Arts-Ug 1568 | January 2019
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ARTS-UG 1568 | JANUARY 2019 CLASS : MON - TUE - WED - THURS, 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM 1 WASHINGTON PLACE, ROOM 501 instructor Pedro Cristiani 1 Washington Pl, Room 431 office hours : Wednesdays, 5:30 - 6:30 PM [email protected] “The most corrosive piece of technology that I've ever seen is called television - but then, again, television, at its best, is magnificent.” - Steve Jobs course description This arts workshop studies the current forms and genres of television storytelling by analyzing the creative process through which an original series makes its way to the screen. Participants will have access to the original proposals developed by show creators, used to pitch and map out the narrative arcs and character profiles, as well as the full pilot episode in screenplay format. These documents will be paired with the in-class screenings of such produced series in order to analyze the creative process that starts with a raw idea, and ends up with a fully fleshed television show. As part of the narrative exploration, students will be guided through the stages of an original outline— which covers pitching a pilot episode, planning a first season arc, and establishing the visual and narrative tone of an original or pre-existing series. In-class screenings and hand-ins of original material will include True Detective [“The Long Red Dark” - Pilot, by Nic Pizzolatto], The Handmaid’s Tale [the Emmy Winner Pilot, by Ilene Chaiken], Black Mirror [the Emmy Winner “San Junipero” episode, by Charlie Brooker], New Girl [original pitch + pilot, by Elizabeth Meriwether], Fargo [series bible + pilot, by Noah Hawley], Breaking Bad [written by Vince Gilligan], Mr Robot [written by Sam Esmail], and Stranger Things [series bible + pilot, by The Duffer Brothers]. visit the course website: https://wp.nyu.edu/tvnow/ learning goals The participants will become familiar with story structure and pacing, character and tone. We will analyze stand-alone and episodic storytelling, in order to understand how these elements merge and evolve into the design of a first season outline. Students will acquire a clear sense of story layering, giving special emphasis to characters, their set-up and evolution, and their individual and collective journeys. We will explore the guidelines to draft a visual presentation that sets up the narrative tone and formal standards of an actual television proposal. required texts Robert McKee, Story Christopher Vogler, The Writer’s Journey Robert McKee, Dialogue Hand-outs will include television scripts and bibles, as well as selected readings from global authors and filmmakers. technology The use of cellphones, portable computers and tablet devices is endorsed as digital tools for the research and assembling of the narrative assignments. Use of such devices outside the given parameters will result in the lowering of grading. On the last week of class, students must bring an online device to complete the two-part course evaluation process. expectation of academic integrity As a Gallatin student you belong to an interdisciplinary community of artists and scholars who value honest and open intellectual inquiry. This relationship depends on mutual respect, responsibility, and integrity. Failure to uphold these values will be subject to severe sanction, which may include dismissal from the University. Examples of behaviors that compromise the academic integrity of the Gallatin School include plagiarism, illicit collaboration, doubling or recycling coursework, and cheating. Please consult the Gallatin Bulletin or Gallatin website for a full description of the academic integrity policy: http://gallatin.nyu.edu/about/bulletin/undergrad/policies/ integrity.html visit the course website: https://wp.nyu.edu/tvnow/ S Y L L A B U S The current Syllabus is a proposed road map— even though we may know our destination, the mystery of the Journey is what makes the trip worth taking. W E E K O N E S T O R Y A N D S T R U C T U R E “Conformity we must worship and hold sacred! Conformity is the key to survival!” “Beauty is in the Eye of the beholder.” THE TWILIGHT ZONE [1960] CLASS #1 Monday, January 7th introduction, overview, discussion and goal of the course. stages of a television script— pitch, synopsis, outline and draft. the four-act paradigm: breaking down the contemporary storytelling template for film and television. in-class screening : The Twilight Zone, “Eye of the Beholder”. Hannibal, “Apéritif”. CLASS #2 Tuesday, January 8th revision