Mon Jan 25
Introductions, Syllabus, Students
Kinds of writing/Tones of writing
Assignment 1: self portrait 250 words
Wed Jan 27
DUE: Assignment 1 BRING PRINT OUT
Random reading of Assignment 1 (3 students)
Good/Bad writing (hand-outs)
Assignment 2: write every day for 10 days on beans or electrons – make a contract with yourself
Reading: Start Playing Her Story
Mon Feb 1
Experimental work, poetics, épater la bourgeoisie
Blast Theory
You the City by Fiona Templeton – in class reading & acting out and discussion
READING: The Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin by William S. Burroughs
Wed Feb 3
Discuss “You the City“
Generating Ideas – germs of ideas, developing ideas, acting out ideas, planning, background writing, snippets
Writing Exercises – idea dating, brainstorm
Assignment 3: script concept
Mon Feb 8
DUE: Assignment 2
Random readings from Assignment 2 (groups)
Discuss Her Story – interactive narrative, tone, unreliable narrator
Discuss: The Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin by William S. Burroughs
Conscious and unconscious
Writing exercise
Wed Feb 10
Discuss Criticism/Critiquing
Group Discussions – initial script concepts
Writing Exercise – Pick a character (from your project) and create an Unreliable Narrator
Mon Feb 15
WATCH: Philomena
Wed Feb 17
Discuss Philomena –
Andrew Stanton: Ted Talk “The clues to a great story“
Shekhar Kapur: Ted Talk “We are the stories we tell ourselves“
Reprise Criticism/Critiquing
Mon Feb 22
DUE: Assignment 3
Present Script Concepts – peer groups
Assignment 4: treatment
Reading: Barthes
Wed Feb 24
Discussion of Barthes/Creation of Meaning – reference, connotation,signifying strings
Ad Analysis using Barthes’ concepts
Reading/Viewing:
Read: Brecht’s ‘Epic Theater’ and ‘Verfremdungseffekt’
View: Introduction to Brechtian Theater
Read: A Preliminary Poetics for Interactive Drama and Games, Michael Mateas
Mon Feb 29
Role of structure?
Artistotelian and Brechtian notions
Writing Exercise – bring cards – organize project onto cards
Wed Mar 2
What is structure?
- Useful structures given your own project.
- Useful organization strategies.
Artistotelian and Brechtian notions
Writing Exercise – organize project onto cards
Assignment 5: First Draft
Mon Mar 7
DUE: Assignment 4: treatment
WATCH: Sita Sings the Blues
View: Shape of Stories – Kurt Vonnegut
Read: Syd Fields The Paradigm Worksheet
Optional: Under Story Structures Heading View the McKee videos and/or Interactive Story Structures by Ira Nayman
Wed Mar 9
Structural Analysis of Sita
meaning generated by structure
meaning generated by semantic reference/connotation
Writing Exercise – Pick a character (from your project) and create an Unreliable Narrator
RECESS
Mon Mar 21
Micha Cardenas Workshop – room 278
Writing Exercise
Wed Mar 23
Discussion of Dialog, sub text
Inspirational Material
Chris Komin, Katie Kostelny, Martine Leigh, Aaron May,
Mon Mar 28
Inspirational Material
Nathan Harvey, Anthony Jillson, Kaitlyn Johnson, Kevin Eng
Wed Mar 30
Inspirational Material
Russel Potter, Alex Randazzo, Brittany Lee, Adam Singh,
Mon Apr 4
DUE: Assignment 5: First Draft
Read/Present First Draft – peer groups
Wed Apr 6
Investment, Fictionalizing and What’s the Point?
Tevin Whitt, Teresa Dirado,
Mon Apr 11
Inspirational Material
Michelle Arriesgado, Chelsea Bahk, Charles Carter, Travis Carter,
Wed Apr 13
Inspirational Material
Eric Chan, Crista Choong, Matthew Dimaria,
Mon Apr 18
Script Readings
Alex, Katie, Teresa
Wed Apr 20
Script Readings
Aaron, Kaitlyn, Anthony
Mon Apr 25
Script Readings
Russell, Michelle, Travis
Wed Apr 27
Script Reading
Martina, Brittany, Adam
Mon May 2
Script Reading
Chris, Matthew, Crysta, Kevin
Wed May 4
Script Reading
Charles, Nathan, Eric, Chelsea, Tevin