377575: Seasonal-Arc Structure for TV SCRIPT-X 425.5 Winter 2021 Section 1 3 Credits 01/09/2021 to 03/13/2021 Modified 02/05/2021 Meeting Times
Remote Instruction: Saturdays 2:00-5:00 pm (PST)
Starting 1/9/21, Ending 3/13/21 Description
Television storytelling is undergoing significant shifts in the early twenty-first century, but the basics of structuring satisfying narratives are rooted in human psychology and are timeless. This vigorous ten-week course exposes and explores the underpinnings of classic cinematic story arcs in six current, serialized shows (titles subject to change). At the same time, each student methodically practices the foundational, industry-standard skills required to create a high-quality series by developing characters and narrative arcs for an original TV show in their own unique voice. Objectives
During this course, you will:
Gain a conceptual understanding of classic cinematic story structure and apply it to TV seasonal-arcs, including building their own original series concept
Become familiar with the evolution of TV narrative styles, from 1948 to the present
Discern narrative drivers (i.e., theme, POV); craft clear, compelling expressions of them
Deconstruct single seasons of serialized story arcs currently on TV
Draft, re-write and polish industry-standard TV series-development and sales tools
Acquire confidence through a consciously respectful, creative learning environment Outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
Create functional cinematic story structures for TV using the Syd Field Paradigm
Compare and contrast historical TV narrative styles with current programming
Write clear, concise and practical expressions of industry-standard storytelling and series-development tools
Develop and deliver a substantive portion of a viable TV series bible
Appraise creative material in a respectful manner; recognize and reject non-respectful situations
1 of 11 Materials
Required books, software, etc.:
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field
A basic subscription to the Hulu streaming service
Optional books (any edition, these are classics for common reference):
The Screenwriter’s Workbook by Syd Field
The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler
The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri
Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
Creating Great Characters by Linda Seger Evaluation
1. Take this course on a graded, pass/fail or ungraded basis.
2. Grades will be determined on submission of completed assignments, whether the written expression reveals a basic understanding and practical usage of each skill, as well as the clarity and concision of each written expression (over-long assignments will be returned for timely editing without being read).
3. The instructor’s personal preferences on content choices (such as genre) will not affect grading: completion, competence and/or excellence of the skill-set being offered is all that will be assessed. In other words, can the student achieve transfer of information from their own head into others’ without undue confusion or ambiguity while using only written words?
4. Feel free to get ahead on assignments, but don’t expect grades until a week after the due date for each item has passed.
There will be 105 assigned items in this course, given the proposed viewing schedule. Each delivered item will be quite short, with none being longer than a page, per the Formatting Guidelines (See Course Policies/Workshopping Guidelines Heading)
Examples of assignments include log-lines, tone essays and brief episode summaries, with their grades assessed as 0, 1 or 2:
0 = not submitted and/or incomplete/overlong/unfocused/unclear
1 = basic competence of required skill in written form submitted
2 = excellence in required skill in written form submitted
Given the brevity of every assignment, if you'd like to edit/re-write any item for a higher assessment, please do. But I'll only accept one re-write/edit for each assignment at a time. I'll also be available for office hours once a week to give individualized assistance.
If we discover the amount of required viewing is overly ambitious, time-wise, we'll cut back on series/hours and adjust assignments and grading accordingly. Criteria
Graded Activities Possible Points Notes
Week 1 -- No graded items. Homework assigned
2 of 11 Graded Activities Possible Points Notes
Week 2 0-28 14 items (1 in-class + 13 homework from Week 1)
Week 3 0-16 8 items (1 in-class + 7 homework from Week 2)
Week 4 0-14 7 items (1 in-class + 6 homework from Week 3)
Week 5 0-32 16 items (1 in-class + 15 homework from Week 4)
Week 6 0-20 10 items (1 in-class + 9 homework from Week 5)
Week 7 0-16 8 items (1 in-class + 7 homework from Week 6)
Week 8 0-32 16 items (1 in-class + 15 homework from Week 7)
Week 9 0-28 14 items (1 in-class + 13 homework from Week 8)
Week 10 0-24 12 items (homework from Week 9)
TOTAL 210
Breakdown
Grade Range
A 180-210
B 150-179
C 120-149
D 105-119
F 104 & below
Course Policies
Every week we’ll meet on a Zoom call, and take a deep dive into how serialized TV stories are built, mostly focusing on seasonal- arcs for this course. You’ll learn some basic skills for both analyzing existing episodes and crafting new ones. We’ll start fairly simple, and practice each skill by applying them to different series, then add more complex skills, repeating the same basic exercises with varied content. By the end, if you’ve done all the work, at the very least you will likely have acquired – through repetition alone – a functional knowledge of industry-standard story-structure.