and analysis: the self-contained episode. teaser, acts, story beats, story points, narrative tempo, crescendo, execution, outcome and closure. recognition, revelation and consequences. building up pressure: creating points of no return. in-class screening : Black Mirror, “San Junipero”. CLASS #3 Wednesday, January 9th layering the design: the episodic narrative. main and secondary plotlines— contrasting narratives. character— setup, construction and consequences. the politics of the setting— seeding, concealing and triggering story beats. text and subtext. story and theme. in-class screening : Broadchurch [UK] and Gracepoint [US], a study on tone. Killing Eve, “Nice Face”. visit the course website: https://wp.nyu.edu/tvnow/ CLASS #4 Thursday, January 10th first week— group analysis and in-class discussion. breaking down an original series proposal. genres and sub-genres: drama, comedy, thriller, horror, speculative fiction. concept, core and development of an original pitch. the pilot episode. in-class screening : True Detective, “The Long Red Dark”. W E E K T W O C H A R A C T E R , T H E M E A N D T O N E “We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories.” THE HANDMAID’S TALE [2017] CLASS #5 Monday, January 14th character. core, design and evolution. developing an empathetic protagonist. value, conflict and change— expectations and consequences. the symbiosis: main and secondary characters, the hero, the anti-hero and the antagonist. in-class screening: inside number nine, “sardines”. 30 Rock, “Pilot”. CLASS #6 Tuesday, January 15th character as structure. building up the three levels of conflict. female and male archetypes. stand-alone and episodic curves. planning the story beats, points and acts of an entire season through the main character’s evolution. in-class screening: Homecoming, “Pilot”. New Girl, “Pilot”. CLASS #7 Wednesday, January 16th the setting: landscape, politics and values of a fictional universe. bounding the story to a point of view. breaking up linear storytelling. turning suspense and narrative tension into dramatic exposition. character and dialogue. pacing. in-class screening: Mr. Robot, “eps1.0_hellofriend.mov”. CLASS #8 Thursday, January 17th second week— group analysis and in-class discussion. outlining a first season— story, character, setting, theme, tone. integrating the cinematic resources into the printed word— the visual writing. visit the course website: https://wp.nyu.edu/tvnow/ in-class screening: The Handmaid’s Tale, “Offred” W E E K T H R E E T H E N A R R A T I V E A N D V I S U A L I.D. “At that moment, in the town of Coeur d' Coeurs, events occurred that are not, were not, and should never be considered an ending. For endings, as it is known, are where we begin.” PUSHING DAISIES [2009] CLASS #9 Monday, January 21st guest lecturer: Alvaro Rodriguez, Writer and Producer— Mr Rodriguez has served as screenwriter for both film and television. He is the author of such features as “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Hangman’s Daughter”, “Machete”, “Shorts”, and “Last Rampage”. As well as being showrunner for the TV series “From Dusk Till Dawn”, produced by El Rey Network. His Mexican border-influenced short fiction has appeared in multiple publications and platforms, including the Anthologies “Along the River” and the Bram Stoker Award- winning “After Death”. Mr Rodriguez is the Creator, Writer and Executive Producer of “Seis Manos”, the first original anime series produced by Netflix, to air on 2019. in-class screening: Stranger Things, “Pilot”. CLASS #10 Tuesday, January 22nd the industry-standard presentation. the television bible, the writer’s guide— break-down and study. visual references. creating the storybook/lookbook— resources. bringing the storytelling elements together as a consistent narrative. in-class screening: Fargo, “The Crocodile's Dilemma". CLASS #11 Wednesday, January 23rd what to loose and what to keep from a series proposal, outline and presentation. story units and reformulation. the end of the line— exploring the narrative trails and their outcome. leaving room for the unexpected. the screenwriter’s resources. the WGA. film freeway. filmarket hub. in-class screening: works by Vince Gilligan, John Logan, Aaron Sorkin. visit the course website: https://wp.nyu.edu/tvnow/ CLASS #13 Thursday, January 24th final class meeting. presentation and discussion of the final projects. assignment: the series pitch. first season outline— pilot episode, characters and episodic arcs. the visual proposal. 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