This paper, offered in FLEXI mode, explores key concepts in writing for the screen and develops many practical skills in the application of these concepts in the writing of a 10-12 minute original short film. Since scriptwriting is more associated with industrial processes than some other types of creative writing, the course is structured to make sure you have a finished script within the 12-week semester.

However, you are free to develop your own style and genre of script and explore your own creativity - you do not have to try and replicate a slick 'mainstream' style of film if that doesn't appeal to you and you may write for animation or documentary if you wish. The Convenor and Tutors look forward to seeing what kinds of film- and media-making you enjoy watching and would like to write. You do though need to follow the stages of the development progress so that effort and achievement can be assessed fairly across the members of what is a large class.

For most of you this will be the first time you have followed such a process but for many of you it won't be the last ... Class members often find the first couple of assignments challenging but what they achieve by the end usually surprises and satisfies them. Many who have done the course then carry on scriptwriting by themselves or with collaborators.

The paper is organized around six main topic areas: worlds/concepts, characters, structures, formatting, scenes/sequences and rewriting (which is a normal part of scriptwriting). Each of these topic areas will be explored via a 2-hour face-to-face interactive lecture-time a week and one 2-hour workshop time. Each workshop is led by an experienced scriptwriter/tutor who will give you feedback on the development of your script. Students should, if possible, attend both classes and workshops since both will involve in-class exercises and discussions at times. As the paper progresses the workshops will become opportunities for students to share their writing and get feedback on it from classmates as well as the tutor. In addition to four assignments which progress your idea through the stages of scriptwriting, there is an engagement grade for the course, since reading and discussing other people's writing is another valuable skill.

On Mondays the lecture parts of the class will be recorded on Panopto and uploaded to Moodle for those who cannot attend in person. If there are any students who cannot attend workshops a single Zoom session will be provided, at a time negotiated with those who want to use that session.