You’ll be required to watch between four and seven hours of assigned television each week in order to complete the homework and fully understand the in-class exercises (totaling about 45 hours over 10 weeks). All of the series being analyzed are available for viewing with a basic Hulu subscription (titles subject to change). If we discover this is overly amibitious, time-wise, we’ll cut back on series/hours and adjust assigned items & grading accordingly.
With an emphasis on finding and clearly expressing your own unique voice, you’ll also craft the beginnings of an original, narrative TV series bible. To that end, we’ll practice sharing our writing in class, giving and receiving thoughtful notes designed to
3 of 11 help each writer advance their own vision, rather than impose what we’d do if this was our project. Respectful support, not inflictions of personal preference, is key to this style of working. It’s a win-win approach; requiring everyone involved to be mindful of healthy boundaries, which the instructor will model and maintain. If you love TV, this is an opportunity to see how the storytelling really works!
Due dates are posted with each assignment. Remember, you'll be sharing your work in class, so it's important that you submit it to me through Canvas. If necessary, I will likely be willing to receive your work via e-mail as well. Make sure to send .pdfs, not changeable document files.
All assignments are viewable on the Course Syllabus. Feel free to get ahead, but don't expect to receive a grade until after the week(s) that series will be covered in our Zoom class.
Formatting Guidelines: Typed, single-spaced, 12-point font (preferably Times New Roman), including your name and the date you wrote/submitted it. If you attach a file for your submission, make sure it's a .pdf. I won't read changeable document files, such as Word. Every assignment will have a length limit, no longer than a single page, with most far shorter. The final assignment, compiling much previous work, will be counted as only one item, since each of the smaller pieces will already have been assessed. Institutional Policies
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5 of 11 Students are encouraged to keep and/or download a local copy of their assignment files, as access to the online environment of a specific course is limited to 30 days after the final course date, as listed in the course catalog.
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When Module Title Notes
6 of 11 When Module Title Notes
Week 1 Introductions/Overview & Your Read (prior to first class, if possible): 01/09/2021 Basic Toolkit 2:00 PM - Chapter 1 – “What is a Screenplay” from Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd 5:00 PM Field, take careful note of the Paradigm on page 21 (“form, not formula”) Zoom Intro to Narrative-Driver Questions (https://shrishari.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-three- questions-discernment.html)
Lesson Topics:
General Zoom etiquette, including two 10-minute breaks per hour and view options
Brief overview of course/homework format & expectations
Introductions/Ice-breaker (What’s you’re favorite narrative TV series of all time?)
Basic Cinematic Story Structure: The Syd Field Paradigm
Episodic, Serialized and Hybrid Narratives
Your toolset: Series log-lines, character capsules, brief episode summaries, tone essays, narrative-driver questions
In-class exercise (no grade): Write a log-line for your all- time favorite series, answer narrative- driver questions for this series
Review series watch-list and strategies for getting it all done on time – Hulu/approx. 45 hours (6 series, 3 1⁄2 hrs, 3 hrs) NOTE: If this viewing schedule turns out to be too ambitious given current conditions, as we go along we can drop some of these series to focus more carefully on the ones we have time to explore. Grading and assigned items will be adjusted accordingly.
