Complete Course Listing

FILM 505: Narrative Theory and Practice for Screenwriters (4)
Section I: Shamas
Section II: Klein
Study and practice of the fundamentals of narrative, the art of visual storytelling, and the elements of dramatic writing for the screen. Narrative strategies for establishing structure, pacing, setting, characterization, and dialogue will be provided through model films and writing exercises. Writers will have the option of writing an original script or adapting their own work or a work in the public domain. Offered in 2009.

FILM 507: Creative Writing Seminar: Screenwriting (4)
Section I: Kornhauser
Section II: Kornhauser
Workshop course in which class members further develop skills in the writing and analysis of narrative screenplays. Designed for those with prior experience in screenwriting. May be repeated for credit. (Prerequisite: FILM 505 or permission) Offered in 2009.

FILM 510: Film Analysis and Research (4) Paletz
Study of methods of film analysis and research. Course covers the major approaches to film analysis, the tools used in film research, and the problems and methods of film historiography. Required course. Offered in 2009.

FILM 530: Film Styles and Genres: American Film Comedy (4) Paletz
This course offers a survey of American film comedy, one of the most influential national genres in world cinema. We will explore the marvelous traditions of U.S. silent film comedy through the works of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and other slapstick comedians, measuring their styles against current physical clowns. In examining Hollywood comedies of the sound era, we will discuss how the anarchic Marx Brothers went from vaudeville to Hollywood, just as current comics have gone from TV sketch comedies to the big screen. The course balances classic screwball romances with political and social satires, and portraits of adult idiots with contemporary teen pictures. Considering racial and regional comic traditions, the course concludes with the transformations of American film comedy through new media. Offered in 2009.

FILM 542: Topics in Film History: Censorship & Cinema (4) Phillips
Critical survey of motion picture censorship, with attention to the evolution and scope of controversial subject matter and how motion pictures reflect as well as shape our perception of morality. Films studied include Birth of a Nation, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Last Tango in Paris, and Cinema Paradiso. Offered in 2009.

Film 550.1: Special Topic: Writing TV Sitcoms (4) Klein
This class will look at contemporary approaches to writing half-hour television comedies, stressing structure and format. The result will be a completed script for a current show of the student’s choosing. Offered in 2009.

Film 550.2: Special Topic: Screenwriting: Incorporating Folklore and Myths into your Screenplays (4) Shamas
Many of our favorite hit films feature aspects of fairy tales, myths, and legends. But how do you find the right story? What are the key steps of the adaptation process for folklore and myth? Through exploratory exercises and studying a few fairy tales and myths (in the public domain), each screenwriting student will write a short film (30 minutes) based on a fairy tale or myth of his or her own selection. The film may be classical (“period”) or a modern update/interpretation. Students will learn how to apply this fairy tale/myth adaptation process in the course to future projects, such as full-length films. Offered in 2009.

FILM 581: Video Production (4) Gerber-Stroh
The study and practice of moving picture art through the medium of video. Students learn video production as a technical skill and an art, with practice in the making of narratives, experimental videos, and documentaries. All equipment provided. Lab fee: $200. Offered in 2009.

FILM 595: Advanced Screenwriting Tutorial (4) Maerker
Highly concentrated, intensive course to be taken during a student’s final summer in the program. Students will write 15-20 pages each week and complete a full-length screenplay during the six weeks. Not open to students in the M.A. program. Required course for M.F.A.students. Students will schedule individual meeting times with professor. Offered in 2009.

FILM 599: Thesis (4,4)
An extended critical essay or an original screenplay (or screenplays) written in consultation with thesis advisor.

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