)  SUBMIT - first act (pp 28-35)

WEEK 10 -  Write 15 pages into second act

WEEK 11  Write 15 more pages into second act (pp55-60)  Script reports (18)

WEEK 12  Finish Second Act  Script Reports

WEEK 13- GOING FOR THE END  First half Third Act  Script Reports WEEK 14

Writing Division: Curriculum: Syllabus: Syllabus Template.doc  Complete Third Act  Script Reports

WEEK 15  Revise as necessary to Complete First DRAFT.

Writing Division: Curriculum: Syllabus: Syllabus Template.doc