A Brief History of Narrative Storytelling on TV from 1948- 2020 (NOTE: likely to be spread across subsequent sessions)
Homework:
Watch: Season One of Ramy (10 1⁄2 hour episodes)
Write: Series log-line, one character capsule, brief episode summaries (10), and a tone essay for Season One of Ramy
Due date: Jan 15 at 11:59pm
Week 2 Single-camera Comedy "Ramy" Lesson Topics: 01/16/2021 Season One (10 1⁄2-hour episodes) 2:00 PM - Revisit earlier concepts as needed 5:00 PM Zoom Review homework, give feedback
In-class exercise: Answer Narrative-Driver Questions for Ramy, discuss
Deconstruct one storyline for season one, more if time allows
A Brief History of Narrative Storytelling on TV from 1948- 2020 (as needed)
Homework:
Watch: Episodes 1-4 of Fosse/Verdon (4 one-hour episodes)
Write: Series log-line, two character capsules, brief episode summaries (4) for episodes 1-4 of Fosse/Verdon
Due date: Jan 22 at 11:59pm
7 of 11 When Module Title Notes
Week 3 Limited Series "Fosse/Verdon" 1-4 Lesson Topics: 01/23/2021 (4 one-hour episodes) 2:00 PM - Revisit earlier concepts, as needed 5:00 PM Zoom Review homework, give feedback
In-class exercise: Answer Narrative-Driver Questions for Fosse/Verdon, discuss
Deconstruct one or two storylines for Fosse/Verdon episodes 1-4
A Brief History of Narrative Storytelling on TV from 1948- 2020 (as needed)
Homework:
Watch: Fosse/Verdon episodes 5-8
Write: Brief episode summaries of episodes 5-8, and a tone essay forF osse/Verdon
Write: A log-line for an original series that you’ll work on for the rest of this course. If you can’t decide on just one, write a few, though we may not get to all of them. You’ll have to choose by the end of Week 4’s session.
Due date: January 29 at 11:59pm
Week 4 Limited Series "Fosse/Verdon" 5-8 Lesson Topics: 01/30/2021 (4 one-hour episodes) 2:00 PM - Revisit earlier concepts, as needed 5:00 PM Zoom Review homework, give feedback
In-class exercise: Draft a tone essay for your original series
Finish deconstructing one or two storylines for episodes 5-8 ofF osse/Verdon
A Brief History of Narrative Storytelling on TV from 1948- 2020 (as needed)
Homework:
Write: Brief episode summaries of episodes 5-8, and a tone essay forF osse/Verdon
Watch: Everything’s Gonna Be Okay Season One (10 1⁄2 hour episodes)
Write: Series log-line, two character capsules, brief episode summaries and a tone essay for season one of Everything’s Gonna Be Okay
Write: A character capsule for main character of your original series
Due Date: Feb 5 at 11:59pm
8 of 11 When Module Title Notes
Week 5 Single-camera Dramatic Comedy Lesson Topics: 02/06/2021 "Everything’s Gonna Be Okay" 2:00 PM - Season One (10 1⁄2-hour episodes) Review homework, give feedback 5:00 PM Zoom In-class exercise: Answer narrative-driver questions for Everything’s Gonna Be Okay
Deconstruct one or two storylines for Everything’s Gonna Be Okay season one
A Brief History of Narrative Storytelling on TV from 1948- 2020 (NOTE: likely to be spread across subsequent sessions)
Homework:
Watch: The Terror: Infamy episodes 1-5 (5 one-hour episodes)
Write: Series log-line, two character capsules, brief episode summaries and a tone essay for season one of The Terror: Infamy episodes 1-5
Write: A character capsule for a supporting character in your original series
Due Date: Feb 12 at 11:59pm
Week 6 Seasonal-style Anthology Drama Lesson Topics: 02/13/2021 "The Terror: Infamy" 1-5 (5 one- 2:00 PM - hour episodes) Note: Infamy is Revisit earlier concepts, as needed 5:00 PM technically Season Two of The Zoom Terror Review homework, give feedback
In-class exercise: Answer narrative-driver questions for The Terror: Infamy
