Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Screenwriting Workshop
Teaching staff
If you have any inquiry or question, contact the Professor at soliva@uic.es
Introduction
In the course ‘Script Writing Workshop’, the students will understand what the keys to film writing are, they will learn how the craft works, and they will put it into practice by writing their own short film script.
This workshop promotes the active participation of its students, who will write from day one. Thus, script writing theory is consolidated through the student's own experience.
Pre-course requirements
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Interest in writing and in the audiovisual sector.
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Ability to devise, create and develop stories.
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Ability to correctly express oneself, orally and in writing.
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Having a critical spirit and concern for events of social reality.
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Professionalism and punctuality.
Objectives
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Being able to analyze and write fiction audiovisual scripts.
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Understanding how the industry works and what is required to any production process. Identifying the roles and the people involved in the creation of a fictional audiovisual work.
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Finding our own voice and writing stories according to it.
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Developing a short film project: finishing the script’s first draft and the pitching materials.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 01 - The ability to adapt to varying circumstances
- 02 - The ability to understand, accept criticism and correct errors
- 04 - The ability to work in a team and autonomously
- 05 - The ability to organise time and workspace
- 06 - The ability to develop academic rigour, responsibility, ethics and professionalism
- 07 - The ability to apply the deontology and respect for the audiovisual sector
- 08 - The ability of critical analysis, synthesis, concretion and abstraction
- 12 - The ability to meet deadlines, develop the ability to be punctual and respect for human, technical and material resources
- 13 - The ability to create spoken and written communication
- 14 - Knowledge and mastery of rhetoric and oratory to communicate own ideas
- 16 - The ability to manage, analysis and reflect on content
- 19 - The ability of informative documentation
- 20 - Knowledge and mastery of bibliographic media
- 23 - The ability to prioritize newsworthy events and contrast information
- 25 - The ability to maximize creative development
- 26 - The ability to develop a sense of taste and perfection in the aesthetics and finalization of projects
- 27 - The ability to adapt to distinct audio visual publics and markets.
- 34 - The ability to know and respect the different roles of the artistic and technical teams
- 37 - The ability to contextualize and critically analyze the organizational structure of global communication
- 39 - The ability to understand and apply the legal dimension of an audiovisual product
- 40 - The ability to defend and respect authorship and intellectual property
- 42 - The ability to distinguish, analyze and dominate the distinct genres and formats of television, film and radio
- 43 - the ability to create scripts for film, television and radio according to the demands of the genre
- 46 - The ability to dominate resources used for image (Photographs, lighting...) and sound.
- 48 - Knowledge and mastery of the techniques of filming, directing, producing and editing
- 49 - The ability to write fluent texts, step outlines or scripts
- 50 - The ability to adapt, understand and apply the expressive possibilities of new technologies and future changes
- 51 - Knowledge and mastery of the functioning of Corporate and Institutional Communication.
- 53 - Lingustic ability in Catalan, Spanish and English
- 54 - The ability to skillfully manage the literature, terminology and linguistic structures of the English language related to the field of communication.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Reaching the course goals.
Syllabus
The program is structured according to the order of the stages of the creative process. First, we take a look at the specific features of screenwriting and we establish the concept and the theme of our story. In addition, we analyze how the industry works and we study the latest trends. Then, we focus on building our characters along with their transformation arcs. And finally, we work on plot, structure, sequences and writing dialogue.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | ECTS CREDITS |
| Coaching. Monitoring how students learn the content of the subject, either individually or in groups. In the coaching sessions, mistakes will be corrected, queries answered, and exercises and activities to achieve the established objectives will be suggested. | 0.6 |
| Focused Praxis. Handing in occasional exercises to learn theory through practice. | 0.4 |
| Meeting Point. Meetings will be organised with notable people from the professional and scientific fields or the international field, and students. These sessions will take the form of conferences, work sessions, discussions, or interviews, etc. | 0.2 |
| Practical workshop. A highly practical working activity, where students can acquire skills that are practical or also theoretical (intellectual skills, logical skills, critical skills, intellectual learning skills, study skills, quoting skills, etc). | 1.0 |
| Lectures. In lectures, lecturers/professors not only transmit content or knowledge, but also, and above all else, attitudes, motivation, skills and values, etc. They also ensure that participants can express their opinions and arguments to the other students. | 1.2 |
| Peer learning. The aim of this activity is to ensure that students gain the ability to analyse and be critical. One way of achieving this is by correcting their peers' exercises and results, etc. Each student will be evaluated twice: as both a recipient and a transmitter of critical knowledge. | 0.6 |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Continuous assessment. The final grade will be the result of:
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Course exercises and class participation (40%).
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Final task: first version of the short script and the pitching materials (60%).
Evaluation Criteria on Second Call
The students will have to individually create and develop an original project for a short film script. The following documents must be delivered:
- Dramatic Idea, Theme and Thesis of their story.
- Treatment.
- Outline.
- Script (1st draft).
- Pitch on Paper.
Evaluation Criteria on Third Call
The students will have to individually create and develop an original project for a short film script. The following documents must be delivered:
- Dramatic Idea, Theme and Thesis of their story.
- Treatment.
- Outline.
- Script (1st draft).
- Pitch on Paper.
Bibliography and resources
BALLÓ, JORDI; PÉREZ, XAVIER | La llavor immortal. Els arguments universals en el cinema (Barcelona: Editorial Empúries, 1995)
DE ROSENDO, TERESA; GATELL, JOSEP | Objetivo writers’ room. Las aventuras de dos guionistas españoles en Hollywood (Barcelona: Alba Editorial, 2015)
FOLCH BOT, FERRAN | Ficció. Com crear, vendre i escriure una sèrie (Barcelona: Guionistes Associats de Catalunya, 2019)
MCKEE, ROBERT | El guion. Sustancia, estructura, estilo y principios de la escritura de guiones (Barcelona: Alba, 2002)
SÁNCHEZ-MARÍN, JUAN CARLOS | El guion hablado. Conversaciones con guionistas y directores del siglo XXI (Barcelona: Editorial Fundación Taller de Guionistas, 2011)
SEGER, LINDA | Cómo convertir un buen guion en un guion excelente (Madrid: Ediciones Rialp, 1995)
VOGLER, CHRIS | El viaje del escritor (Barcelona: Manontropo, 2002)