Scriptwriting: Television Drama (FAV4203)
School of Communication and Arts - Edith Cowan University
Semester 2 / 2013

Texts

Frontline.
Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The best of Hancock.
Jennifer Saunders. Absolutely fabulous.
y separately published work icon Mother and Son : Five Award-Winning Scripts from the ABC TV Series Geoffrey Atherden , Crows Nest : Australian Broadcasting Corporation , 1992 Z368389 1992 selected work drama criticism humour (taught in 1 units)
Lew Schwarz. The craft of writing TV comedy.
Eric Paice. The way to write for television.
Middlemass, J. Research for film and television.
Robert McKee. Story.
Phillipa Giles and Vicky Licorish, eds. Debut on two : a guide to writing for television.
Lajos Egri. The art of dramatic writing : its basis in the creative interpretation of human motives.
Ken Dancyger. Broadcast writing: Drama, comedies and documentary.
y separately published work icon Scales of Justice Don Reid (editor), Frank Bladwell (editor), Sydney : Currency Press Artmoves , 1984 Z143025 1984 anthology drama interview (taught in 1 units)
Alan Armer. Writing the screenplay : TV and film.
John Vorhaus. The comic toolbox : how to be funny even if you're not.
y separately published work icon Top Shelf 2 : Five Outstanding Television Screenplays Greg Haddrick (editor), Strawberry Hills North Ryde : Currency Press Australian Film Television and Radio School , 2001 Z862548 2001 anthology screenplay (taught in 2 units)
y separately published work icon Top Shelf 1 : Reading and Writing the Best in Australian TV Drama Greg Haddrick , Sydney : Currency Press Australian Film Television and Radio School , 2001 Z987405 2001 single work criticism (taught in 2 units)
y separately published work icon Big Screen, Small Screen: A Practical Guide to Writing for Film and Television in Australia Coral Drouyn , St Leonards : Allen and Unwin , 1994 Z551899 1994 single work criticism (taught in 2 units)

Description

This unit develops skills in planning, researching and scripting drama for television – series, serials, sitcoms or telemovies. Some fact-based programs will be considered. Students will have the opportunity to develop a major project in an area of choice.

UNIT CONTENT

- Analysis and discussion of television programmes and how broadcast conventions and organisational factors affect script and programmedesign.

- Exercises in creating, structuring and writing material for television.

- Further experience in preparing docudrama and drama programmes.

- Development of a major script project for television, through the stages of concept, series ‘bible’, scene breakdown and first draft.

- Consideration of how to 'pitch' or sell a project, markets for scripts, and locating sources of funding.

- Analysis of script problems and development of editing solutions for subsequent drafts.

Assessment

Grading Schema 1

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

On campus assessment:

Assignment, series concept document 50%

Creative work, scene breakdown an scripted scenes 50%

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