Deconstruct one or two storylines for The Terror: Infamy episodes 1-5
Homework:
Watch: The Terror: Infamy episodes 6-10 (5 one-hour episodes)
Write: Brief episode summaries of The Terror: Infamy and a tone essay the entire season
Chart: A season one story-arc fory our original series’ main character for an eight-episode season
Due Date: Feb 19 at 11:59pm
9 of 11 When Module Title Notes
Week 7 Seasonal-style Anthology Drama Lesson Topics: 02/20/2021 "The Terror: Infamy" 6-10 (5 one- 2:00 PM - hour episodes) Note: Infamy is Revisit earlier concepts, as needed 5:00 PM technically Season Two of The Zoom Terror Review homework, give feedback
In-class exercise: Answer narrative-driver questions for your original series, discuss
Finish deconstructing one or two storylines for The Terror: Infamy episodes 6-10
Homework:
Watch: Cheers Season One Episodes for Sam & Diane Arc (11 1⁄2 hour episodes): 1) “Give Me a Ring Sometime” 2) “Sam’s Women” 3) “Any Friend of Diane’s” 4) “Truce or Consequences” 5) “Endless Slumper” 6) “Now Pitching, Sam Malone” 7) “Let Me Count the Ways” 8) “Diane’s Perfect Date” 9) “Someone Single, Someone New” 10) “Show Down: Part One” 11) “Show Down: Part Two” Outside the arc are two really amazing episodes, plus a set-up bit. If you’re enjoyingC heers and have the time, also watch: ”Sam at Eleven” “The Boys in the Bar” and “Pick a Con, Any Con.”
Write: Series log-line, two character capsules, brief episode summaries and a tone essay for season one of Cheers
Chart: A season one story-arc fory our original series’ supporting character for an eight-episode season
Due Date: Feb 26 at 11:59pm
Week 8 Multi-camera Sitcom "Cheers" Lesson Topics: 02/27/2021 Season One - Sam & Diane Arc (11 2:00 PM - 1⁄2-hour episodes) Revisit earlier concepts, as needed 5:00 PM Zoom Review homework, give feedback
In-class exercise: Answer narrative-driver questions for Cheers
Deconstruct Sam & Diane arc of Cheers season one
Homework:
Watch: Queen Sugar Season One episodes 1-6 (6 one-hour episodes)
Write: Series log-line, two character capsules, brief episode summaries and a tone essay for Queen Sugar season one episodes 1-6
Write: Episode summaries for the first four of your original series’ first season of eight episodes
Due Date: Mar 5 at 11:59pm
10 of 11 When Module Title Notes
Week 9 Serialized Drama "Queen Sugar" Lesson Topics: 03/06/2021 Season One 1-6 (6 one-hour 2:00 PM - episodes) Revisit earlier concepts, as needed 5:00 PM Zoom Review homework, give feedback
In-class exercise: Answer narrative-driver questions for Queen Sugar
Deconstruct one or two storylines for Queen Sugar season one episodes 1-6
Homework:
Watch: Queen Sugar Season One episodes 7-13 (7 one-hour episodes)
Write: Episode summaries for Queen Sugar season one episodes 7-13
Write: Episode summaries for the last four episodes of the first season ofy our original series
Re-write and compile: All of your original series’ materials into a single document: log-line, tone essay, answer to narrative-driver questions, character capsules for main and supporting characters, season one arcs for each character and all eight episode summaries.
Due Date: Mar 12 at 11:59pm
Week 10 Serialized Drama "Queen Sugar" Lesson Topics: 03/13/2021 Season One 7-13 (7 one-hour 2:00 PM - episodes)/Wrap Up Deconstruct one or two storylines for Queen Sugar season one episodes 7-13 5:00 PM Zoom Review homework, discuss
Discuss next steps for TV series development: articulating series’ franchise, target audience, look book/pitch deck, pilot outline and script, series format/bible, potential auspices and buyers.
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